The doorbell rang for a long time, as if a deaf person was pushing it. Little Oliver ran to the door and swung it open.
\n\u201cWow, Bob, I knew it was you! Your shoes are beautiful! Sing for me! Sing \u2018Love is not my bread and butter…\u2019, please, pleeeease…\u201d
\nHearing the commotion, Bella ran to the door, now fully dressed She put on Mimi\u2019s red coat, pinned feathers on it from God knows where, while wearing her mother\u2019s ballerina shoes two sizes too large, covered in glitter.
\n\u201cHi, Bob,\u201d she smiled sweetly at the pop star. Bob had no idea whether this was the real Phoenix or not anymore. It was the twentieth house he had visited that day and he was terribly tired.
\n\u201cHi, Phoenix… Your costume is very nice…\u201d But Little Oliver wouldn’t let him be.
\n\u201cPlease, Bob, please, sing, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please!\u201d
\n“”Oh, Little Oliver, go away,”” Bella snapped at him as she turned to Bob. \u201cSo, do you recognize me?\u201d
\n\u201cI think… Your shoes… are glittery. It could be you.\u201d
\n\u201cOf course, it is!\u201d
\n\u201cWell then… nice to meet you… again. I’ll pick you up by helicopter the day after tomorrow at noon. But now I’m very tired, I think I’ll go home and rest.\u201d
\nMimi was listening to the conversation from behind the kitchen door and wept bitter tears.” “\u201cMum! Mum, I\u2019m so glad you\u2019re back\u201d exclaimed Bella, as she threw herself into her mother’s arms. Mimi went to her father for a hug. Little Oliver hesitated between the four of them.
\n\u201cGuess what happened, Mum! I won a helicopter ride… with Bob the Dog, the singer!\u201d
\n\u201cThe one with that awful catchy hit and complete nonsense lyrics?\u201d
\n\u201cCome on, it\u2019s not nonsense! \u2018Love is not my bread and butter…\u2019 With him, yes! Because I won the costume contest at the party, you know, the one that was yesterday, and Bob was here because he wanted to know who the Phoenix was, and…\u201d
\n\u201cStop! Stop! Stop!\u201d said Mimi’s dad kindly. \u201cYou aren\u2019t making any sense at all. Let’s sit down and you can tell me about it over lunch. Mimi, did you not go to the party?\u201d
\n\u201cSomeone had to take care of Little Oliver while he slept…\u201d said Mimi bitterly.
\n\u201cOh, right, I see. Well, congratulations, Bella! You can send us a postcard from up there,\u201d laughed Mimi’s dad.
\n\u201cSure, I’ll send you a song too! Only two days to go, I’m so looking forward to it! It’ll be divine, just Bob and me up there… Mum! Can you help me with my hair?\u201d Bella and her mum disappeared into the bathroom.
\nMimi could barely hold back her tears as her dad told her about the great weekend he had spent in the mountains with Mimi’s stepmother.” “Something was bothering Bob. He sat in his room, thinking about the costume ball. There was a knock on the door.
\n\u201cIt’s only me!\u201d said his father in the doorway. \u201cWell, well, what are you looking so worried about?\u201d
\n\u201cI don’t know, Dad. I don’t think I picked the real Phoenix. She was so weird. Her voice did not sound familiar at all. But the dress and the shoes… I don’t know if I made the right decision.\u201d
\n\u201cWell, that\u2019s easy. Is there anything the Phoenix told you last night? Something that only you and she would know?\u201d
\n\u201cNow that you mention it,\u201d said Bob, trying to recollect the events of the party, \u2018she told me she collected glass figurines.\u201d
\n\u201cThere you go. When you go to pick her up in the helicopter, ask her to show you her figurines. If she has them, she is the one. If not, she is a fraud.\u201d
\n\u201cDad, you’re a genius!\u201d Shouted Bob, jumping about for joy.
\n\u201cNo kidding? Only a genius could build a shoe factory as big as mine. Not to mention your pop music career,\u201d he added, luckily, quiet enough for Bob not to hear him. ” “\u201cComing! I’ll get it!\u201d Bella ran to the door, pushing both Mimi and Little Oliver aside. Bob was standing in front of them in person.
\n\u201cHi! The helicopter was able to land on a sports field near here! But before we go, I have something to ask.\u201d
\n\u201cSure, anything!\u201d Bella exclaimed.
\n\u201cYou said at the party that you collect glass figurines. Can you show them to me?\u201d
\n\u201cWell… um…sure, I just… I have to go up and get them… because they’re upstairs in my room.\u201d
\nThis was too much for Mimi.
\n\u201cThat does it!\u201d Bella ran towards the stairs, but Mimi was faster. \u201cThose are my figurines\u201d They ran towards Mimi’s room scuffling on the way.
\n\u201cNo! Will you two stop fighting! You are always fighting.\u201d Little Oliver ran anxiously after his sisters.
\nThey arrived at Mimi’s room almost at the same time. Bella leaped towards the wardrobe, but Little Oliver tripped over the doorstep and fell over badly. He immediately started to scream and cry.
\nBy this time, Bob was also standing at the door, puzzled, looking at the two girls as they fought, but Little Oliver, who had been lying on the floor crying, suddenly stopped.
\n\u201cWow…look, under the bed! What’s that?\u201d Little Oliver said, crawling over to the bed and pulling out Mimi’s phoenix costume, and the shiny shoes.” “\u201cSo, you were the real phoenix\u201d Bob mumbled, when he finally found his voice again.
\n\u201cYes, it was me.\u201d
\n\u201cBut then why didn’t you tell me?\u201d
\n\u201cI don’t know… I was afraid. Nobody knew I was at the party.\u201d
\n\u201cAre you serious? You went to the party and left Little Oliver here alone?\u201d shouted Bella.
\n\u201cI didn’t leave him alone. Aunt Esther was watching over him. If it\u2019s any of your business, motor mouth! You cheated, you lied, and you still can\u2019t stop it! Get out of my room!\u201d
\nMimi herself was surprised that she was telling off her stepsister like that. Honestly, it felt good to finally give her a piece of her mind.
\n\u201cWell then,\u201d said Bob, finally, \u201cI think there’s a helicopter waiting for us outside. But only if you want to come with me…. wait, I don’t even know your name!\u201d
\n\u201cMy name is Mimi\u201d she said, blushing. \u201cAnd of course, I’m up for a helicopter ride over the city…\u201d
\n\u201cGreat, then let’s go!\u201d Bob took Mimi’s hand and walked her towards the stairs, I’ll sing you my latest hit up there if you like. You must know the one. \u2018Love is not my bread and butter\u2019. He hummed.
\n\u201cOf course, I do. But maybe it’s time to rewrite the lyrics…\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1104,"template":"","class_list":["post-1106","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n