"Ms. Nierling! Ms. Nierling!"
Mickey was almost knocked down as Oscar and Meredith Mickelberg ran past him. He glared at the younger children as they ran to the elderly cat. Everyone saw Ms. Nierling as a grandmother, often taking care of the babies, the toddlers, the younger children than Mickey, the pre-teens, the teenagers, and sometimes the adults, and she also made sure that her son, Harrison Nierling, wasn't leading the group to where they could be harmed. Oscar and Meredith sat near the cat and more came over to hear a new or old story from Ms. Nierling. Mickey sighed and grabbed Pluto from the basket in his and Mickey's tent and headed over himself to hear the story. And from the sound of it, it sounded like she was telling them a story about her husband, Mr. Nierling.
"How did you two meet?" Oscar asked her.
"Well, I wasn't in a good house growing up and Mr. Nierling had been my friend since I was nine when I met him at school, and he saw from time to time what my mother would do to me and my younger brothers, so he reported my mother to the police and his parents and we were taken away." Ms. Nierling answered Oscar's question.
"Then what happened Ms. Nierling?" Meredith asked.
"After my brothers and I were taken from our mother we moved a couple of times throughout the last six years of my childhood and sadly I lost contact with Mr. Nierling." Ms. Nierling replied. "But right as I started to be a elementary teacher, I found out that he was too and at the same school. We got married nine years later and two years after that, we had five kittens."
"Was Harry one of them?" Oscar asked.
"No," Ms. Nierling shook her head before continuing. "Harry was born 10 years after I gave birth to me and Mr. Nierling's first litter. And now he and his big sisters are all grown up and they have kids of their own."
Mickey gave a quick glance over to Pluto to see that he was chasing poor Figaro around the bridge again. Mickey stood and rushed to save the baby cat from the puppy.
"Hey Mickey!" Oscar called once Ms. Nierling finished her story.
"What?" Mickey had to yell because of Pluto's constant barking.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Oscar asked.
Mickey skidded to a stop which unfortunately allowed Pluto continue chasing Figaro.
"I don't know, Oscar." Mickey answered.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Oscar questioned like he didn't believe Mickey at all. "You're nine, and you've been remembering things longer than me and Meredith!"
"I just don't Oscar!" Mickey yelled angrily at the younger toon, the last thing he needed was Oscar being the cause that the older kids would bully Mickey again. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to stop my dog from hurting a kitten!"
Mickey didn't give Oscar the chance to ask another question because he took off to find Pluto and Figaro. But as he started his search for the kitten and puppy, Oscar's question came back to haunt him. And it made Mickey stop and just stand their as he continued to think about what Oscar had asked .
"Do I have any brothers or sisters?"