The Old Lady and the penguins pt. 2
“Everything will be okay, Lucky. Let’s finish our job.” Barnabus pushed the wagon closer to the nightstand. He hopped up to the nightstand and then onto the bed. “Toss up the flowers!”
Lucky took the flowers out of the wagon and did as she was told.
“Toss up the photo!”
Lucky tossed up the photo.
“Toss up the blanket!”
Lucky went and got the blanket. She then tossed it to Barnabus.
Something on the bed moved. A feeble voice said kindly, “Oh, it’s you, Penny. Wait, where’s… Oh, there you are, George! Have you been treating our visitor well?” Lucky could see the cat at the end of the bed. “No trouble between you two?”
Lucky realized the old woman had called Barnabus ‘Penny’. She could barely stifle her laughter. Wait ‘til the other penguins heard about it!
“Oh, Penny!” The old woman coughed. “Where did these flowers come from? Irises are my favorite. We should put them in water… What’s this? It’s a photo of my beautiful baby girl and I. How I miss her. She never comes to visit anymore. I don’t know why…
It’s cold in here, Penny.” Lucky could see Barnabus move to where the blanket was. “Oh, how thoughtful, a blanket. Will you stay a while, Penny? I’m so tired. I just want to sleep.” Barnabus pulled the blanket up to the old woman’s chin and nuzzled into her. The old woman yawned and George laid on the blanket across the woman’s feet. The woman was sleeping. She inhaled deeply and a rattling sound came from her body.
Lucky felt a sense of leaving and then emptiness. Barnabus jumped down to the floor as George set up an ear-piercing yowl to express his grief.
“Come, little one,” Barnabus put his wing around Lucky and the slowly walked out the room. “Our work here is done.” Before they left the apartment, Barnabus grabbed the old woman’s keys. They took the pipes to the building caretaker and dropped the keys on his desk. He would find them and her in the morning.
Once they were back in the basement, Lucky looked at her dad. “What happened?”
“Every living thing dies, little one. We can only hope to make the passing more pleasant.”
Lucky nodded. She would try her best.
Lucky took the flowers out of the wagon and did as she was told.
“Toss up the photo!”
Lucky tossed up the photo.
“Toss up the blanket!”
Lucky went and got the blanket. She then tossed it to Barnabus.
Something on the bed moved. A feeble voice said kindly, “Oh, it’s you, Penny. Wait, where’s… Oh, there you are, George! Have you been treating our visitor well?” Lucky could see the cat at the end of the bed. “No trouble between you two?”
Lucky realized the old woman had called Barnabus ‘Penny’. She could barely stifle her laughter. Wait ‘til the other penguins heard about it!
“Oh, Penny!” The old woman coughed. “Where did these flowers come from? Irises are my favorite. We should put them in water… What’s this? It’s a photo of my beautiful baby girl and I. How I miss her. She never comes to visit anymore. I don’t know why…
It’s cold in here, Penny.” Lucky could see Barnabus move to where the blanket was. “Oh, how thoughtful, a blanket. Will you stay a while, Penny? I’m so tired. I just want to sleep.” Barnabus pulled the blanket up to the old woman’s chin and nuzzled into her. The old woman yawned and George laid on the blanket across the woman’s feet. The woman was sleeping. She inhaled deeply and a rattling sound came from her body.
Lucky felt a sense of leaving and then emptiness. Barnabus jumped down to the floor as George set up an ear-piercing yowl to express his grief.
“Come, little one,” Barnabus put his wing around Lucky and the slowly walked out the room. “Our work here is done.” Before they left the apartment, Barnabus grabbed the old woman’s keys. They took the pipes to the building caretaker and dropped the keys on his desk. He would find them and her in the morning.
Once they were back in the basement, Lucky looked at her dad. “What happened?”
“Every living thing dies, little one. We can only hope to make the passing more pleasant.”
Lucky nodded. She would try her best.
Get your own penguin at Penguin Emporium.
Read the origin story: Penguins in the Pipes.
Read about the Penguin Storyteller.
Read the origin story: Penguins in the Pipes.
Read about the Penguin Storyteller.
