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]