It's said that when fuzzies and hoomins live together, even for a short
while, the fuzzy will make off with a tiny piece of their hoomin's heart.
It just makes sense.  Fuzzies are natural thieves - it's just their
mischievous nature - and some hoomins can't help but give up a piece of
their heart to any fuzzy who would ask for it.  That's just the way the
Boss designed fuzzies and hoomins.
 
But sometimes fuzzies steal pieces of each other's hearts.  When two
fuzzies live their whole lives together, and then one of them leaves for
the Bridge, it can be very hard for the fuzzy left behind.  It seems that
the fuzzy who is left behind almost always comes up missing a piece of
their heart.
 
We have a little girl up here by the name of Helena.  Not too long ago,
the Boss told me that Helena's mom had been talking to him.  She was
very upset and didn't know what to do with one of her fuzzies.  It seems
that Helena's brother Ricky misses her very much, so much that he's
lost weight and wants to sleep all the time.  Vin Dweezil, Ricky's new
brother, tries to get Ricky to play but he doesn't quite understand how
much Ricky misses his sister.  Ricky and Vin Dweezil play together a bit,
but Ricky's heart is just not into it.  Vin Dweezil knows something is
wrong so he tries even harder to keep Ricky going, but sometimes
youngsters just don't understand things until they get older.
 
I told Helena what the Boss had told me about her brother and she was
very upset.  Helena told me that if she could just tell Ricky that she
was alright, maybe that would help him.  She wanted to go back to the
Hoomin world, for just a minute or two to talk to Ricky, but I had to
tell her that wasn't going to be possible.  Helena became distraught.
She said this wasn't fair!  How could she be happy when Ricky was missing
her so much?  It just didn't make sense to her.  If R icky only know how
well she was doing at the Bridge he wouldn't need to miss her so much.
I could only tell her that the Boss has his rules.  With angry tears in
her eyes, Helena told me that she th ought the rules were not very
helpful.
 
I could understand why she felt that way, and my heart went out to her,
but I knew there was nothing I could do.  After Helena calmed down a bit,
I told her that she might try writing a letter to Ricky letting him know
that that she was alright.  I didn't think it would help very much, but
it might make Helena feel better.  I told Helena to give me the letter
once she was done and I would see what I could do to get it to Ricky.  It
was a little white lie.  I would certainly give Helena's letter to Ricky
if I could, but I knew that was never going to happen.  Still, it seemed
to make Helena feel a bit better.
 
The next day, I went to see Helena and get her letter.  I went to her
hidey-hole and called for her to come out.  I saw Helena's whiskers
first, and slowly she came out.  Excitedly, she jumped out of her
hidey-hole and thanked me for taking the letter, hoping that I would get
it to Ricky as soon as possible.  I looked at her, puzzled.  I was only
now coming to get the letter, and I didn't have it.  Not knowing what to
do, exactly, I stumbled a bit and told Helena that she was welcome and
that I would do my best.  Oh, what a mess I had gotten myself into!  Even
if I had the letter, I didn't know how to get it to Ricky.  This was just
horrible...
 
Back in the Hoomin world, Ricky had just laid down to sleep.  He had
tried to eat a few pieces of kibble, but his heart just wasn't in it.  He
knew he should eat, but he always ended up going back to sleep.  It was
the only time he was happy.  While he was sleeping, he could dream, and
it was only in his dreams that he could still see Helena.  Slowly, Ricky
drifted off to sleep...
 
It was pitch black in his dream - he couldn't see anything at first, but
he could hear a strange noise.  The noise sounded like toenails clicking
on the floor.  The sound of these toenails were vaguely familiar to
Ricky's ears, however.  He knew the sound of these toenails, but he
couldn't quite place them - that is, until he saw a pair of cat eyes
looking right at him !  It was Sinbad Da Kat!
 
It had been such a long time since he last seen Sinbad, but he recognized
him right away.  He was so happy to see Sinbad again that he snuck
underneath him, got behind him, and jumped on his rump.  Sinbad jumped up
with Ricky on his rump and cat and fuzzy went flying!
 
Laughing, Sinbad spoke to Ricky,
 
"OK, enough little one, I didn't come here to play, although that was
fun." Sinbad winked.
 
Little had Helena or I known what had happened, but as it turned out that
Sinbad Da Kat snuck out of the Bridge (with the Boss' permission, of
course), stole Helena's letter, and headed off to deliver it.  Sinbad
couldn't stand to see either Helena or Ricky feel so bad, and he just
had to do something.  Ah, such a wise old cat!
 
"I came to read you a letter I, uh... accidentally took from Helena."
 
Ricky was ecstatic!  A letter from Helena, thought Ricky?  Where was she?
How was she able to write him a letter?
 
"Hold on now, fuzzy one, I'm going to tell you.  Better yet, just let me
read the letter to you.  That's what she really wanted." Sinbad Da Kat
started reading Helena's letter...
 
'Dear Ricky,
Please try to understand.  I had to leave you and mom to go to the
Bridge.  It was my time.  The Bridge is the place where fuzzies and
furries go when it's their time.  It's a wonderful place, and we have
lots of good stuff to eat and nothing to do but play and dig and
explore.  Don't worry.  I am doing fine up here.  I know it's hard to
understand, but one day we'll get to see each other again.  There is no
reason to feel bad, because whether you are here or not, you are always
with me.'
 
Reading the last sentence of Helena's letter, Sinbad's big cat eyes
glistened in the dark.  He continued on...
 
'You need to eat, and you need to play.  You are so lucky to still be
with mom and your new brothers in the Hoomin world, don't you know?  You
have to teach your new brothers everything you taught me.  Just remember
that there is no reason to feel bad.  I know that one day you will
understand what I am saying.
 
I need you to do one thing for me, though.  Could you please give mom
a kiss for me, and tell her that I miss her very much?  That would make
me very happy.  Just remember that you and mom and my new brothers are
always in my thoughts.
 
Love,
Helena'
 
Sinbad Da Kat looked at Ricky and saw that he had gotten very quiet.
 
"There, my little brother, just remember that everything Helena said goes
for me , too.  Now, I have to go - I'm not really even supposed to be
here, but the Boss let me come here all the way from the Bridge to bring
you this letter.  He's a good guy.  Please listen to what Helena's
saying.  She knows about these kinds of things.  Take care of yourself."
 
Sinbad lightly touched Ricky's nose with his paw, and then he was just a
pair of cat eyes.  Pretty soon, Sinbad's eyes faded away and he was just
the sound of clicking toenails...
 
With the echoes of Sinbad Da Kat's words, Ricky woke from his dream.  He
felt a bit better, even a bit hungry.  Slowly he stretched and yawned.
Remembering Helena's request, he went over to his mom's feet and stood
there till she picked him.  Once she picked him up, he gave her kisses
on the nose just like Helena had asked.
 
I only learned what happened to Helena's letter after meeting up with
Sinbad Da Kat.  Before he left to go back to the Bridge, Sinbad came by
to see me and we had tea.  He wante d to make sure that Helena knew that
Ricky got her letter, and I told him why not tell her, you rself?  I went
and got Helena and we all had tea.  Helena couldn't thank Sinbad enough,
and neither could I.
 
Maybe because of her letter, Ricky would start to eat more and wouldn't
need to sleep so much.  Sometimes, all fuzzies need to know is that
someone is thinking about them.  I had great hope that Ricky would
always know that Helena was thinking about him and would do alright.  It
also didn't hurt that the Boss was watching over both their hearts ;)
 
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 5171]