Abandoned Angel
Part 56: Old Toys Are New Again
Pizza sat near daddeh’s hoof thingy. Hoomins had the silliest hoofs. They weren’t hooves at all! He set his tiny hoof next to Robert’s, comparing the size. Daddeh had the biggest hooves ever! “Are you sure about this?” Pizza heard daddeh talking to mummah, both ignoring the foal.
“Are YOU sure about this?” Mummah asked daddeh. Pizza wondered why mummah always asked so many questions, especially to daddeh and fwuffy mummah and fwuffy daddeh. Things like, “why are there scary poopies on the floor?” Or “why is there another hole in the wall?” Or “why did you let her name him Pizza?” That one always confused Pizza, what was wrong with his name?
From the couch, Pizza could hear his fluffy daddeh ask mummah, “mummah, Bwave wan huggies, gif Pizza?” Pizza could see the pained expression on mummah’s face and ran. He ran as fast as he could. Fluffy daddeh would hug and hug for hours, but Pizza wanted to play! Pizza dashed underneath the kitchen table, hiding under a chair.
Angel wasn’t far behind, she constantly watched Pizza. If she couldn’t find him, which still being a foal made him really good at the hidey game, she would sniffle and hug her tail. Pizza just wanted to play! While he loved the ball, it just wasn’t enough. It didn’t help that the whirring noisy box room was close off. Pizza couldn’t help it if he had scary poopies when the windy box took some of his fluff. Pizza squirmed as mummah picked him up and dropped him next to his fluffy daddeh. “Pizza wan pway!” His demands muffled by thick red fluff.
Robert leaned on his cane and sighed. He stood in his living room of his recently abandoned house. Erin had been back many times since she decided for him to stay with her while he recovered. Reluctantly he agreed with Erin. He couldn’t move back here. This house was no longer a home, it was no longer his sanctuary after being defiled with blood and gunpowder.
“I don’t know how you do it,” Erin chimed behind Robert. “Seriously. That whole time you were in the hospital and I was taking care of those three… It’s still difficult as hell.” He didn’t respond, not yet. She needed to vent, especially away from the ears she was most frustrated at. Robert was tempted to sit on his old couch, what was left anyway. “Angel and Brave cried themselves to sleep nearly every night. Every day I come home to shit on the walls and floor. Hell, I end up with a new hole in the wall from Brave just about every day! And don’t get me started on Pizza!”
“What did Pizza do? He’s still so tiny.” Robert picked up the framed picture of his original four fluffies, another memento to bring to Erin’s. Anything heavy or close to the floor he would point at with his cane, Erin obliged his crippled state.
Erin scoffed. “Every time Brave wakes up from his numerous naps and doesn’t have Pizza next to him, he freaks out! The first time he ran into me, bawling his little eyes out because he thought he ate him.” Robert frowned, unable to get a word in to ask, “Mary made him eat a foal.” He opened his mouth, ready to ask another question, “he shit out a bunch of fluff, lots of pink fluff.”
His mouth opened and closed several times, every word unable to work its way out. He didn’t know, Angel and Brave hadn’t said a word about what happened. Mary had done a number on them, and while he saw the signs, he didn’t really do anything about it. Erin saw the distressed and embraced Robert. “What else didn’t I know?”
“Well, I was trying to not stress you out. You’ve been through so much already. Angel picked up that weird thing where she hugs her tail. A few times I saw her actually put it in her mouth. If Pizza is out of her sight she panics. Brave’s been gnawing at the fluff around his hooves. Every loud noise freaks them out. I don’t know what to do! I don’t!” She held tightly to Robert. Erin tried her best, she had, but taking care of two fluffies with their own version of PTSD as her first experience of fluffy ownership was wearing on her.
Robert carried the small plastic bag while Erin brought in many boxes of random items taken from the now abandoned house. Brave poked his nose out from under the coffee table, a familiar scent teasing his sense of smell. “Nummie baww?” Robert tossed the ball towards the kitchen. A small brown blur chased after it.
Pizza tackled the ball, both rolling about now. “Baww smeww wike nummies…” Pizza sniffed, then gave it a lick, “baww nu nummies.”
“Hey, Easy Peasy, I got another toy for you and your daddy to play with.” Robert held up a special ball, the chiming ball. The bag was full of their old toys. Several balls, plenty of blocks, and even a huge sheet of bubble wrap.
Pizza’s face was full of confusion. First the ball that wasn’t a ball and wasn’t nummies… it was a lying ball. Then his hoomin daddeh just kinda said his name… but it wasn’t his name. “Daddeh, Pizza name ish Pizza, siwwy daddeh.” Brave trotted over and stomped his hoof onto the ball, the wax paper crinkling inside the soft cotton shell. Pizza jumped, balls don’t make that noise!
With a press of the indented button, the ball in his hand started chirping. Brave’s head whipped around. Angel even scurried out from under the couch. “BAWW!” Angel shouted, her tail wagging and her wings flapping happily. Pizza couldn’t help but be excited, two new toys in one day! Even mummah and daddeh wanted to play! Robert made a fake fast throw and Pizza and Angel bolted down the hall, their little fluffy legs scurrying as fast as possible.
Brave sat down, hugging the cotton ball. He knew daddeh still had the chirpy ball, he could hear it. Brave knew this game. Robert put on a fake giant frown. “Where’s the ball?”
“Nu know!” Pizza looked all over. Under the couch, under the television stand, under the table, he even looked under Brave.
“Only the bad fluffies lose the special ball. You’re not a bad fluffy, are you, Easy Peasy?” Robert teased as he hid the ball behind his back. Angel got a worried look, every time Robert played this game she would think he was serious.
“Pizza best fwuffy!” His tiny hooves stomped, he knew he was the best because mummah and daddeh told him so all the time!
“Are you? Well, try to find it this time!” Again he did a pretend throw, sending Angel and Pizza chasing after nothing. Brave trotted over and nudged Robert’s leg with his horn. Before their return he handed the ball to Brave. Angel and Pizza came back frustrated. Erin set the last box on the coffee table and grinned, she loved watching Robert play this game.
“Only the best fluffy can find the ball when I throw it.” Robert gave Erin a wink. “OH MY!” He practically shouted.
Brave tapped the ball with his hoof and the ball chimed. “Dis best chiwpy baww fow best fwuffy!” He stood proudly, his hoof on the ball, his head held high, his tail raised and flowing behind him. He looked almost majestic. As majestic as a tiny fuzzy red unicorn could.
Pizza’s mouth dropped, completely mystified. Angel, finally remembering the game gave Pizza a hug while Erin and Robert smiled at each other. It felt good with things returning to normal.