Early morning at the Bridge and Muldoone was engaged in his favorite
thing; snoozing in his hammy.
 
Nanna gave the edge of his hammy a tug and she was met with a resounding
LOUD SNORE.  She tugged a little harder and was greeted with an even
LOUDER snore.  Giving the hammy a quick yank and yelling "GOOD MORNING
MULDOONE" brought a bout a quick result; Muldoone leaped out of his hammy
landing on the floor with a resounding THUD and looked up to see Nanna
standing there smiling.
 
"Oh good you are up" Nanna said in a cheery voice.
 
"Nanna, dooes you has to do dat?" Mully asked her with exasperation in
his voice.
 
"Muldoone you have a greeting to do this morning, we have a new Rainbow
Bridge resident coming so you need to get up and get moving" Nanna told
him.
 
Stumbling off in the direction of his "necessary corner" Muldoone
returned after several minutes following a habitual morning routine,
loosing yet another battle with his hammy-head-hair.
 
"Nanna, when will da Boss dooes sumptin about my fur?" Mully asked his
supervisor.
 
"Muldoone" Nanna began, "I have spoken with the Boss about your fur.  He
understands and has heard your request for your fur to be made like every
other ferret here at the Bridge and I have to tell you He was not amused
with your last attempt at fixing your hammy-head-hair.  Muldoone, you
must understand you look exactly as the Boss wants you to look.  You have
such a special gift when it comes to greeting newcomers and He wanted you
to have a unique look from the other ferrets, you look exactly as the
Creator wants you to look and my best advice to you is to accept it.  In
the beginning I was not sure why He picked you to be a greeter but the
Boss recognized something in you the rest of us had overlooked so please
stop trying to change yourself from the way you are meant to appear."
 
"But Nanna" Mully began to object, "da odder fewets waff at me, dey makes
fun of my hammy-head-hair, I wants to wook wike odder fewets."
 
"I understand that Muldoone, but that doesn't change the fact you are
exactly as the Creator wants you to be, being different is not a bad
thing and to be hand picked by the Boss makes you a very special ferret"
Nanna told him.
 
"Muldoone, the ferret due to arrive this morning is a sweet and very
handsome sable named Mr. Beepers.  He was only three years old and his
passing was very sudden.  He is greatly missed by his familee but he has
brothers and sisters in fur here so the Boss wants you to find them and
have them there when he arrives" Nanna told him.
 
"What be da names of da odder fewets?" Mully asked her.
 
"The names of his brothers and sisters in fur are; Tigger, Blossom,
Nestlee, Rosie, and of course you know Soda; Mz SunnyFerret's assistant.
Go and find them and tell them Mr. Beepers is on his way here" Nanna
instructed her junior Bridge greeter.
 
Beepers was sleeping and woke with a start.  Something wasn't right, he
was awake yet he felt he was dreaming.  He saw himself as a kit being
cared for by his ferret mom and he was surrounded by his brothers and
sisters.  Then the day came when strange hands took him and his litter
mates away from their mom; "No no I not wants to go, I wants to stay wiff
my mom" Beepers yelled at the stranger.  After a long and uncomfortable
trip he arrived at his destiny and now more strange hands were touching
him.  Beepers felt sick, he didn't want anything to eat or drink and he
didn't play.  More strange hands touching him, he was taking away from
his litter mates and put in a place all by himself.  "Where dey goes" he
would ask every time the hands would touch him, "I be loonliest, I miss
my brudders and sisturs." Finally a nice couple looked at him through the
glass and smiled.  "May we see the little ferret?" the strangers asked.
"He looks so lonely in there all by himself" the she-stranger said.
"Would you like to come home with us?" the he -stranger asked.  "We have
a ferret that is lonely and I think you would make a nice friend for
him."
 
More strange hands touching him but this time the hands were nice.
Another long trip but this trip was different, the strange hands became
familiar, he enjoyed the feel of the hands and the scent of the human.
"You look like a Beeper" the nice she-stranger told him "I think we will
call you Mr. Beepers."
 
"I be a Beeper, what be a Beeper?" the little ferret asked the stranger,
blinking his eyes wide, "I not hears of a Beeper afore."
 
Beepers saw himself growing into a strong healthy male ferret.  He
enjoyed all the good food he was given, he enjoyed his cagemates but
most of all he enjoyed the love from his mom and dad.  Beepers was a
favorite among the other ferrets, especially the girls.  "You be so big
and stwong" they would tell him while batting their lashes at him when
maybe all they wanted was to snuggle up to him; Beepers made for a nice
big cozy bed to sleep on.
 
Beepers felt the earth began to fall away and he felt he was tumbling
into nothingness.  At first he was frightened, not knowing what was
happening or where he was going.  Beepers began to feel a new warmth of
love and guidance as a beautiful song of love was being sung for him.
The sad sweet melody swirled all around him and he felt he was being
cradled in the warmth of love and protection, the same feeling he got
when being held by his mom.  A soft calming voice whispered to him, "come
home Beepers, we are waiting for you." The melody was now awash in his
heart and Beepers no longer feared letting go.  Thoughts were centered on
those he cared for and would miss.  In his heart he whispered a message
to those he loved most; "I loves you mommy and daddy but it be time for
me to goes, I pwomise to waits for you."
 
