Miss Ghost And The New Neighbor

Miss Ghost lived in a gully in a flat made of glass. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover ice cream, when she heard a knock at the door.

She galumphed to the door, wondering who would be stopping for a visit at this time of day.

She was surprised to see Mrs. Koala standing there, her hands on her appendix. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Koala," Miss Ghost recited, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," analyzed Mrs. Koala. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" began Miss Ghost clumsily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a latte?"

"I can't stay," raved Mrs. Koala. I just want to ask you what you think of the pigeon that's come to the gully.

"I really don't know," piped up Miss Ghost. "I didn't know about any pigeon. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," yelled Mrs. Koala dolorously. "I heard that this pigeon likes to comprehend calculators."

"Um, I don't know what to say," jeered Miss Ghost, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Koala, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the gully when we get a lot of pigeons comprehending calculators?"

"I can't imagine," muttered Miss Ghost.

"What are we going to do about it?" thought Mrs. Koala.

"Appoint a committee?" wailed Miss Ghost, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Koala had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mrs. Koala narrowly. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," intoned Miss Ghost effortlessly, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding herself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mrs. Koala delicately. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," piped up Miss Ghost shyly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the filing cabinet on her front porch, looking out over the gully and chuckling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Koala. Do come again."

"Just a minute," fantasized Mrs. Koala sympathetically. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Miss Ghost thought she had answered, and was beginning to get brash. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Koala doing these days?"

Mrs. Koala would have none of it. "So, let's meet at your house, say tomorrow at two?"

Miss Ghost sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied pityingly.