A NEW YEAR WITH THE REJECTS
A tribute to Pillows’s The Rejects
By Oculus
Cover art by Carpdime
~
Continued from Christmas with the Rejects
~
Tick, tick, tick.
Lonely eyes were watching the continuously moving second hand of the time piece mounted upon the wall. A purple fluffy with a lilac mane, her body slumped on a pillow, staring at the time piece. Alone in her room, she could hear the chatter of happy voices in the living room below.
“That’s right, Petal! Five and five make ten!”
“Babbeh am so smawt! Numbuhs am su hawd fow mummah!”
Oblivious to the happiness below, Pelusa kept staring blankly at the clock.
~
Tick, tick, tick.
The purple fluffy was observing the three long metal rods that constituted the time measuring apparatus of the clock. Behind her, two blue coloured foals were busy drawing on a canvas that had been provided to them. She could understand the numbers, and could understand that the long thin line that was constantly was counting seconds. But Pelusa could not understand that the time piece was used as a means of giving an exact and precise reading of what a fluffy would easily describe as being a “forever”. All that Pelusa knew was that she was hungry.
“Pewusa am hungwy. Wai mummah nu bwing nummies?”
“Check the clock.”
Patricia was busy. While she meant well, her mind had slipped on the fact that Pelusa did not know how to read a clock. As Pelusa kept staring at its face, trying to understand it, a little foal walked up to her. His name was Punkie, and he was the elder of the two blue foals.
“Siwwy mummah, it nu am time fow nummies.”
“Bu’ Pewusa am hungwy!”
“Mummah, it am onwy eweben o’cwock.”
“Eweben, wut am dat?”
“It am a numbuh! An’, it nu am time fow bwite nummies yet.”
Punkie then preceded to point at the various parts of the clock, and slowly explained what each part of the clock did.
“See mummah? Da wong hoofsie hab pointies at da numbuh eweben.”
But the clock was too complex a device for Pelusa to understand, much like the temporal mathematics on its display. Trying to ger her mind off the incessant ticking, Pelusa turned her eye to the nearby stacking toy.
It was one of those stacking circles toy that Pelusa always enjoyed, but she could never truly understand. At first Pelusa got the hang of it. Bit by bit, put the larger circle, then the smaller circles. But looking at the complete toy, she was feeling rather unhappy, she started to pout.
“It nu am wite.”
For the largest ring was not at the bottom, as it should be, but was stacked on top another ring slightly smaller than it. Pelusa was wondering how she could have missed that, but she always made this same mistake.
“Haha, siwwy mummah,” said Punkie, as he slowly tried to lift the rings. But as he was still only a few months old, and thus still relatively young, he was not strong enough to fully lift each ring. Pelusa managed to help him unload each ring from the stack. Punkie then dragged each ring, and carefully observed the rings. Slowly, he started to arrange them, in a manner where he could rank the circles from the smallest to the largest. Pelusa was seeing Punkie drag the circles around, but was not quite sure what he was trying to do.
“Dis wun fiwst, mummah!”
Pelusa uses her two hooves to grab the ring, and place it at the bottom of the spool.
“Den dis wun!”
And ring by ring, they were stacked, until, voila! The stacking toy was complete. And more importantly, it was arranged in the correct manner.
“Babbeh am su smawt!!” exclaimed Pelusa in admiration.
Beaming, Punkie asserted, “Ob couwse! Babbeh hab tu be smawtest for mummah and sissy!”
And Pelusa hugs her little foal, happy to have such a smart little fluffy for an adoptive son.
~
But there was no Punkie now.
Downstairs, Petal, now a much larger fluffy, was able to complete the stacking toy without supervision. And without any prompting from PJ or Patricia, Petaw was able to finish the toy without much aid.
“Very good Petal!”
“Petaw am su smawt! Mummah nu can undahstan’ dem stackies!”
Although Petal couldn’t hear Patricia or PH, their smiles was enough to let her know she did a good job. Feeling happy, she hugs her blue hugtoy, an item she keeps close to her as it reminds her of Punkie.
Meanwhile, Pelusa remained upstairs in her own world.
~
Tick, tick, tick.
Patricia was in the living room, reading a magazine. She then felt the familiar nudging of hooves on her legs. It was a rather inquisitive Pelusa with a pensive look on her face.
“What am foweba sweepies?”
Patricia was surprised that Pelusa would ask such a mature question. She was aware that the daycare would teach the concepts of life and death to fluffies of age, but Pelusa’s teacher had not gotten to that lesson yet.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Fwuffy wuz pwaying wif fwens at skuul, and sum fwens say, ‘nu wan foreba sweepies!” And dey all waff’ed.”
