Gray Kitty reached her natty gray paw over to touch Harp Seal on the head. The seal pup rolled over between the bed pillows and snuggled his silky white tail between the pillows. His deep brown resin eyes were wide open. Kitty patted seal’s stuffed white tummy and said, “Harp seal pup why are you so squirmy this night of all nights?”
“Who knows,” he whistled. “I’m just a silly young’un I guess. My Emma she gave me a big hug before she put me up here on the pillow and I’ve been wide-eyed ever since.”
Kitty looked over at Emma sleeping next to her. Emma’s arm encircled Kitty’s tummy the way it had held her every night over the past 8 years. Kitty wiggled her gray ears in the quiet darkness of the bedroom and said, “Whew-we, I’ve had nights when my own blue eyes wouldn’t close a wink. My world is so fine I just lie here on my pink pillow and watch
moonbeams when that happens.”
“You’re so lucky,” Harp Seal said. “You are right here beside Emma every night. How come that is?”
Oh, little Harp Seal, it is because I have known Emma from the days of Birthing Bear, from before the time that Emma knew her ownself. I have been around a long time.”
“If I am around a long time will I lose my whiskers and nose just like you?” Harp Seal asked.
“Absolutely,” laughed Kitty. “You should be so lucky as to rub noses with Emma so much that your whiskers and nose rub off.”
“Have you always been happy here, all your livelong life?” Harp Seal asked.
“I have always been happy here,” replied Kitty, “But there was a time when I was more adventurous than I am today. In those days Emma used to carry me everywhere. I went to school and to restaurants and to the grocery store right up until the day I flew out of the car window.”
Harp Seal rolled up on a cotton flipper in surprise, “You flew like a bird?” He asked.
“For a moment like a bird,” Kitty smiled. “We were driving in the car through the city. Emma and I were in the backseat looking out the window at all the sights. We had an excellent view perched on Emma’s car seat. It was a warm, sunny day and none of the grown-ups noticed when Emma let the window down for me to look out. She held me up by my stuffed legs and I leaned my face out into the wind. I pulled my arms out to feel the wind better and I stretched out just a little farther. All of a sudden the wind carried me off and I flew away from my Emma as the car drove on. I floated down to the roadway and lay there for the longest time. I know it was long because I couldn’t ever remember being away from Emma like that. It was long enough for me to look up at the trees and houses beside the road and to hear other cars drive by beside me. It was long enough for me to miss Emma and think how much sweeter her kiss was than the brush of the wind. It was long enough for me to start to cry and then as the tears rolled down my whiskerless cheeks I heard a car stop. Emma’s mother stood over me and picked me up with a hug almost as tight as Emma’s. She took me back to Emma who was crying a lot harder than I could ever remember even taking into consideration the time she had a big wooden splinter in her foot. I was mortally happy to be in Emma’s arms and I have never hankered after flying again.”
Little white Harp Seal yawned and stretched. “Kitty,” he said, “You have had some adventurous times.”
“Sure,” said Kitty, “It’s my life with Emma.”