Walter slowly opened the door to Mr. Kitley's room."Misstah Kitley?" He whispered in a kind and slightly condescending voice. "Mr. Kitley, you in there suhh?"
"Yes Walter, I'm here, over by the bed." A weak voice drifted out from the stale air.
Walter poked his head through the door, one hand on the door knob the other on the handle of a twelve inch, razor sharp knife he picked up in the kitchen.
"OH! There you is Mr. Kitley! How you feelin' now? All good? Ready to go to the zoo? Ready to go see that panda bear that's there waitin fo' us?"
"Yes...yes Walter, I'm ready to see the panda bear." Kitley resigned.
"Oh! Missstah Kitley! That's great, that's just wonderful news! I'm just so happy!" Walter strode into the room beaming, the knife still clearly out of sight, pressed up against the back of his white jacket.
"Alright Mr. Kitley, let's get you dressed!" Walter walked over to the wardrobe, threw the doors open with one hand. He examined the the strange collection of hanging garments and pondered for a moment what the panda bear might respond to the best. Perhaps something casual...an ascot and a pair of chinos? Or maybe some formal attire, something black and white.
"So what should we go with Mr. Kitley, something casual or something more appropriate for this momentous occasion?" Walter swung his head around with a huge smile and lightly closed eyes. He was met with a heavy brass paper weight across the chin. A hot white flash of pain and shock shot through Walter's face and settled in the back of his head. His legs buckled, and he dropped his knife. It slid across the floor and under Kitley's bed. His face hit the highly polished floor and three teeth, roots and all, bounced out across the floor leaving little tippy toes of blood in their trail.
Walter, stunned, tried to get to his feet, but in a moment Kitley was on top of him with both of his white bony hands wrapped around his throat. Kitley struggled with all of his strength to keep a hold. Walter, his eyes bulging reached blindly under the bed for the knife. Patting his hand around he finally felt the handle, grabbed it and smashed Kitley across the temple. Kitley collapsed and rolled to one side, instantly Walter, a much younger man, was on top of him, pressing the cold blade to his neck. Kitley's paper thin skin crinkled and began to give way to the blade.
"Don't make me do this Mr. Kitley! I don't wanna take your head off, but I will!"
Just as Kitley was losing the struggle the house cat, Theodora, entered the room and strode up to the two men. Her head was cocked to one side and she seemed to understand the contest afoot. Their six eyes locked. The two men were transfixed. Slowly the pressure of the blade began to give way and the both bodies began to relax. Walter started to whisper "Ninteen...sixty-two..." Then Mr. Kitley, "Forty-six...twelve...eighteen..."
The two men turned to each other and started to laugh. Theodora ran out of the room just as Katelyn Kitley appeared. "What on Earth is going on here?" She said, looking at the two men on the floor. "Oh, ummm, nothing dear, I...um...fell and Walter was helping me up."
"Yes, uh...yeeesss missss Katelyn I was helping your father up and then I done fell over too! How 'bout that!?" Katelyn shrugged in annoyance and left the room calling for Theodora. Walter turned to Mr. Kitley, "We's gonna be rich Mr. Kitley, you know dat!?"
"I am rich, Walter, I am rich."
The End
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