Seems to be some fluffies knew about a death a little earlier than Pelusa. Either that, or Pelusa had forgotten what death entailed. Either way, a part of Patricia was a little hesitant to tell the truth.
“Well, you know when you go to sleep, you are not moving during the dark time, right?”
“Dat wite, and fwuffy am aww happy and pway in bwite time!”
“Well, forever sleep is when, you go to sleep, and you never wake up.”
“N-neba wakies? Why never wakies?”
“Well, let’s say you’re old. Very old. Your body gets weaker and slower, and you can no longer play. Or let’s say you get very sick, a sickies so bad, that no medicine works.”
The thought of always sleeping, never to wake, scared Pelusa. Pelusa, who enjoyed running, seeing the outside, and enjoying the light, didn’t like the idea of sleeping forever in the dark.
“Dat, dat am scawy. Mummah, fwuffy nu wan foreba sweepies.”
“Come here Pelusa,” says Patricia, as she beckons Pelusa to come into her lap. A slightly anxious Pelusa rests in Pat’s lap, as her owner strokes her mane. With a reassuring voice, Patricia smoothly notes, “Forever sleep is scary but, right now, you’re not going to forever sleep. You’re still awake, and you still have the happies.”
“Big happies, wif Punkie an’ PJ an’ Petaw!”
“Right. So, every moment, we be happy that we can still move about, and we’re not in forever sleep yet.”
~
Tick, tick, tick.
Pelusa had turned her back on the clock, and was now staring at the wall in her own little corner. Here, the wall was filled with pictures of crayon. Pictures that Pelusa had started to collect only recently. But she could remember how each picture started out.
“Mummah, Punkie wan dwaw babbeh wif ‘ou!”
“Oooh, ooh! Mummah wike! Mummah wub picshahs!”
And they got to work. Punkie was always the more skilled artist of the two. But to Pelusa, it didn’t matter. She enjoyed learning about art from Punkie, and what mattered was what they made together. After thirty minutes of hard work, a beautiful picture of a purple mummah hugging her dark blue foal was rendered lovingly on paper with crayon.
“Su pwitty!”
At this moment, Patricia entered the room to announce the best time of the day.
“Alright fluffies! Time for your favourite show!!”
“Yay teebee!!”
PJ, Pelusa, Punkie and Peta all eagerly assembled around the television, as the host of their favourite show appeared on screen.
“Good evening, fluffies!”
“Good evening!” they all greeted the screen in unison.
Pelusa could still remember those days. Back when she would still watch television with PJ, Petal, and Punkie. They were happy days.
Why did the happy days have to go away?
~
RRRIIIIIING!
Patricia could feel her smartwatch vibrating. Looking at it, she saw a reminder to head downstairs to the basement at that time.
“Oh, that’s the laundry. I’ll be back, girls.”
“Otay, mummah.”
Patricia was spending time with Pelusa and PJ, going over some lessons that the two mares had brought back from the daycare. Petal had been asleep, while Punkie was downstairs, in the basement. Punkie had been a rather naughty fluffy, and he was being sorry box’d.
It just seemed like any other day. They would try and learn things, and later, watch their favourite program together on TV. Just as things should be.
But something was different when Patricia entered the room again. She wasn’t talking.
“Mummah, mummah!”
Pelusa ran up excitedly to Patricia. She was eager to hear that the show was coming on. And even though Punkie was misbehaving, being the smarty that he was, he always learnt his lesson, and the family would all come together, and watch the show.
But Patricia was not announcing anything. And in her silence, Pelusa noticed the tears coming down her eyes.
“Mummah, why hab saddies? And whewe am babbeh?”
“I…”
Patricia was stammering. She wasn’t sure how to explain what had just happened in the basement. The words were nonsensical first, before they became audible.
“Punkie… he’s gone.”
“Gone?!”
“What mummah am mean, gone?”
Getting on her knees, all Patricia wanted at that moment was to hug Pelusa and PJ. She wanted to feel better after what had just happened. But both adult fluffies knew something was wrong. In her sadness, Patricia had left the door open, and Pelusa ran out.
“Pelusa, no!”
Pelusa did not know how long she ran, but her nostrils were picking up a familiar smell. A smell of blood.
Entering the room, Pelusa sees a blanket. Patricia, in an attempt to give some dignity to Punkie, had placed his detached body into an open pet carrier, and placed a blanket over it. But Pelusa not knowing better, lifts up the blanket.
