Vince and Howard's Bunk Bed Times
“Vince, you’re breaking our agreement!” Howard just took a warm, comfortable shower and had the best time listening to some Charles Mingus tunes and using the shower head as a trumpet. Now he was standing in the keepers hut, freezing and only dressed in his vest and pants.
“Awe come on Howard, don’t be such a nitpicker!”
“Stop insulting me, Vince. I’m not a nitpicker, we had a clear agreement! I get the lower bunk for two weeks every second Monday. It is Monday. Now please step out of my bed.”
Vince pulled his blanket up to his face. “Please Howard. Just this night!”
“Don’t try the puppy look on me okay? It isn’t working. I’m freezing and I don’t wanna step up this ladder now.” Howard stepped closer to the lower bunk, as if claiming his property.
“You could have climbed up the ladder long ago, instead of having a whinge at me!” Vince’s voice reached a higher pitch when he added: “Also, your creeping me out! Take your bulge out of my face!”
“Step out of this bed. Now!” Howard decided to ignore the comment about his bulge. He didn’t want to use the ladder now. He just wanted to fall in his bed, have a good book and slowly drift off.
“Alright then!” Vince moaned and took his blanket, his stuffed leopard and his satin cushion. “Get in there!”
“I’m not getting in there, Vince.”
“What?!” Vince’s voice reached an even higher pitch. Howard pointed at the empty bed. He was furious. “What have I told you about eating sweets in bed, little man?”
The usual pet name came out a lot more dangerous. Vince crossed his arms and sulked.
“How am I supposed to sleep in there? It’s full of sweet wrappers, jellybabies and…is that candyfloss?”
“You could have just slept in the upper bunk and everything would’ve been alright…” Vince murmured and fixed his gaze to some point on the ground.
“Oh no. No, I will sleep in the lower bunk, according to out agreement. Clean this up.”
“I don’t wan…”
Howard cleared his throat and Vince sighed out in frustration. He cleaned it up. In the meantime Howard stood in front of the bed and watched him. He was still freezing. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he should just have slept in the other bunk. Maybe he was sorry because his mate had to stay up, cleaning a bed in his underwear. Or maybe he just enjoyed watching him do it.
“Howard?” Vince lay in the upper bunk. After the candyfloss incident, Howard was finally hitting the hay in the lower bunk. He was still reading, but he was ready to let the inspiring story continue in his dreams. “What is it this time?” he asked, halfheartedly mad. He was feeling so comfortable and cozy, he couldn’t really be mad at anyone right now.
“I can’t sleep. Can we switch bunks again?”
Howard laughed, but in a hysterical way. “Nice joke. Sleep well now!”
“I’m serious Howard. It’s the ceiling. It’s scaring me.”
Howard pretended to be snoring already. He could hear Vince wriggle around above him.
“There’s this shape. It’s shaped like the elephant, who always tried to soak me up in his trunk. Back in the jungle, when I was smaller. Imagine that. I was a toddler, in about the size of a peanut. When Brian wasn’t there to take care of me, Alfred the elephant always tried to suck me up. The ants tried to help me escape him, but sometimes they weren’t there when I needed them and I had to run away on my own, tiny little legs. I’m so scared Howard.”
Howard felt guilt rising in his chest. No, Moon. You have to stay strong. Don’t let pity come over you.
“It’s a Monday, and I’m sleeping in the lower bunk. Stop making up stories just to break our agreement.” Howard closed his book and softly placed it beside him. “I’m going to switch of my reading lamp now, then you won’t see the shape anymore. Alright little man?”
“Alright…” Vince mumbled and so Howard switched it off.
Howard loved the peaceful silence that surrounded him. He loved the lower bunk. He was getting in sleep position and closed his eyes.
“It’s not better Howard, it’s even worse! Now that it’s dark my mind tank is going crazy! I see Alfred everywhere!” Vince whined and Howard winced. “I feel so unprotected in the upper bunk.”
Howard sighed. “Listen, I know something that’ll help you. Let your arm hang down.”
He could hear Vince move again, but he didn’t do as Howard told him. “Come on.”
Vince carefully stretched his arm out. “No no Howard that’ll only make it w…”
Howard only needed to reach up a little bit to get hold of Vince’s hand. The complaints of his mate suddenly silenced. Howard flushed. This was a bad idea. But Vince’s hand felt good in his. It was oh so soft. He couldn’t help but stroking it a bit with his thumb, drawing little circles on it.
