Paper plate mate

Caolan has a new friend called‘Joe’. Caolan is a human child. Joe is a paper plate.
How the two became such firm acquaintances I do not know. The kids made them in nursery, stuck fluff on for hair, plastic eyes and smiley mouth. Now Joe is one of the most important people in Caolan’s life.
They have very little in common. Caolan lives, breathes, has a wonderful character and a sparking personality, Joe is a paper plate. He’s not even one of those fancy paper plates with the grooves around the edges, he’s just plain.
They don’t converse. Caolan talks to Joe about his day, his toys and asks his opinion on things. Joe just sits there being a paper plate, he never answers back.
We are now taken to task by Caolan about Joe’s human or perhaps paper plate rights. “His NAME is JOE!” he shouts when we disrespect him by referring to him as a paper plate man, or ‘that plate’
Caolan is now so attached he can’t go anywhere without Joe. We have to take it into town, to people’s houses, on car rides. Yesterday Granny mistook Joe for a regular paper plate and threw him in the bin. Caolan almost went crazy and fished poor Joe from the murky depths of the bin. He now has an air of eggs, teabags and bananas about him.
I fear Caolan and Joe’s relationship might not last the distance. Paper plates have a limited life expectancy and it’s only a matter of time before the dog eats it, especially now since Joe smells of rotting food.
Our boy may have to learn some tough life lessons – humans make better mates than paper plates…