Upon seeing the sight, the horror attacks her eyes. She first refuses to believe it.
And then she screams.
~
The forevers flew by quickly for the family. A small funeral was arranged, with Patricia and her little family of fluffies attending the funeral of the dear little Punkie. And after a few bright days, all that remained of sweet little Punkie was within a small urn, which Patricia kept within her own room.
~
Pelusa stood in front of the wall of pictures. Each one of them had been drawn by Punkie and her, illustrating the fun times she had with the little blue foal. As the days went on, she found it harder to remember what Punkie was like.
She felt a tap on her back. Pelusa turned around, and saw it was Petal.
With that stupid doll.
It just felt so wrong. Was Petal just happy that she had a new hugtoy which resembled Punkie? Had the foal forgotten her brother, and what her brother had meant to her?
Pelusa just wanted Petal to leave her alone.
“Gu way, shyuu.”
But Petal just wouldn’t leave.
“Nu pway! Gu way!”
The foal kept tapping at her, wanting her to pay attention.
So Pelusa had to do what she had to.
“Pewsa!
Sayed!
NU!!”
With the full force of her right hind leg, Pelusa kicks the deaf foal as hard as she could. As Petal lay on the floor, her nose bleeding, Pelusa made her stance clear.
“Nu wan pway wif dummeh-babbeh! Hatechu!
Pew’sa miss Punkie hewe, nu yu! Wiss yu goed ‘way!
Wan Punkie! Nu wan dummeh yu!”
With tears in her eyes, Petal slowly recovers. She then walks out of the room, feeling dejected.
~
It did not take long for PJ to find out about what Pelusa did. And she was not happy about it.
“Gu way.”
“Pew-“
“PJ say gu way! Fwuffy hatechu!! Pewusa am da wowstes!!!”
Pelusa was taken aback. She had never seen PJ be this angry before. Even though she didn’t have her limbs, and was restricted to the usage of her mouth, head and tail, she was able to move her body so well that she was able to land a blow on Pelusa’s head.
“Ow, dat huwt!!”
“Hate, hate, HATECHU! Petaw am onwy a widdwe babbeh, and Petaw am deaf! Butchu hab to gu and gib huwties!!”
Patricia heard the commotion and rushed in.
“What’s going on here?!”
Despite her lack of limbs, PJ’s anger made her body very animated, as she yelled out her grievances.
“Pewusa am da wostes’! Pewusa gib Petaw huwties and say meanie tings ta poow babbeh!”
And with that, Pelusa started to cry. Taking the ex-breeder into her shoulders, and like a toddler, she started to rock her arms back and forth, trying to ease the sadness of the fluffy.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry. I’ll take you away from the mean Pelusa.”
Pelusa didn’t like to hear that. And she didn’t enjoy what came next.
“What is your problem, you shitrat?!!”
And in a fit of rage, Patricia grabbed the clock on table, and threw it on the ground. The ticking stopped, as the mechanical innards of the clock spilled upon the floor.
Pelusa hated that word. She hated when Patricia used that word, “Shitrat”. For so many months now ever since their adoption, Patricia had stopped using that word. But it came out now, and Pelusa could feel the full anger that came with the slur.
“You’re going into the sorry box!” Patricia screamed, as she grabbed Pelusa by back of her neck.
But Pelusa didn’t care. What could Patricia understand about how she feels? How could anyone? As she sat sullenly in the sorry box, her mind could only think of Punkie. How much Punkie had meant to her? And how she wished none of this had happened.
~
Over time, Pelusa felt a bit of regret with her actions. She didn’t mean to hit Petal. She didn’t mean to get angry with the poor little mute foal. She didn’t mean to shout at Petal, even though she knew Petal couldn’t hear her. And she knew that she didn’t mean to hurt her. But there was an aching in her heart. Something in her that couldn’t cope with the loss of Punkie. It was something that she grappled with, whenever PJ lamented the loss of her many foals as an ex-breeder. Yes, Punkie wasn’t her foal. But she had raised him like one. And, she also raised Petal like one.
Punkie was special. Not special the way Petal was, but definitely special.
~
A few forevers later, Pelusa found herself at the doctor’s place. Patricia had been reflecting a bit on Pelusa’s state, and came to realize that, unlike the other fluffies, Pelusa was having the biggest difficulty coping with the death of the young Punkie.
Doctor Luca took a good look at Pelusa before he introduced himself.
“Your mummah has been telling me that you have been having the big sad lately.”
