Cookie Story

"Well," my mom said, "let's make the best of a bad situation. Would you like a cookie?"

I said "Yeah, sure Mom, I'd like a cookie. I think I can reach them."

"No," she said, "don't bother. I'll get them. They're on the top shelf."

So she waded over to where the high shelf was, kind of paddling in the water with her hands, which she had to hold high then because the water was up to her elbows, but we were a family that eats cookies so that, at least, seemed normal.

The water was not very cold but it was uncomfortable to be in it all the time, and it meant that you couldn't sit down no matter how tired you were, and I was pretty tired, as we'd been up all night but not at a party.

"Chocolate chip or the other kind?" she asked.

"The other kind," I said. "You can have the chocolate chip."

"Nah, that's not fair," she said. "How about one of each?"

"Nah, Ma, you go ahead and have the chocolate chips. I like the mint. Really."

So she felt her way over to the shelf, though it was pretty dark now and you couldn't really see where the floor was, and I knew there was an end table by the arm of the couch that had knickknacks on it so it made me nervous watching my mom wading through the water to get to the high shelf where the cookies were and also where the TV was, but down lower. I thought about what it would be like to watch the TV if the TV was under water, how cool that would be.

I heard a siren down the street and then getting closer and closer until it sounded like it was right outside our house, but then it just kept on going, and I heard the outboard motor of the police boat and figured, yeah, they've got more to do than deal with us, we're basically OK, just with all the water it was getting tiring.

Mom reached up to get the cookie jar and I guess her hands were wet and it had been a couple of years now that they had been kind of shaky from the illness she had and so she went up on her tippy toes, I could tell, and got the cookie jar but then Darn! it slipped out of her hand and landed in the water, but floating! It had a lid on it and it was floating on the water! Other things were floating on the water too, a couple of books, my old teddy bear, a throw pillow, random pieces of paper, just all the random stuff of our living room.

"You can't eat the cookie now," my mom said.

"Why not?" I said.

"Because it fell in the water."

"Just the jar fell in the water," I said. "The cookies should be fine."

"You think?" she said.

"Yeah," I said.

"I don't know," she said. "I don't know if it's sanitary. It might not be sanitary. According to food science."

"Well," I said, "maybe we should try to get rescued."

"Sure," she said. "Make the best of a bad situation. If you think that's the right thing to do."

"That police boat went by. Maybe they'll come back," I said. "I could get to the front door I think. Maybe I can see something."

"I don't know," she said. "You don't know what's out there. At least, in here, we know where we are."

"I'll just see if I can get over to the door and see if I can open it," I said. "Just hang on there. Hang on to the cookie jar."

"I'm getting tired," she said. "I sure would like a nap."

I waded over to the front door and tried to get it open but it wouldn’t move but it had a little window at the top and I looked out and was glad I hadn’t opened it, even if I could. Because the porch was gone. There was nothing there. It would have been about an eight-foot drop, though with all that water rushing by, you wouldn't fall far, you'd just be washed away.

"Nah," I said. "Ma, that's not gonna work. Ma?"

In the near darkness I could see that the cookie jar was floating but Ma was not standing there. She was on her back, kind of sleeping in the water. I grabbed the cookie jar with one hand.

"Ma!" I said. "Ma!" I shook her shoulder. "Ma! You've got to stay awake!"

"Oh darn," she said. "I get so tired sometimes."

"Here, have a chocolate chip."

"No, you," she said. "I'll have a mint."

"Ma. Come on. Have a chocolate chip."