Adira Clawhauser Chapter 9
#9 of Adira Clawhauser
'We have an issue here.'
The chief told Adira and Mansa, who were the only ones at their offce,
'Mchorn just messaged me. Apparently he is hugging the toilet and can't interview the applicants for the afternoon.'
'Then just ask another officer to do it.' Bogo did not even bother to move his eyes away from the monitor.
'All the others have assignments out, Bogo. You're not on top of my list, I assure you, but it looks like you're the only one available for this job.'
'Why not Adira?' Bogo still refused to turn his head.
'Of course I prefer her, but for obvious reasons she just can't. So go to the report room and prepare, officer. Clawhauser will do your report.'
Bogo seethed,' I'll be there in five. Now can you please leave so I can finish my job here.'
After the chief left them, Adira looked over Bogo's shoulder at his laptop, 'What are you doing here that's so important?'
Bogo nearly jumped and swiftly closed his laptop with a snap, 'Nothing.' He shuffled off to the report room.
Adira could not believe her eyes. He was bidding for a Gazelle album on an auction site.
Maybe I'm just too familiar with this site, she pondered. Benjamin always pleaded with her to bid for him when he was not old enough.
Mansa sat down at the report room and skimmed through the files of candidates for the afternoon. He barely got through a few when a wolf officer led the first applicant in.
'Introduce yourself.' Mansa asked according to the list of questions prepared for him on a sheet.
'Why did you apply for the ZPD?'
'What is your greatest weakness?'
'...'
The first few interviews went quite well, but Mansa quickly got bored with the answers the applicants gave. Generic, bland answers that didn't really fit themselves kept coming out of their mouth. He stood up and stretched after he heard the door to report room close for god knows how many times.
He did not put down his hands in time when the door suddenly opened and a chubby cheetah in a green shirt waddled in.
'O M Goodness, you're hot...' Benjamin held his paws over his mouth but the last few words leaked through his hands and reached Mansa's ears muffled, 'I mean, you're so fit!' all the rehearsing with Adira completely forgotten by the sight of a stretching buffalo.
Mansa didn't know what to do, 'Uh... thanks?'
'Sorry sir, he got ahead of me and barged in.' the officer responsible for bring in mammals for interview apologized and closed the door.
Both Mansa and Benjamin were still standing when the cheetah said, 'I've never seen a buffalo with such gorgeous horns before. Can I touch them, please?'
'Of... of course.' Mansa stammered and Benjamin walked up to him. When he saw Benjamin stand on tiptoes trying to reach his horns, the buffalo lowered his head so Benjamin could gently caress the curved horns.
'Wow...' Clawhauser was awed by how big and strong the horns look and feel.
Bogo's ears glowed red from all the admiration he got from Benjamin, 'Uh... when you are done looking at my horn, please sit down. I need to ask you questions.'
Benjamin bounced around the table to his seat, 'Oh, right! I forgot I am here for the interview, whoopsie.'
Mansa's brain was still in shambles when he asked, 'Why did you apply for this job?' He messed up the sequence of the questions already.
'The first reason is because of Gazelle! I'm sure you know who she is. She said in a recent interview that she admires the ZPD so I came!'
'She did?'
'She did! And have you heard her newest song 'Waka Waka'?'
'I have.'
'Oh what do you think of it? I think it's fabulous...'
Benjamin went on a stream of complimenting Gazelle. About her new song, about how outspoken she was, about herself as a mammal, about her fan club...
Mansa could have enjoyed the conversation for hours, but the door to report room opened once again and the officer said, 'Sorry to interrupt, sir. But I'm afraid the interview needs to end now.'
'So soon?' Mansa didn't want Benjamin to go yet. They still have so much to discuss.
'It's been twenty minutes, sir. There are still mammals waiting outside.'
Bogo sighed, 'One moment.'
The officer nodded and went out.
Benjamin began talking again the moment he got out,
'Oooooh and I forgot to tell you the second reason. I like my sister a lot and she's one of the officers working here. Do you know her?'
There was only one cheetah at the first precinct. Mansa nodded, 'Yes, she was my partner when she first came here.'
'Then you must have solved cases with her! Can you tell me about them?'
Mansa looked at Benjamin's hopeful eyes and sighed, 'I'm afraid it'll have to be another time. Time's running out.'
'Aw, okay then. Thanks so much for your time!' Benjamin got up and gave Mansa a big hug.
The buffalo's legs weakened and the feeble feet wobbled at the comfy hug he was given. He watched Benjamin hop to the door and couldn't help but notice how round and squishy his bottom was.
'Dammit!' Mansa pinched himself for having such a creepy thought. He heaved a sigh and tried to calm down. It wasn't long before another applicant was led in by the wolf again.
He went through the rest of the interviews in a dazed state, asking the same questions over and over again.
'How did it go?' Adira asked when Mansa finally returned to his seat.
'Awful...' Mansa was still thinking about Benjamin, 'All of them don't qualify and your brother... he's okay but he needs a lot of hard work to pass the fitness test.'
'I know he isn't really the typical candidate you're looking for, but at least he's adorable right?'
She couldn't hear his reply because of the constant ruckus around them as everyone packed up to leave, nor see how red his ears still were.
'Yeah... he is...' Mansa sighed dreamily.