A Skeleton in the Cupboard

by Kinovych Mariya

First of all, I want to admit that my skeleton is not in the cupboard – it is on the loft in my summer cottage. His name is Bob and he doesn’t have a jaw.

This story began several years ago when I had graduated from the University and moved here, because of my old grandmother. I was full of ambitions and with no chance to get a job of high-paid biologist in the small town. Finally, I found a vacancy of laboratory assistant in local school. The headmaster, who was a teacher of biology and chemistry at the same time, turned out a very nice man with great sense of humor. He explained me that my duty would be to clean all the things in biology classroom and from time to time to prepare models for special demonstrations. But the most important task was to look after Bob. The headmaster said that it is the most honorable thing in this town. Everyone, who lives here, knows him from biology lessons and the legends. Moreover, it’s nonofficial symbol of this town. I was surprised, because I’ve never heard about “Bob”.

At the supper I asked my old granny about it. She mysteriously smiled and said that Bob, his whole name was Bob Tillan, was the famous musician. In this little town he made his first steps and sang his first songs. He loved this place and this people, so the only thing he could do for them was to stay here forever.

I didn’t slept at all that night after conversation with granny, because I couldn’t understood how I could be a keeper of a Bob Tillan!

Next morning I came to my workplace – little boxroom near the biology cabinet. There were a lot of shelves with thousands of reagents, folders with botanic materials, stuffed animals and many other things with thick layer of dust. In the right corner was standing a high cupboard with inscription “Bob” on it. Trembled with fear, I came closer to the cupboard and sharply open the door. That was my mistake. In a moment, from the opened cupboard fell “Bob”. It is the shame, but I screamed like a little girl. I couldn’t believe that Bob is a skeleton! After getting over I saw that Bob’s jaw was lying away from his “body”. It was the consequence of sudden opening and of course, it was my fault. Oh God, in that moment I again started to panic like a girl, because I had destroyed a symbol, I was a murder of a Bob’s skeleton!

An hour later I was trying to glue the jaw but it was hopeless. Then I got the brilliant idea – to change the skeleton! From my student’s year I had one – it was a present from my best friend Mark, who became a scientist. Without waiting I dissembled Bob’s body, put it in my bag and run home to get another skeleton. It is not so interesting to describe how I came back with new “Bob” and put him in his cupboard –the main idea that I made it without witnesses. The real Bob’s skeleton I hide on my loft. And I want to admit that I didn’t break his testament – he will stay forever in his native town.