Otis and the Squeak
An Adventures of the Flyers
By JT
Otis liked things that worked.
Engines that started. Bolts that stayed tight. Doors that closed when they were supposed to.
And most of all, Otis liked things that didn't squeak.
Squeak.
Otis stopped what he was doing and looked around the shop.
Squeak.
Otis frowned.
“Now what?”
Otis checked Socket first.
He looked over the wheels. He checked the propeller. Then he walked around the plane, looking for anything that seemed out of place.
Nothing.
Otis stepped back.
Squeak.
His feathers stood up.
Otis stared at Socket.
“I just checked that plane.”
About then, Rodee rolled up in Look-See.
“Morning, Otis.” Squeak.
Otis looked at Rodee.
Rodee looked at Otis.
“What?” Rodee asked.
Otis tilted his head toward the shop.
“You hear that?” Rodee listened.
Squeak.
“I hear it.”
Otis nodded toward the shop.
“Find it.”
Rodee grinned.
Now that was a job for Rodee.
Rodee started with the workbench.
He looked underneath it. Then behind the toolbox. He even peeked inside an old coffee can full of bolts.
Otis watched him.
“It’s not in there.”
“I know,” Rodee said.
Otis looked at the coffee can.
“Then why are you looking in there?”
Rodee thought about it.
“I like to be thorough.”
Otis shook his head.
They checked the shop door.
They checked the hanging sign.
They even checked the old weather vane outside.
Nothing.
Otis stood in the middle of the shop and folded his wings.
“Something around here is making that noise.”
Rodee nodded.
Otis closed his eyes.
“Of course it is.”
Rodee walked back toward Look-See.
He grabbed the wing and started to roll the little plane toward the shop.
Squeak.
Rodee stopped. Otis opened his eyes.
Rodee pushed Look-See forward again.
Squeak.
They both looked down at the wheel.
Rodee slowly pushed the plane one more time.
Squeak.
Otis stared at the wheel. Then he stared at Rodee.
Rodee smiled. “Well... we found it.”
Otis walked over and studied Look-See’s wheel.
“You’ve been rolling around here all morning with that?”
Rodee looked at the wheel.
“I thought it always sounded like that.”
Otis slowly looked up at him.
Rodee smiled.
Otis closed his eyes for a moment.
“Bring it into the shop.”
Rodee nodded.
Squeak. Otis opened his eyes again.
“Please.”
A little while later, Rodee rolled Look-See out of the shop.
Not a sound.
He rolled forward again.
Still nothing.
Rodee grinned.
“That’s better.”
Otis was already walking back toward Socket.
“It was better before you got here.”
Rodee laughed.
Otis didn’t.
At least not while Rodee was looking.