Vesna McMaster – Cabinet

‘Yes, I’ll just get the paper from the office, one moment… Wait a minute, what’s this?’

A corner of the room has mushroomed into a lump of blankets and pillows which are draped into a defensive tent over furniture. Henry lifts an edge of a quit and peers underneath.

‘Hello?’

‘Go away. We’re busy.’ A small and very cross voice responds.

‘We?’

‘We’re in a meeting. It’s private.’

‘Tilly…’

He lifts the corner a little higher. The bottom of the bureau has been emptied of stationery. The drawers are tipped sideways, and are now occupied by three stuffed toys – a tyrannosaurus rex, a bear, and an anteater, to be precise.  A child of about five with obstreperously curly blonde hair looks up angrily at the intruder.

‘Do you mind? We’re holding a cabinet of war.’

‘Are you?’ He blinks. ‘Who are you at war with?’

‘Peter won’t stop playing the piano. It’s awful.’

Henry’s eyebrows rise. The statement is as incontrovertible as it is unforeseen.

‘What is your proposed plan of action?’

‘If you keep interrupting we won’t be able to make one, will we? Do you really want that to happen?’

He drops the quilt and retreats. ‘I’m sorry, I appear to have mislaid the papers for the moment. May I get back to you on that one?’

The cabinet must have eventually been dissolved, as the next day the structure is cleared away. As it happens, Peter’s geography assignment takes an urgent turn, which may have a mollifying effect on Tilly’s objections. It is not until her parents host an evening for the local astronomical society, and when, after a convivial few bottles of wine, Henry opens up the piano and attempts to strike up what should have been a tune, that they realise all is not as it should be. A muffled ‘Thup phlup’ is all the piano can muster. They open up the lid, to find bright blue wool meticulously tied and woven between the strings to stop the reverberations. The assembly laughs indulgently at Henry’s realisation and subsequent explanation. He is about to close the lid when a detail catches his eye.

‘Hang on, where’s this string?’

Several guests peer into the cavity, and confirm that there is indeed a space where a piano wire is missing. Henry’s face falls.

‘Sarah, where’s Peter?’