I was going through the papers on my desk just this morning when I found
an old list of new arrivals.  I kept it around because one of them, a
little guy named Tripod, had never shown up.  I remember waiting for him
most of an afternoon about a year ago at the Bridge, but he never showed.
That just doesn't happen here at the Bridge.  The Boss never makes
mistakes.  I was contemplating what went wrong while making myself a
cup of tea when I heard a commotion outside.
 
Coming out of the entrance to my hidey-hole, I heard the sound of
fireworks.  I thought to myself, "Why, that's odd.  Who'd be setting off
fireworks this early in the morning?  I headed out to take a look.  All
the fuzzies were talking amongst themselves and pointing to the sky.
Looking to the horizon, I spotted what was drawing their attention.  What
appeared to be a shooting star was flying across the morning sky, but it
wasn't acting like a shooting star.  It was flying this way, and it was
flying that way, shooting off sparks each time it made a turn.  It was
moving so fast it was hard to keep track of, and for a few seconds it
disappeared into the clouds.  When it came back out of the clouds, we all
noticed that it had changed direction - and it was headed straight for
the Bridge!  Great googley moogley!  You should have seen us moving our
tails and running for cover!
 
I didn't know what it was or where it was going.  I took cover behind a
tree and the rest of the fuzzies around me crouched down in speed bump
formation, their noses safely in the grass.  It kept on getting bigger
and brighter the closer it got, and just before it was about to hit the
Bridge it burst into a blinding shower of sparks.  As the sparks slowly
drifted to the ground, I noticed a little fuzzy standing right in the
center of where the "shooting star" had burst.  This is not how fuzzies
generally arrive at the Bridge.  This must be a very special fuzzy.  As
I looked a little closer, I realized that this little guy fit the
description on the list that I had just been looking at this morning -
this little guy was Tripod, the fuzzy I had waited for about a year ago.
Well, whatta ya know...
 
I went up to Tripod, introduced myself, and asked him if he knew where he
was.  He told me that he was at the Bridge, right where Trudy told him he
would be.  He said that it was OK that he was here at the Bridge because
his back and leg didn't hurt any more, just like Trudy had told him.  I
looked at Tripod and smiled, glad that he was no longer in pain.  I
started thinking about getting him settled in when I realized that I
hadn't known he was coming and I hadn't anything ready for him.  I didn't
even know if Tripod was supposed to be here.  I needed to go see the Boss
and get everything ironed out.  At the very least, I had to get Tripod a
blanket.  Fuzzies, even in the Afterworld, don't sleep very well without
a comfortable blanket.
 
I got hold of the Boss and told him that a little guy named Tripod had
flown in quite unexpectedly and had almost taken out the Bridge, and did
he know anything about whether Tripod was supposed to be here or not?
The Bossjust pursed his lips, nodded slowly, and told me that it must
have been time.  I told him that I didn't quite understand what he meant.
The Boss told me to sit down, poured each of us a cup of tea, and then
told me Tripod's story.
 
It seems that Tripod had indeed been scheduled to arrive at the Bridge
a little over a year ago.  The Boss had seen that there was something
terribly wrong with Tripod's spine and had decided that it was best to
bring him home to the Bridge.  The Boss had just put Tripod on my new
arrivals list when he heard a voice echoing all the way to the Bridge
from the Hoomin world.  It was Trudy.  She was telling the Boss that
Tripod was far too young to go to the Bridge, and that if she took real
good care of him could he possibly let Tripod stay a while longer?  She
said that she would help Tripod come to the Bridge when he could no
longer dance and play, even if it meant that her doing so would break
her heart.  The Boss first listened to her words, but more importantly,
he listened to her heart.  Then he listened to Tripod's heart, and heard
both hearts beating to the same rhythm.  It was as if both hearts were
one heart.  It was then that the Boss knew that Trudy would not let
Tripod suffer in the Hoomin world, and would help him make it to the
Bridge when it came time.
 
Tripod stayed with Trudy another year, and learned to war-dance like any
young fuzzy, even if he did so with just three legs.  Even with his bad
leg, he learned to walk, hop, and run on his knee, earning him his name -
Tripod.  He played with the other fuzzies as any young fuzzy would do,
and did so with high spirits.  For the longest time, hardly anyone could
tell that there was something seriously wrong with him.
 
Eventually, Tripod's time came.  Trudy held him in her arms till the very
end, until his heart stopped beating, and for a second - just a second -
as Tripod's heart stopped beating, so did Trudy's.  But fuzzies go where
fuzzies go, and hoomins are left to catch up.  Trudy knew they would meet
again at the Bridge.
 
Oh, my my... upon hearing the Boss tell me Tripod's story, well... I
broke one of the major rules we have up here at the Bridge and just about
bawled my eyes out - not very dignified for a Bridge greeter, I suppose.
Anyways, I regained my composure and went back to help Tripod settle in,
still sniffling a bit.
 
Tripod was waiting for me at the Bridge, but he was twisting around
tryingto look behind him, turning in circles like some sort of mad
weasel.  I asked him what in the world was he was trying to do?
Horrified, he said hethought that thing on his back had come back because
he had felt two bumps back there.  I told him that couldn't possibly
happen up here at the Bridge.  Fuzzies just don't get sick here.  I moved
around behind him and took a look, and a smile came to my face.  I walked
back around in front of Tripod and told him that he was a silly fuzzy;
those two bumps on his back were not bad things - he was sprouting his
new wings!  A relieved smile came over his face, and he asked if he could
try his new wings out.  I told him to go ahead, but remembering his near
miss with the Bridge upon his arrival I told him that he should be really
careful and try not to crack into anything.  It wasn't but two seconds
later that he was flying with the best of them.  Ah, the spirit of youth
when they get their wings...
 
Later that night, the Boss put on a display of fireworks to welcome the
new arrivals, and I noticed that one of the rockets had gotten away and
was headed to the Hoomin world.  It happened to be at just that time
Trudy was looking up at the sky, wondering about Tripod.  Some say the
Boss works in mysterious ways.  Myself, I think he's just an old softie.
 
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 5136]