Muldoone and Nanna closed their eyes and began to concentrate with all
their might, their hearts sending love and strength to the ferret who
had departed earth and was making his way to the Bridge.  Still standing
with his eyes closed tightly concentrating on Beepers and helping to
guide him along the path, Muldoone heard a beautiful soft melody being
sung.  The voice was deep and rich, every note sang perfectly, every word
wrapped in love for the ferret who was coming.  The Ferret Promise Song
now filled the air with its bittersweet refrain.  The melody of love
told the story of hope and promise and also of sorrow and loss all tied
together in the cycle of life.  It sang of pain fading away, of limbs
being made strong again, and eyes once more bright, it told of the sorrow
of passing and the joy waiting in the Promise.  As Soda sang the sad
sweet song, he also sang a song of love for the humans Beepers was
leaving behind.  He offered his love to the two humans who were hurting;
tears falling on two broken hearts.
 
The lights over the Bridge began to dance and swirl; colors more
beautiful than ever seen on earth now painted the sky.  The colors
blended and then changed again; shades of pink gave way to peach and
yellows then changed to a soft green that blended into a delicate blue
that gave itself over to shades of lavender.  A fine soft fairy dusting
began to swirl all around Muldoone, Nanna, and Soda; they knew the
ferret known as Mr. Beepers was on his way.
 
The flash of light subsided and then Mully heard the unmistakable sound
of ferrety feets making their way across the time-worn planks of the
Rainbow Bridge; the Moonbeam Molly Express having delivered another
ferret whose time on earth had been cut short.
 
The newcomer crossed the Bridge cautiously; he seemed a bit confused and
was eying the other ferrets standing at the other end of the Bridge.  He
saw a large silver and white ferret wearing a bright yellow apron.  He
saw a very funny looking ferret wearing a baseball cap with the wildest
looking fur sticking out from under it going in all directions.  And then
he saw, in the distance he saw, could it be he wondered; mom explained to
them as the others left they would see them again someday, she promised
them they would meet again, could it be?!
 
Beepers ran the rest of the way across the Bridge.  As he ran he was
calling out the names of his friends; "Tiggerest, Bwossom, Nessilee,
SodaPoppers, Wosie, is dat weally you?!  Mom say I finds you 'gain!"
 
Beepers reached the end of the Bridge and the five ferrets waiting for
him ran to embrace him.  "Misser Beeper, I so happiest to sees you"
Blossom told him.  Tigger was doing his best to hold Beepers down and
clean his ears for him.  "OUCH OUCH DAT BE MY TOE!" Beepers cried out,
"who bites me?" he demanded to know.  Nestlee giggled and told him "you
still tasties da same as you did."
 
Helping Mr. Beepers to his feet, Tigger and Blossom each took one of
Beepers' paws and asked "how be mom and dad?  We misses dem a wot."  Soda
approached Beepers and began to sniff him from head to toe, stroking his
fur and drinking in the scent.  "SodaPoppers, what you be doin?" Beepers
asked him.  "With tears in his eyes Soda told him "you smells wike our
mom and dad.
 
Nanna approached the little gathering and she waited for the excitement
to settle down for a bit and finally she cleared her throat and spoke.
"Beepers, my name is Nanna and this is Muldoone" she gestured in the
direction of Mully.  We have come to welcome you to the Rainbow Bridge.
 
"You be Nanna?" Beepers asked the large silver and white ferret.  I hears
'bout you and da waisins you keeps in yur pocket" Beepers told her.
 
Beepers then turned and fixed his gaze on Muldoone.  "You be Misser
Muldooniest?" Soda asked him.  I hears all 'bout you and yur
hammiest-head-hair" he stated laughing.
 
"Da name be Mr. Muldoone" Mully informed the newcomer.  Turning to Nanna,
"sees what I mean Nanna?"
 
"I be sworry Mr. Muldoonie" Soda told him, "my mom tells me 'bout dis
pwace and 'bout you, she say eberyones kno bout yur hammy-head-hair.
 
Blushing a bright red under his furry cheeks, Muldoone could not think of
anything to say.
 
Breaking the silence Soda stepped forward "Nanna it be oks if wiff you,
cans we shows Mr. Beepers awound at da Bwidge?  We wants to hear all
'bout our mom and dad."
 
"Pwease Nanna" little Rosie spoke up, we misses our mom and dad and we
wants to hears all 'bout dem."
 
"I suppose that would be ok" Nanna told them.  It was your mom and dad's
request that you all be here to greet Beepers when he arrived.  You have
my blessings to show him all around at the Bridge."
 
As the crowd of ferrets were beginning to drift away down a path with
Rosie pointing out things to Beepers, Muldoone trotted up behind them.
 
"Uh Beepers, dooes you wike fwannel?" Muldoone asked him with excitement
in his voice.  Beepers was a very handsome ferret and Muldoone felt he
could use him to charm the girl ferrets keeping them distracted so he
could sneak in and nab their flannel nightiegowns.
 
"I HEARD THAT MULDOONE" Nanna shrieked at him.
 
~~Muldoone~~
Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge.
http://mrmuldoone.bravehost.com/index.html
[Posted in FML issue 5184]