Pelusa could only nod.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Pelusa was silent at first. After five minutes, she made her admission.
“Pelusa miss Punkie.”
“What do you remember the most about Punkie? What did you like about him?”
“Punkie wuz su smawt. Such a cweva fwuff! Mummah Pewusa nu can pway sum gamesies weww. Bu’ Punkie hewp fwuffy pway dem gaems. Punkie wuz betta den’ stuppeh owd fwuffy.”
Smiling, Doctor Luka bent down, bringing his head to Pelusa’s level. He then proceeded to softly pat Pelusa on the head.
“Well, I don’t think you’re stupid. And if Punkie was as smart as he was, maybe you should try playing the games again.”
As Doctor Luca said this, he retrieves a number of toys from a chest, including a ball, a stacking toy and building blocks. Placing them before Pelusa, he coaxes her, “See if you can remember what he was trying to teach you.”
“Pewusa nu am smawty.”
“Well, can you remember one of the games you used to play with Punkie?”
Remembering the game that used to give her the biggest trouble, Pelusa points her hoof at the stacking toy. Rather instinctively, the doctor took out each ring from the toy, and place them in random order before Pelusa.
“Now, what would Punkie do?”
“Punkie wouwd wook at the ciwcles. Den move dem.”
“Like this?”
And Dr Luka slowly arranged each ring, until it was in order from largest to smallest in from of Pelusa.
Pelusa nodded, as she noted, “Wike dat.”
“And you know what to do next, right Pelusa?”
And indeed, it was rather instinctual. Pelusa took the largest ring, and slowly stacked each smaller circle upon the base rung, until she had a perfect looking stacking toy. Just like how Punkie showed her.
“See Pelusa, you too can do it,” says the doctor, smiling.
~
A month had passed, and soon, it was the snowing time.
Pelusa had hazy memories of her first snowing time. But she could always recognize it ever since she first saw it as a foal. Outside the window, the grass would be covered with a blanket of white, and when she tried walking on the white area, her hooves would get wet, and her fluff be covered with a terrible cold. It was not a good time for any fluffy to go out, as was the case with Pelusa and the other fluffies. That, and school was out for the year. If anything, the only thing Pelusa went out for was for the continued therapy sessions with Dr Luka.
Pelusa was starting to feel better. She still did miss Punkie but, over the past few months, she was slowly able to feel less sad about Punkie’s absence. Slowly, the many pictures she had on the wall started to disappear, as they became filled with newer pictures of her with PJ. And now, there was a new picture on the wall.
Pelusa never expected a Christmas present from Petal. But she got one.
It was such a perfect picture of her that she would never imagine that a fluffy, let alone a deaf foal like Petal, could do it. But Petal had managed to draw an almost perfect picture of her with a pencil. It was so beautiful that it brought a tear to Pelusa’s eye. It was a sign to her that, despite what happened all those months ago, Petal was not angry with her, and was wanting to be loved by her again.
Pelusa felt more than happy. More than grateful. She had long felt terrible regret with what she did to Petal earlier in the year. But now, she new Petal still loved her. She felt a bit shy to approach Petal, but she knew that, after Christmas day, she was going to give Petal the biggest hug.
~
“So, I heard that Petal is going to a new school. What’s wrong with the daycare that she’s attending?”
It was Boxing Day, the day after Christmas. Patricia had invited her aunt Mable for a spot of tea. PJ and Petal were playing on PJ’s special scooter, while Pelusa was playing with her favourite stacking toy, enjoying the repetition of an activity she now managed to master.
“There’s nothing wrong with the daycare. It’s just that Petal is rather talented. Have you seen the art she draws?”
Patricia reaches into her bag, and showed Mabel the two pictures that Petal had worked on just two days ago. Mable’s eyes widen, as she noticed the level of detail on each picture.
“This is really in-depth. You say Petal drew this?”
“Indeed, she did! “
“Incredible! I heard that fluffy art is a thing.”
“Yes, which is why I’m planning to have Petal enrolled at West Celestial Academy.”
“Well, that sounds wonderful. A talented foal at her age should get the chance to develop her ability.”
“Indeed. Only problem is, the Academy is quite far from here. Its relatively closer compared to St. Muffin’s, but it’s still.”
“Well, that sounds like it’s going to be a problem to take here there.”
“Oh, not at all. They have a sort of dormitory at West Celestial Academy, since it is one of the few institutes of its kind on the East Coast.”
“A dorm?!”
