- Post By: Jason Santo
- Date:
- Category: Uncategorized
Cecil had been his favorite, but it was time for him to go. Davey had slept with him, eaten with him, brought him everyplace – including the potty – and now he was at the beach and felt ready to say goodbye. It was sad, but life was sad. Davey knew that because mom and dad had been gone since last time it was cold like this and the days were shorter. His eyes were stinging again. That happened when he thought about them, their voices and smiles, their kindness and how it felt to be hugged by them. He looked down at Cecil hanging from his cold hand, a warm smile from a soft friend with button eyes staring back up at him. Davey didn’t smile, but instead kept walking until the ocean spilled around his boots like sudsy glass. His nana was somewhere behind him watching, and for a moment he wondered about running forward into the freezing water and then diving under, holding his breath until he couldn’t. Maybe they were down there. Maybe he and Cecil could find them. Davey took another step forward and squinted against the blinding winter sun as it shimmered against the water. Daddy once told a story about a soft friend he lost at the beach when he was a little boy. Davey thought a lot about that friend, a stuffed bear named Benny, and he liked to think Daddy and Mommy found him when they left. He wanted Cecil to find them too, and he whispered a lot to Cecil over the seasons about what he should tell them when he sees them. Tell them I love them, Davey said. Tell them I miss them. Tell them that I still don’t like tomato sauce, but that I know I will someday. Tell them I am a good boy. Tell them again I miss them and that I love them. Davey then brought Cecil to his lips and kissed him just as he told Cecil to kiss them for him. He wound up and tossed his stuffed doggy into the ocean, turned, and, eyes stinging, walked back up to where nana was waiting. Cecil swam away, and Davey thought about him often. (at Say Hi)