Emily Jenkins: Toy Dance Party

“Why would I know?” says TukTuk.

“You were in the laundry basket. Maybe you heard something.”

“I don’t hear about anything that goes on in this house,” fusses TukTuk. “Not that you would care.”

“I care,” says Lumphy, surprised. He has never known TukTuk to be anything but kind and calm.

“If you do, you don’t show it,” snaps TukTuk. “I’m never in the linen closet with the other towels, I’m never in the grown-up bathroom with the other other towels. It’s rare that I even get washed with anybody,” she complains. “And even my so-called friends don’t tell me what’s happening.”

“Are you upset I didn’t tell you that the Dryer was broken?”

“It’s not about the Dryer,” sulks TukTuk.

“What’s it about, then?” Lumphy asks. The water drains and Frank’s tub begins to spin.

“I heard you had a dance party,” TukTuk says. “Every other towel in the house was there. They’re all talking about it.”

“Oh.”

“Just because I get washed with the Girl-clothes doesn’t mean I don’t want to go to a party,” says TukTuk.

“I’m—”

“And just because I can’t dance doesn’t mean I don’t want to, either.”

Lumphy doesn’t know what to say. He wants to make TukTuk feel better, but they are inside Frank’s washtub—and he can’t say in front of Frank that he had never intended to have that dance party in the first place. So he stays silent, and TukTuk stays silent, too. They let Frank go through his cycle.

When it is done, Frank’s buzzer beeps and Honey’s mother returns to the basement. She dumps Lumphy and the towels into the hamper while she talks to the workman, who is finally, finally finished. He is putting away his tools, and the Dryer is pushed back against the wall.

“Thanks so much,” the mom tells him. “Come up and I’ll write you a check.” She sets down the laundry basket.

“Don’tcha want to put that in?” he says, gesturing at the damp wash.

“Silly me.” She holds up Lumphy. “This can go in as well?”

“Should be okay.”

Honey’s mother shoves Lumphy and all the towels into the Dryer and turns it on.

The Dryer purrs.

. . . . .

Fwuuumpa! (baggle baggle)

Fwuuumpa! (baggle baggle)

It is seriously hot in the Dryer.

Fwuuumpa! (baggle baggle)

Fwuuumpa! (baggle baggle)

That is the noise Lumphy makes when he is in it, because he rides three-quarters of the way up the turning drum, then Fwuuumpa!

drops down to the bottom, onto TukTuk and

the clothes and

(baggle baggle)

bumps around a few times before riding up

the drum again.

It is not his favorite experience, at all.

In fact, he feels sick to his stomach worse than he’s ever felt sick to his stomach before, but he keeps his mouth shut. He doesn’t complain one tiny complaint, even. He is so happy that the Dryer is well again. That she won’t be dragged off to the dump and replaced by a stranger.

That Frank will not be lonely.

That all the wishing on the stars

maybe

helped.

. . . . .

When the Dryer halts, it is after dinnertime, but the spring sky is still bright, the evening sun shining through the basement windows. Honey and her parents are out of the house. Lumphy can tell by how quiet it is.

“I am so glad you’re feeling better,” he calls, after the Dryer’s drum rolls to a stop. She swings her door open, and since the house is empty, he climbs out. TukTuk remains in an exhausted heap with the Girl-clothes.

“We all wished and hoped that you’d be okay,” Lumphy tells the Dryer. “We were so worried.”

“ I was so worried,” puts in Frank. “With you pulled out from the wall like that—you can’t even imagine. Sometimes I thought that workman didn’t know what he was doing. I thought you were never going to tumble dry again. I thought you were leaving me.” Frank sobs. “I was so lonely. I didn’t know what to do!”

“There, there, love,” says the Dryer. “I know. I know. But it’s all right now.”

. . . . .

Late at night, when the people are sound asleep, Lumphy creeps upstairs and gets Plastic, Sheep, StingRay, Spark, Bonkers, Millie, Brownie, and Rocky. They bring down jingle sticks, finger cymbals, a maraca, some silver confetti, and several orange and yellow balloons found in the bottom of the toy box. When they get to the basement, they sprinkle the floor with silver, then wake up Frank, the Dryer, TukTuk, and the purple towels. Spark, who is hollow, blows up the balloons.

Dance party!

Frank starts off with “Love Train” and the towels join in, providing backbeat and harmonies. Rocky and Millie bounce on the towels, and Lumphy bangs the cymbals. StingRay taps her tail and, as the beat gets her going, begins hopping up and down with her flippers and leaping into the air.

“The party is for you, not just the Dryer,” Lumphy tells TukTuk. “I won’t forget to invite you again.”

Frank overhears and interrupts “Love Train” to boom, “Shall I sing something for the little lady?”

“Yes, please,” says Lumphy. “Because she is my particular towel friend.” He rubs his buffalo nose against TukTuk’s warm folds, and Frank improvises:

“Tuk-itty TukTuk

Yellow like a yellow duck

Tuk-itty TukTuk

Boom! (hey!)

Tuk-itty TukTuk

Yellow like a chicken cluck

Tuk-itty TukTuk

Boom!”

The song is so good, they sing it six times.

“Tuk-itty TukTuk

Yellow like a corn shuck

Tuk-itty TukTuk

Boom! (hey!)

TukTuk is yellow

Like a Caterpillar dump truck

Tuk-itty TukTuk

Boom!”

TukTuk, seated on top of the Dryer and singing backup with some other towels, isn’t angry with Lumphy anymore. The music is loud. Plastic bounces and spins. Spark rears onto her tail and waggles a jingle stick ferociously, and StingRay is flapping and clapping. Lumphy is going to town with the cymbals. Bonkers and Brownie are wiggling themselves so hysterically, they keep falling over their tails, which sends them into fits of giggles, while the Dryer swings her front door open and shut and blinks all her lights on and off. She is dancing!

“Sweetheart,” says Frank when the TukTuk song is over. “This next one’s for you. Towels, back me up some more. Here we go!”

“She’s our Dryer! La da dee dah!

And she’s healthy! Deedle dee bah!

We love that Dryer!

(Shake, shake, and shake)

’Cause she’s our Dryer!

(Shake, shake, and shake)

If you’re damp, she’ll dry you out,

If you’re cold, she’ll warm you up.

She makes a lovely rumble sound.

We’re glad our Dryer’s still around!

(Everybody now!)

She’s our Dryer! La da dee dah!

And she’s healthy! Deedle dee bah!

We love that Dryer!

(Shake, shake, and shake)

’Cause she’s our Dryer!

(Shake, shake, and shake)

Oooooooooh, yeah!”

CHAPTER SIX

Let’s Do Our Nails

Plastic and Spark are in the bathtub. It is bouncy to have a friend to float with, and Plastic is boinging herself against the tiled wall and dropping back into the water with a big splash. Spark is swimming in circles with only her fin above the water. It is a Saturday afternoon in late spring. Honey has a soccer game, and the family is out of the house.