It looked weird and scary at first when I saw the mouse wearing glasses.
Trust me, I froze to my bones. I was in my late mom's cottage unpacking a whole lot of stuff she was hoarding in a bag. Engrossed in what I was doing, yet I still noticed the flash of grey that darted across the kitchen floor and hopped onto the windowsill. Then it now stood on its hind legs, holding a tiny cane.
I had thought I was in a trance until I heard it talk. Now that almost made me scream.
“No need to scream,” the tiny mouse said in a surprisingly calm but old voice. “I’m Mr Pepper Whiskers, and I come in peace. But I do have rights.”
I let the key I had in my hands drop to the floor. And quickly grabbed a piece of wood I saw beside me and threw it at the mouse. I missed it.
“Did... Did you just... t... talk?” I stammered in fear.
“Yes,” the mouse sighed. “I talk. And please, I’d appreciate it if you don't throw things at me. I’m not a rat. Well, technically I am, but there’s a difference. I am no harm”
I stopped and took a good look at it. In a world full of weird things, that was the weirdest mouse I've ever seen. Dressed in a brown, almost worn-out coat with tiny glasses resting on its nose. It had that kind of attitude you’d expect from a grumpy librarian.
I watched as it adjusted its glasses and reached into a tiny pouch tied to its waist.
“Here, this belongs to you now,” it said, tossing a rolled paper onto the counter.
I shook my head, trying to convince myself I was in a trance. I couldn't believe I was talking to a mouse. And now it was handing me a paper, which I was unconsciously moving over to take from it and read.
I opened the paper and wrote in tiny words, which I could barely read, was a lease agreement. Signed in 1842. By someone named “E. Pepperwhiskers.” Then at the bottom was my mother's signature. With the government stamp. I couldn't think if it was genuine, but from what I read and from what I saw, I was sure not to play smart until I understood what was going on.
“Okay, I know I watched a lot of Looney Tunes growing up, but do I look like some joke to you?” I whispered.
“No, you don't, sir. Your mother and I have been in agreement since she was alive. God bless her soul. I’ve lived in this cottage for five generations. Your grandmother honored the agreement. Every tenant did. You now own the house, which means you also own the responsibility.”
“What nonsense responsibility? Is it because I haven't called the pest control on you yet?"
"Pest control? I'd love to see you try. Or maybe you just have to read the lease agreement in your hands, signed by your mother, which is still in your hands. "
I glanced through the agreement again, and just as stated, there was a line clearly stating that pest control shouldn't at any point be called on the occupants of the cottage.
"What do you want?"
“To give me a corner of the kitchen, weekly crumbs, and silence after ten. Just like your mom. I don’t ask for much.”
I rubbed her eyes. I couldn't tell what I was feeling at that moment. Was it grief? Was it stress? I had returned to my mother's house after her funeral to escape the house of the city and maybe feel closer to my mum. Instead, I was talking to a mouse with a leash.
“I must be losing my mind.”
"Trust me, you're not. You just need time to process everything going on." The mouse turned and walked towards a crack in the wall. Just the kind you see in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. He got to the entrance and paused, then added, “Your grandmother used to sit by the fire with me. We played chess. She always cheated. But she was kind. Will you be kind too Mackenzie?"
Spontaneously, I laughed. A soft, broken sound.
With time, I began grasping the idea that a mouse was living in the cottage of my house. Although I tried pretending the mouse wasn’t real. But he kept showing up—reading beside the fireplace, sipping tea from a thimble, humming to Mama's favorite old songs.
Slowly, the house wasn't empty for me anymore. As long as the mouse didn't litter the place or chew on stuff, I found him friendly.
On lonely evenings, we'll sit by the fire and talk about Mama and her favorite things. Gradually, I found myself talking to the mouse about my failed investments and struggles in life. The mouse became a friend I never had. I never for once thought about how weird it was to have a mouse friend.
But trouble came in the form of a man in a shiny suit, knocking on the door one morning with a briefcase full of papers.
“I represent Eden Developers,” he said. “We’re buying up land around here. We’d like to offer you a large sum for this property.”
At first, I was hesitant. The bills were piling. The roofs were leaking. Selling the house would mean more money for me and a better life, too.
I guess the man saw my pain and decided to capitalize on it. “Look, I'm offering you a whole amount of money. With that, you could start over. Leave this old place behind, go back to the city, and restart your failed business. A better life for you. And a better future too.”
That night, I sat by the fireplace watching the dancing flames when Mr Pepper walked over to me.
"You don't have to explain. I already know you're thinking of selling,” Pepper said quietly.
“Maybe it's a chance for me to start all over again. But.."
"You're thinking what will I do?. I know, your mum thought about it too on similar occasions. Don't worry, I'll survive." Mr Pepper replied sadly.
"She tried to sell the house?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah, she once got an offer from Eden Developers.
"The same people who want to buy the house." I sat up from my chair. "Why didn't she sell?"
"She said the cottage healed her.” Mr Pepper replied.
That night, I barely slept. I had several thoughts running through my mind. If Mama didn't sell to the Eden Developers, maybe it was more than the reason she gave. What if it was more than it?
The next day, the man in the suit came back. I stood at the door with her head high. And told him straight to his face.
“I'm sorry. I'm not interested anymore,” I said.
The man blinked. “What? Why?"
“Never mind. Good day.”
I closed the door, locked it, and leaned back with a smile. I didn't know what was pushing me, but I thought of Mama and whatever she meant by the cottage, which healed her. I thought of my tenant in the cottage.
Then I sighed. "I hope I've made the right decision."