Tamias's Turn

One day when Min was about two-and-a-half, we went on a long bike ride. When we got home, Min felt tired and ready to go inside for dinner.

Min was too little to reach the doorknob.

Tamias opened the door, and said, “Min, you’re allowed to go in the house, and close the door with a push, and take your shoes off. Tamias will park its bike in the bike shed, and come right back.”

Min went in the house.

Min closed the door with a big push.

Min took off Min’s shoes.

Min saw Tamias looking in through the glass part of the door. The doorknob rattled, but the door didn’t open.

Tamias said, “Min, please unlock the door.”

Min said, “No,” because Min didn’t understand. We never lock the door, so "unlock" was a strange new word.

Tamias said, “On the doorknob, there’s a little bar.”

Min said, “Too reach,” because Min couldn’t reach.

Tamias said, “You’re allowed to get your stool.”

Min got the stool from the bathroom. Min stood on the stool to reach the little bar on the doorknob.

Min’s little-kid fingers didn’t know how to turn the little bar. Min said, “Tamias’s turn.”

Tamias took a turn. It went to the shed to get the spare key. It came back and said, “Tamias looked for a key. It didn’t find a key. The spare key hook is empty. Min’s turn.”

Min grabbed the doorknob and wiggled it. It didn’t turn. Min poked the little bar. It didn’t turn. Tamias said, “Turn the bar from up-and-down to sideways.”

Min was not sure what “sideways” meant.

Tamias tried explaining through the glass with its voice and its hands, “Put your thumb on one side, and your finger on the other side, and pinch the little bar, like this. Turn the bar this way...”

Min tried. The bar turned a little bit, and then got stuck.

Tamias said, “Try turning it this way now,” and turned its hand around the other way. Min's hands let go of the doorknob and copied what Tamias’s hands were doing. The door was still closed. Min said calmly, “Tamias’s turn.”

Tamias took a turn. It went next door to talk to the landlady. It came back and said, “She’s not home. Min’s turn.”

Min tried again. Min felt confused. Min expects Tamias to do everything that Min needs, like coming in the house and making dinner for Min after a long bike ride.

Min said, “Tamias’s turn!”

Tamias said, “I’m taking a turn by explaining...”

Min interrupted, “No! Tamias’s turn!"

Tamias took a turn. It went looking for a neighbour. It came back and said, “I didn’t find anyone. Min’s turn.”

Min tried and tried until Min’s hands got tired. The door was still closed.

Tamias was still outside, looking in. Min was still inside, looking out.

Min said, “Tamias’s turn.”

Tamias took a turn. It went looking for a ladder.

Min waited and waited.

Min heard a bumping sound from the bedroom. What was that? Min turned on the bedroom light. Min didn’t see anyone. Who was knocking on the window? Min opened the curtain.

Tamias was knocking on the window! It was standing on a ladder, waving "Hi" to Min.

Tamias’s fingers pushed and pulled at the window. The window opened. Tamias said, “Min, stand by that door and watch Tamias climb in the window.”

Min stood by the bedroom door.

Tamias crawled through the window, with its jacket and boots on, and tumbled headfirst onto the bed! That was a funny thing. Min and Tamias hugged and laughed.

Then Tamias closed the window and went straight to the front door to show Min how to lock and unlock that door:

“See, this is the doorknob, and this is the little bar, and Tamias might’ve told you the wrong thing just now, maybe you have to turn it from horizontal to vertical...”

The doorknob wouldn’t turn in Tamias's hand.

“Okay, maybe back to horizontal...”

It still wouldn’t turn.

Tamias said, “Oh! My mistake. The door is not locked. The doorknob is broken.”

It looked very closely at the doorframe. It said, “Min, please bring me a table knife. You’re allowed to take your stool."

Min put the stool beside the cutlery drawer to reach a table knife. Min brought the table knife to Tamias.

Tamias poked the table knife between the door and the doorframe, and wiggled it until a little piece of metal fell on the floor. Min picked up the piece of metal. Tamias opened the door. It tested the doorknob on both sides. It said, “Thank you, Min, for being so helpful and taking so many turns. The door is fixed now. Let's have dinner.”

We ate a delicious dinner together.