“Yeah, like the ones colleges have. It’s a bit of a risk, but from what I understand these are professionals. It would mean I would be without Petal for about a year, but, if she comes out a better artist, perhaps it may be worth it.”
“That’s interesting. But Petal is deaf, isn’t she? I imagine she’d need even greater care.
“Yes, she would. It is why I have arranged for a special caretaker to look after while she’s there. It’s a risk but, if Petal can develop as an artist, I’d take that chance.”
“Well, I’m going to miss Petal. She really is such a sweet girl.”
Pelusa’s ears perked up.
“She’ll only be gone for a while. But she should be back towards the end of next year.”
And for the rest of the day, Pelusa could only be quiet
~
It was New Year’s Eve. Patricia was getting the house ready for a small gathering with her family to usher in the New Year. Petal and PJ were already out in the living room, and were looking rather fancy, having just been cleaned and dressed for the occasion. But Pelusa seemed reluctant to go down. This wasn’t like her previous desire to avoid social company though. It seemed different.
Patricia found Pelusa facing the corner, her faced downward. She could hear the faint sobs coming from the fluffy. But it was not an overflow of tears.
“Whats the matter, Pel?”
Pelusa was reluctant to admit the truth. But she had to say it.
“Fwu…. Fwuffy nu wan Petaw ta go.”
Surprised, Pat asked, “But I thought you didn’t like Petal. I thought you hated her.”
“It nu am twue.”
“Then why didn’t you apologize to Petaw?”
“Pewusa am goin’ tuu! Bu’… bu’… Petaw am going ‘way.”
Patricia sighed. She had planned to break the news slowly to the two adult mares but, somehow, Pelusa picked up on the fact rather early.
“She’s going to learn how to be a better artist. Make some of those nice pictures like the one you got on Christmas.”
But Pelusa was not just sad. Her face expressed a newfound concern, borne from a fear that came with the big loss in the past year.
“It nu am faiw! Fiwst Punkie hab da foreba sweepies, an’ nao, Petaw am goin’ away. Goin’ away! Wut ib Petaw hab da foreba sweepies? Wut ib Pewusa neba see Petaw egen?! Pelusa awweady miss Punkie, Pewusa am scawed ta wose Petaw!”
That was a mouthful for Pelusa, and she had gotten worked up. Still managing her heavy breaths, Pelusa said “Pewusa nu wan Petaw ta go.” And Pelusa’s gaze returns to the wall.
“Pelusa,” said Patricia, with a firm voice. Placing her hand on the mare’s head, she commanded, “Look at me.”
She expected some resistance, but to her surprise, Pelusa was willing to let her guide her visage back to her eyes. With Pelusa’s full attention, Patricia tried her best.
“I know you’re afraid to lose Petal the way we lost Punkie. But Petal is becoming a big girl too. And she is smart.
You know, I always wanted to see Punk develop himself as a smart fluffy. Go to a special school, and become a big smart fluffy. But now Petal is having that chance. And don’t you think that Petal is smart, like her brother?”
Pelusa could only nod. Even though she didn’t follow Petal’s development closely, she was well aware of her well Petal was doing.
“So let Petal have that chance. Not just for Punkie, not just for PJ, you and I. But also for herself.”
“Otay.”
“Now come along, Pelusa. Its going to be a new year. I want to celebrate the new year with you.”
Nodding in acceptance, Pelusa relents. “Otay mummeh.”
Patricia then hugs Pelusa, and proceeds to carry her.
“Good girl. Now let’s get you cleaned up.”
~
Tick, tick, tick.
The clock was ticking in the play room. It had been damaged before, but Patricia decided to get it fixed. On the floor were two rather excited fluffies. Both PJ and Pelusa had been looking forward to Petal’s return from West Celestial Academy as it was the Summer Vacation. For the current day, Aunt Mable was their caretaker, as Patricia had to fetch Petal from the airport.
Just then, her phone rang. Taking it out of her pocket, Mable noticed a rather important message.
“Alright you two! We’re going down now!!”
Mable then proceeded to carry Pelusa and PJ, and walked down the flight steps. Reaching the ground floor, she lets Pelusa down, then places the immobile PJ on her scooter. Excitedly, both fluffies ran to the front door, eager to be reunited.
“Hello my little angels!”
Patricia greeted them all. And in her arms was a fully adult Petal, wearing a nice blue ribbon.
“Babbeh!” both mares yelled out in joy. Patricia places Petal down, and within moments, Pelusa hugs her.
“Pewusa am happeh tu see babbeh egen.”
THE END
