It was a cloudy night at the Rainbow Bridge. The moon was sailing
across the sky, slipping in and out of the cloudy sea, when Bridge
Greeter No. 421 sat down in his comfy chair. He was really going to try
to stay awake tonight. He had received a message from the Receiving
Angel earlier that a little ferret named Kiba was going to cross
tonight. No. 421 sent his currier Oliver to find his brother Squiggy.
Squiggy came to the Rainbow Bridge earlier in the year, and had to
settle himself because there were no Bridge Greeters working at that
time. He had built himself a little mound, and was working in his
raisin patch when Oliver came running up the path.
"Hey, you," Oliver said. "You be Squiggy?" Oliver said. "I has a ticket
from the Receiving Angel, he has someone named Kiba at the gate. This
Kiba says he knows you."
Squiggy could not believe his ears.
"Where is Kiba," Squiggy said. "I'se missin him sometin awful. Here,
let me get cleaned up and I'll go with you to see him."
No. 421 waited until Squiggy was washed and dressed and the two walked
a short way to the Rainbow Bridge. No. 421 was sitting down with his
head on his chest and he was snoring.
The moon was skimming a cloudbank when he saw a small ferret headed
towards the Rainbow Bridge. The moon poured all his light on the path
and the little ferret looked up and blew him a kiss. Poor little ferret
was very tired and worn, and had all he could do to put one paw in
front of the other. He was having a hard time walking over the planks.
Things did not look right, and he was a little off balance. It had been
a long time since he had had two eyes, and he was not at all used to
seeing from both eyes.
"Hello the Bridge," shouted No. 421. "Who goes there?"
"It be me, Kiba, and I'se lost. I don't know where I am.
No. 421 put a big furry arm around him, and gave him a hug.
"Come on over here Kiba, there is someone I want you to meet," No. 421
said. "You are not lost, you are at the Rainbow Bridge."
The moon was leaning over a cloud to see what was going on. He thought
he should shed some light on the little ferrets, and he could find out
what was going on at the same time.
"You mean I has crossed over?" Kiba said. "Is my family here? Will I
see my friend Squiggy?"
"Hi Kiba," Squiggy said. "I'se been kinda lonesome without you. I know
Mama Jen will be lonesome, but I am sssoooo glad to see you."
The two little ferrets war danced and then did a hi paw up. They danced
around again, and then No. 421 said the two could go to Squiggy's mound
if they wanted to.
Kiba wanted to know if his Mama Jen was going to be all right, and No.
421 said he thought she would once she knew he had arrived and was with
Squiggy.
Kiba looked back over the path he had come and waved his little paw.
"Hi Mom, Hi," he said. "I be up here with Squiggy and I'se be fine."
He waved so hard; a leaf fell from the tree near his earthly home. He
hoped Mama Jen would see it next time she went out.
No. 421 watched the two ferrets go down the path to the Meadow of
Dreams. He thought that someday, his family would come and he'd find
out who he really was.
He sat down to go back to his nap, but the moon was so bright, he could
not sleep.
He was in a grumpy mood, Oliver was taking his time returning Kiba's
ticket, everyone was asleep, when a big dark cloud came scudding across
the sky and took the moon away with him.
Wrapped in the soft velvet night, No. 421 heard Oliver coming back from
the Gate and felt him sit down and snuggle up to him. He reached down,
picked him up, and planted him firmly on his knee. And so ended another
night at the Rainbow Bridge.
No. 421, greeting your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge
[Posted in FML 6102]
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