“Hi, this is Miko from the Maui Humane Society. Is now a good time to talk?”
“If you don’t mind being on speaker,” is the reply. While hitting the beach for the past two weekends has been fun, its finally time for another manure harvest in the back yard. Given there are fewer fluffies now it takes a bit longer to get a decent amount but mom’s friends are asking for the stuff now. Thankfully, small yards mean small gardens, so this should be more than enough for two of them at the moment.
“Hmm… maybe better on regular. Its hard to hear you.”
Grabbing your phone, a quick retreat is made under the shade. Its not too hot yet, but the lack of a breeze is making things worse. Sonic is splayed out on the grass after having pooped himself out chasing a ball.
“So, what’s up Miko-san?”
She laughs. “I grew up in Makawao with the Portagees, no calling me ‘san’ okay?”
“Okay, fine, fine. What can I do for you then.”
“Well, are you still taking care of those fluffies in your neighborhood?”
“Yep. Down to two now,” is said ambivalently. “The vet found the owner for two of them. She’s on Oahu now so her son flew them over.”
“Well, I was wondering if you’d be interested in fostering some fluffies that have come in.”
You look at the mango tree, Coco sitting on her favorite branch. She’s been pretty quiet lately. Eyes turn to the barrel full of manure and leaves.
“Maybe. What’s involved? I’m not here all the time.”
“Well,” Miko starts, the sound of papers shuffling come from her end. “We’ve got food and litter donated to us so you don’t have to buy any of that. Same with toys, actually. They just need someplace to stay that’s safe for now as we don’t have the space here for them at the moment.”
“They? How many are there?”
“Well, a few, but we’re lining up other people.”
A quick look at the two fluffies gives a little pang at the ones that are missing. “Sure, I guess. So long as they get along with the two I’m taking care of now.”
“I’m sure it’ll be no problem, thank you!”
“How wong tiww nyu fwens?”
You smile at Sonic’s question from the living room. Its rather nice that someone is dropping off the new fluff on Monday. Fluffs?
The house’s second bedroom has been a storage room for the past few years with seemingly everyone in the family having something in it. Thankfully, a few calls and folks pick up their stuff once you explain you need the room. Noting that the alternative was splitting the rent on a storage unit helped speed things up.
Still, the weekend was devoured with emptying the room out, sweeping, mopping, and generally cleaning the room. Miko had noted the fluffy, or fluffies, were surrendered and recommended having a saferoom. She kept going back on forth between singular and plural, so it seemed she wasn’t quite sure what the plan was. A quick trip to Habitat for Humanity’s store and a thrift shop helped take care of other things.
“Coco, Sonic, can you help me please?”
The pair walk in. They’ve been out by themselves most of the day and had been lounging in the living room while you worked. It might be September, but the days are still long enough that they’re tired come sunset.
“What do you think?”
Sonic ran about in the room, feeling the springy exercise tiles on the floor. Coco taps her foot on it a few times, staring at it. They fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, covering most of the floor. The mismatched, garish colors earned a few sets of the stuff a spot in clearance. The waterproof tarp underneath cost a lot more than the foam tiles.
“Dis funsies!” the blue pegasus exclaimed, thrilled. He lays on his side, wiggling about. “Sonic wike!”
“Coco wike too. Make hoofsies feew gud.”
“How about the beds over there,” you point. Another thrift shop score. Coco goes up and nestle down in one of them, cooing.
“Dis gud.”
Habitat had a few random cat houses that made it along with you. Seeing Sonic poke his head out of one elicits a laugh, his face covered with a big doofy smile. The heaviest one is at the bottom of a shelving unit where you’ve got food and litter stored above it. On the shelf above that is a fan, lamp, and speaker connected to an old smartphone turned music player you never got rid of. Thankfully, the trip to Habitat also got you everything you needed to child-proof the room so that’s one less thing to worry about.
Monday morning comes, and you’re about as anxious as the first night you knew fluffies were visiting your yard. But this is a bit different. You don’t know what you’re ending up with, but this time you know they’re coming.
8:30am and a white animal control truck drives up. The driver is a young guy, very local looking - probably a mix of a half dozen nationalities. He pulls out a clipboard and pen for you to sign off on some paperwork. While you’re signing form after form he begins unloading a big bag of kibble and litter for you, along with a canister of unflavored meal replacement shake.
“Yellow copies are for you.”
“Thanks,” you reply, stuffing them into your back pocket.
“And here,” he says while handing you a pet carrier, “Is your new foster fluff. She’s asleep right now. Long night.”
Bringing the carrier into the safe room is a little hard with Sonic dancing around your feet but eventually it arrives safely. Picking up both Sonic and Coco, you hold them both in your arm while opening the carrier door. Its hard not letting them see inside. A quick scootch back and you simply sit with the two fluff. The pegasus squirms, sniffing the air confusedly. Coco relaxes against you, waiting.
“Nyu fwen! Nyu fwen!” Sonic yells. “Hab nummies! Wan pway!”
“Wha… whu?” drones a sleepy voice from inside. “Nummies?”
As the voice speaks, getting louder, you hear something else.
“Cheep… nummies?”
“Mama hab nummies?”
“Wan miwkies…”
“Mama, whewe am babbeh?”
“Babbeh stiww hab owies… mama gib huggies?”
A little yellow snout pokes out, followed by a mare’s head. Her mane is a golden orange, just like you remember. As Saffron looks about she gasps first at the room, then squeals upon seeing you and the fluffs. Sonic frantically tries to get out of your grasp but you hold him tight.
“SAFFWON!!!”
“Saffwon cum back?”
“Saffwon back! Saffwon back!” she cries. You finally let the other two fluffs go and they all tumble together into a pile of hugs. Cuddling, nuzzling, licking and tears as they cry and squeal together.
“Mama…?”
“Babbehs! Come out bebbehs! See nyu fwens! See hewd!”
Five little heads peer out of the carrier. A blue pegasus with yellow wings trots out while the others look around uncertainly. It looks at the mess of a hugpile, eyes looking at Sonic.
“Daddeh?”
((Comments and feedback welcome))
Portagee/Portagees is the local slang/pidgen for Portuguese people
! Saffon is back with babbehs!!
“eh”? 
