The 'squawk box' crackled above Musty Pete's head, waking him from a
mid-morning nap.  A voice announced "Musty Pete, you are needed at the
Bridge."
 
Pete stretched and blinked his eyes a few times, groaned and rolled over
and got up from his hammie...thinking, "No time for a snack, better get
going."
 
He gave himself a quick all over shake and headed out of his bungalow to
the Rainbow Bridge.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw two fuzz butts
fast approaching.
 
Musty Pete knows these two ferrets well.  They are Pearlie & Teddy,
they've been waiting for Rascal to arrive.  Teddy had visited the Pool
Of Remembrance the day before and had seen that Rascal was not well,
Teddy knew that Rascal would soon arrive at the Bridge.
 
"Mr. Pete?" huffed Pearlie, out of breath from running to catch up with
the elder fert.  "May Teddy & I join you at the Bridge to greet Rascal?"
"You certainly may!" replied Musty Pete
 
The three of them continued on to the Bridge.  The Ferret Promise Song
could faintly be heard on the warm breeze of this beautiful day.
 
When they got to the Bridge they did not have long to wait.  A burst of
cool air washed over them, they closed their eyes and drank it in.  When
they opened their eyes, Rascal was crossing the Bridge.  Pearlie noticed
first and nudged Teddy in the ribs with an elbow, "There he is!!  There
he is!!" Pearlie & Teddy bounded onto the Bridge barely able to contain
themselves.  They reached Rascal and hugged and kissed him.
 
Rascal screeched and pushed them away,
 
"Get offa me!" Asking, "What the heck are you two so happy about?"
 
Teddy explained how happy they were to see Rascal, they both tried to
tell him how wonderful life is in the Rainbow Bridge community.
 
Rascal did not want to hear it...he didn't even want to believe he had
crossed over.
 
"How do I get back home?" Rascal asked
 
"How do I get back to Maggie and my humans?"
 
Musty Pete was silently observing this reunion, and felt now was the time
to explain to Rascal where he was and how he got here.
 
"Ahem...Pearlie?  Teddy?  Why don't the two of you go wait by the pond,
so I can speak to Rascal."
 
Begrudgingly, the sulked off.
 
Musty Pete looked at the young ferret with love and sadness in his eyes.
He paused before he spoke.
 
"Rascal...My name is Musty Pete.  I am an official Greeter here at the
Rainbow Bridge.  You are here now because you got sick and it was time
for you to leave your Earthly family and cross over...this is where you
will live from now on."
 
Rascal had tears in his eyes...
 
"But WHY?" he asked
 
Musty Pete replied, "We do not always have the answers...sometimes we
don't know why a ferret gets sick, sometimes, it just happens."
 
Rascal sniffled and asked, "Will I EVER see my family again?" "And
Maggie??  What about Maggie?"
 
Musty Pete hugged the young ferret to his big chest and comforted him,
"You will see your family again Rascal.  I promise.  You will also see
Maggie again.  And you will remember them, and they will remember you,
no matter how long it takes them to get here."
 
Rascal sighed a heavy sigh... He looked at Musty Pete and asked him "How
long have you been here?"
 
Pete chuckled, "Oh I have been here a very long time and no time at all"
"Time has a way of not being so important here as it is on Earth."
 
He took Rascal by the paw and said "C'mon Kid...Let me give you the
grand tour... But first, let's go have a snack."
 
"Can Pearlie and Teddy come with us?" asked Rascal
 
"Absolutely" said Pete, "The more the merrier."
 
Rascal ran ahead to Pearlie and Teddy, hugging and kissing them
The sadness slowly easing in his little broken heart.  "Maybe it
won't be so bad being here...at least I have the two of you!"
 
The three of them bounced ahead of Musty Pete, who marveled at the
spring in their steps and he knew that Rascal would be okay.
[Posted in FML issue 5254]