Mully made it back to the Bridge in time for his second greeting of the
morning.  The Welcoming Song danced in the wind above him.  The song held
the meaning of love and of loss; the love the fuzzy arriving that morning
had experienced on earth with his houman-beans and it also expressed the
loss, the pangs the fuzzy's homans felt when it was his time to leave
them and come here to wait for the day they would be reunited.  Within
the depths of the song contained the feeling of a kind loving hand upon
your fur and the bond between animal and human that time nor distance can
break.  The song also contained the great promise given to all fuzzies by
the Creator, each one would have a certain number of days in the sun and
then they would come here and be cared for until the reunion day came.
 
The all too familiar flash of blue light appeared in the sky and
subsided, ferrety feets could be heard making their way across the
Bridge.  Muldoone stepped out to greet the new arrival.  As he reached
the end of the Bridge he stopped and looked all around.  "So dis be da
pwace known as Wainbow Bwidge" the new comer said.
 
"Welcomes to da Wainbow Bwidge, I be Mr. Muldoone, officialist Bwidge
gweeter.  Dis pwace be purrdy the ferret tells Muldoone with eyes big and
wide and it smell so gud; I smell waisins and 'Tone, cookies, bananners,
I smells wots of yummy stuffs" he says getting all excited.
 
"I knows your name but tells me 'bout yourself Muldoone says to the new
arrival.
 
My name be Rufus, I be sick for a while and my mom be weally sads bout
dat.  Da wast ting I wemember, my mom wets me sweep in her bed wif her
cause I be sick but den I wakes up here and my mom not be here and dat
make me sads.  Wheres did my mom goes to, hows I get here?" Rufus wanted
to know.
 
Oh boy Mully is thinking to himself, these were the ones that can get a
little sticky; ferrets arriving and not knowing or understanding what
this place is, why they are here, or how they got here.  "Wufus, I be
bery sworry to hab to tells you dis but dis be da Wainbow Bwidge, you
may not eber hears of it but dis where you comes to when your life on
earth be ober."
 
Rufus seemed to be trying to understand all that Muldoone was telling
him.  He thought for several minutes and then found his voice.  "I not
wants to be here, I wants to go back to my mom, I no care dat I be sick,
I misses my mom and wants to go back, sends me back pwease."
 
"Wufus, I be sworry, I no can do dat, Muldoone gently explains to him.
Dis where you be till your mom cwosses ober and comes for you.  Dere be
sumptin call a cycleit to our wife and when our days be done, we comes
here.  You miss your earf mom but you sees her 'gain I pwomise."
 
Muldoone raised his eyes and saw a shimmering shape beginning to take
form at the Gate and all the while thinking, dis guy needs SunnyFewet.
As if she had read his mind, SunnyFerret appeared at the gate in front
of Muldoone and Rufus.
 
SunnyFerret's fur glistened in the sunlight and no matter how many times
Muldoone saw her, he was always in awe of her beauty and sense of peace
she seemed to be able to instantly cast over everyone in her presence.
Just being near her could put even the most terrified ferret at ease.
There was something so special about this lady SunnyFerret, something
very very special that could have only been made by the Creator.
 
"Hello Rufus, my name is SunnyFerret and I have come to welcome you not
only to the Rainbow Bridge but to also ask you to let me care for you
for a little while."
 
"I wants to go home pwease, said Rufus, I no wants to stay here."
 
SunnyFerret's crystal blue eyes held both a wisdom and sorrow that took
Muldoone's breath away.  Taking a few steps towards Rufus, she held out
her arms to him.  "Come with me wee-one she softly said and a tear
rolled down Rufus' furry cheek.  Without a second of hesitation he was
immediately in her warm loving embrace and he cared about nothing at that
moment except the love and warmth he felt.  With the scent of love from
his hooman-beans tucked deep in his heart, he allowed himself to be
carried to SunnyFerret's bungalow to rest and learn about what had
happened to him.  He would also learn about life at the Rainbow Bridge,
days filled with beautiful sun shinny weather, lots of other ferrets to
get to know, plenty of good food, clear sweet sparkling water to drink,
but most of all he would learn the meaning of the Great Promise given by
the Creator to him and every other animal residing at the Rainbow Bridge.
Rufus would learn the full meaning of the word love as set in motion both
by his familee on earth and the love and promise of the Creator.
[Posted in FML issue 4819]