Sherman Plod sat gazing at the fax he’d just received looking bemused. It just really didn’t make sense to him. At first he’d thought it was some kind of joke, but he’d checked the calendar and April 1st had passed by a few months ago. He even doubled checked the fax to make sure it hadn’t been written on April Fool’s Day and someone had forgotten to send it until today. But he couldn’t think of any other rational explanation for what it was asking him to do apart from it being genuine.
Before he could get any further though, he heard a knock at the door. He just shouted for them to let themselves in. He knew it would be Ronnie stopping off on his way to school as he did every morning.
“I’m alright, thanks for asking,” said Ronnie as he walked in. Sherman always got freaked out by Ronnie’s knack of knowing what he was going to say.
Sherman knew it wasn’t normal to let 10 year old children let themselves into workplaces like his, even as small as the office was in Avysmere. But, for Ronnie he made an exception for several reasons. Firstly, Ronnie really, really wanted to be in the same line of work as Sherman when he was older, secondly he was fairly intelligent and helpful in solving things for him. And finally he felt sorry for Ronnie having to deal with any one of the thirteen different personalities his mother-in-law could manifest. It was hard enough on the poor lad that his father died when he was only five, without that to deal with.
“So what do you think to this,” he asked Ronnie, showing him the fax and feeling slightly pleased that he’d managed to.
“Duck smuggling!” exclaimed Ronnie, “I didn’t think something like that would be worth you spending your time on.” Mind you,” Ronnie added, “isn’t there supposed to be some kind of duck show locally soon?”
“Cheers, laddie,” thanked Sherman, “I guess you better go up to school, I’ll see you here later then.”
“Yeah, of course you will. By the way, Mum said she’d like you to come to her cheese and wine evening tonight,” said Ronnie “Oh before you ask, its okay she’s Susan today. But I could tell that she’d be really upset if you didn’t come.”
“Right then, well I’ll see you later then,” said PC Plod.