“Thanks Howard…” Vince whispered and Howard could hear how his voice became sleepier with every syllable. It didn’t last long until Howard also drifted off to sleepland.
“Awe come on Howard, don’t be such a nitpicker!”
“Stop insulting me, Vince. I’m not a nitpicker, we had a clear agreement! I get the lower bunk for two weeks every second Monday. It is Monday. Now please step out of my bed.”
Vince pulled his blanket up to his face. “Please Howard. Just this night!”
“Don’t try the puppy look on me okay? It isn’t working. I’m freezing and I don’t wanna step up this ladder now.” Howard stepped closer to the lower bunk, as if claiming his property.
“You could have climbed up the ladder long ago, instead of having a whinge at me!” Vince’s voice reached a higher pitch when he added: “Also, your creeping me out! Take your bulge out of my face!”
“Step out of this bed. Now!” Howard decided to ignore the comment about his bulge. He didn’t want to use the ladder now. He just wanted to fall in his bed, have a good book and slowly drift off.
“Alright then!” Vince moaned and took his blanket, his stuffed leopard and his satin cushion. “Get in there!”
“I’m not getting in there, Vince.”
“What?!” Vince’s voice reached an even higher pitch. Howard pointed at the empty bed. He was furious. “What have I told you about eating sweets in bed, little man?”
The usual pet name came out a lot more dangerous. Vince crossed his arms and sulked.
“How am I supposed to sleep in there? It’s full of sweet wrappers, jellybabies and…is that candyfloss?”
“You could have just slept in the upper bunk and everything would’ve been alright…” Vince murmured and fixed his gaze to some point on the ground.
“Oh no. No, I will sleep in the lower bunk, according to out agreement. Clean this up.”
“I don’t wan…”
Howard cleared his throat and Vince sighed out in frustration. He cleaned it up. In the meantime Howard stood in front of the bed and watched him. He was still freezing. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he should just have slept in the other bunk. Maybe he was sorry because his mate had to stay up, cleaning a bed in his underwear. Or maybe he just enjoyed watching him do it.
“Howard?” Vince lay in the upper bunk. After the candyfloss incident, Howard was finally hitting the hay in the lower bunk. He was still reading, but he was ready to let the inspiring story continue in his dreams. “What is it this time?” he asked, halfheartedly mad. He was feeling so comfortable and cozy, he couldn’t really be mad at anyone right now.
“I can’t sleep. Can we switch bunks again?”
Howard laughed, but in a hysterical way. “Nice joke. Sleep well now!”
“I’m serious Howard. It’s the ceiling. It’s scaring me.”
Howard pretended to be snoring already. He could hear Vince wriggle around above him.
“There’s this shape. It’s shaped like the elephant, who always tried to soak me up in his trunk. Back in the jungle, when I was smaller. Imagine that. I was a toddler, in about the size of a peanut. When Brian wasn’t there to take care of me, Alfred the elephant always tried to suck me up. The ants tried to help me escape him, but sometimes they weren’t there when I needed them and I had to run away on my own, tiny little legs. I’m so scared Howard.”
Howard felt guilt rising in his chest. No, Moon. You have to stay strong. Don’t let pity come over you.
“It’s a Monday, and I’m sleeping in the lower bunk. Stop making up stories just to break our agreement.” Howard closed his book and softly placed it beside him. “I’m going to switch of my reading lamp now, then you won’t see the shape anymore. Alright little man?”
“Alright…” Vince mumbled and so Howard switched it off.
Howard loved the peaceful silence that surrounded him. He loved the lower bunk. He was getting in sleep position and closed his eyes.
“It’s not better Howard, it’s even worse! Now that it’s dark my mind tank is going crazy! I see Alfred everywhere!” Vince whined and Howard winced. “I feel so unprotected in the upper bunk.”
Howard sighed. “Listen, I know something that’ll help you. Let your arm hang down.”
He could hear Vince move again, but he didn’t do as Howard told him. “Come on.”
Vince carefully stretched his arm out. “No no Howard that’ll only make it w…”
Howard only needed to reach up a little bit to get hold of Vince’s hand. The complaints of his mate suddenly silenced. Howard flushed. This was a bad idea. But Vince’s hand felt good in his. It was oh so soft. He couldn’t help but stroking it a bit with his thumb, drawing little circles on it.
“Thanks Howard…” Vince whispered and Howard could hear how his voice became sleepier with every syllable. It didn’t last long until Howard also drifted off to sleepland.