The Reunion

Papa directed his family to quickly pack. Bruno and Lucy, also awakened by the noise, couldn’t help but notice their friends packing. “Why are you packing,” Lucy asked? “Don’t you hear the scream and cries for mercy and help,” Henry asked? “Yes, I do and it terrifies me,” Lucy said, “but what can we do? There’s no place for us to go.” “Well, we have to leave,” Henry exclaimed. “I won’t continue to raise my family in this environment.” “Leaving?” snorted Bruno. “Where are you going?” “Anyplace but this slaughterhouse,” Henry replied. “You, Lucy, and Pedro could go with us. You know you’re like family to us,” Papa said. “We’ve always been a team and looked out for each other. Please go with us.” “I’ll discuss it with Lucy and Pedro, if I can find him,” Bruno said. Right then, Pedro arrived, huffing and puffing. “I’ve been soaring over Bethlehem and you won’t believe the massacre that’s going on. It makes me want to leave.” “Funny you should say that,” Bruno said. “The Browns are leaving and have asked us to go with them. What do you think, Lucy, Pedro? Shall we risk a new adventure?” “I think it’s a great idea,” Lucy said. “You and I have been stuck in this manger for years, staring at the same walls.” Pedro piped up. I’m game,” he said, as he preened himself for the journey. “Well,” Bruno drawled, it looks like a three to nothing vote. Prepare for a new journey,” Bruno exclaimed. As strong as Bruno was, it didn’t take much to tear the rope that was supposed to keep him tied to the stall. Lucy was struggling to do the same when Bruno walked over and easily completed the effort. Pedro hopped on top of Lucy. Free of restraints, both animals bolted out of the manger and into the street. Meanwhile, Henry finished packing first and looked at the traffic going by the manger, trying to figure out his next move. The next thing he knows, a cart stops right in front of the manger and the owner, a seller of grain who had a full cart, gets out to fix a loose wheel. Henry seized the moment and ordered his family to take their bags as he pushed them out of the manger towards the cart. Harry was the first to reach the cart. He grabbed the wheel of the cart and started his long climb, hoisting his bag behind him. Finally, he reaches the top, wipes his sweaty brow, then tosses his bag into the cart. Henrietta was next, eyes wide with fear, as she carefully and more slowly inched her way up the wheel to the cart with Harry frantically urging her on. The strong wind almost blew Henrietta off the wheel, but she just barely hung on. About halfway up, Henrietta was exhausted and couldn’t move any further. Harry scrambled out of the cart and down the wheel, took her bag, and scurried back up to the cart, quickly tossing it next to his and then returned to aid his sister to safety. Harriet hiked her long skirt up so she could get her foot on the spoke nearest her and began the dangerous journey up to the cart, one spoke at a time. Papa was right behind her. Seeing that her bag was slowing her down, Harry grabbed it and gave his wife a ferocious push that sent her sailing up two spokes, closer to safety. With two bags being held by one arm, Papa found his climbing to be more strenuous than he thought, with sweat pouring from his brow and his legs shaking from the strain. Before he knew it his son relieved him of the bags, easing his father’s burden thus allowing Henry to quickly join his family already safely inside the cart. And just in time, too! Harriet heard the woman ask her husband, “Well, have you decided where our new destination will be?” “Yes,” he replied, “Jerusalem and it’s a long trip but we’ll stop in Nazareth for a while and rest.” Already a plan was forming in Henry’s mind as he was always thinking of ways to make money to support his family. He knew that there were numerous transportation companies run by various families of mice in Jerusalem. But he was unaware that there was any such type of a business in Nazareth. So, on the spot, he decided he would establish his new business in Nazareth. “My business! My sign and my cart,” he yelled. Henry had forgotten to take his “Mouse Transportation Company” sign with him. It took him forever to find the right size of wood and even longer to carve each letter deeply into it. And he couldn’t do business without his cart! He must retrieve them both. Though exhausted, Henry got out of the cart and dropped on top of the wheel. Pedro flew over and perched above him on the cart, looking quizzically down at Henry. “I thought you and your family were packed and ready to go?” Pedro asked. “I can’t start my new business without my sign and my cart. I MUST take them with me,” he said as he weakly struggled to get to the lower spoke. “STOP!” exclaimed Pedro. “You’ll never get your items, haul them over the spokes and into this cart before it leaves. I can do it much faster,” he said with a smile. With a jump from the cart, a gust of wind caught beneath Pedro’s wings and he glided until he got inside the manger where Henry had his office. Quickly Pedro grabbed the sign, took a running start, fluttered a bit, then took off towards the Brown family. Instead of wasting time by stopping and giving Henry the sign, Pedro just dropped it into the cart from a few feet up. The sign landed just inches from Henry, kicking up grain dust, causing Henry to cough.