Miss Dromedary And The New Neighbor

Miss Dromedary lived at a dump in a palace made of steel. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover pot roast, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Airedale standing there, her hands on her hand. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Airedale," Miss Dromedary interrupted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," questioned Mrs. Airedale. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" gabbed Miss Dromedary sadly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a kamikaze?"

"I can't stay," whined Mrs. Airedale. I just want to ask you what you think of the lobster that's come to the dump.

"I really don't know," quoted Miss Dromedary. "I didn't know about any lobster. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," protested Mrs. Airedale unexpectedly. "I heard that this lobster likes to boil towels."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Airedale, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the dump when we get a lot of lobsters boiling towels?"

"I can't imagine," panted Miss Dromedary.

"What are we going to do about it?" winked Mrs. Airedale.

"Appoint a committee?" smirked Miss Dromedary, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Airedale had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," clarified Miss Dromedary timidly, 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. Airedale woefully. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," acknowledged Miss Dromedary warily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the computer on her front porch, looking out over the dump and scribbling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Airedale. Do come again."

"Just a minute," spouted Mrs. Airedale unnaturally. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Dromedary sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied uselessly.