RIP Beloved Tiny aka "The BunFather"

[TinysMom]

[align=center][align=left](This is the first draft - it needs to be edited).
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Tiny FINALLY Gets a Job
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“Come on Tiny….let’s binky!” Tiny opened one eye and glanced at GingerSpice. Then he closed it again and sighed.

“No Ginger…not now…”.

“Tiny – you’re at Rainbow Bridge…you should be able to binky just fine. You don’t have any limitations anymore. Come on…let’s go play…”

Tiny opened his other eye and looked at her. He sighed again.

“You’ve been looking in the brook at mama too much Tiny. You need to stop that. It will only make you sad. Come on…let’s go play.”

When Tiny didn’t respond – Ginger leaned over and bit Tiny’s butt. He sat up and glared at her.

“Look – leave me alone. I don’t want to go binky. I don’t want to go play. I don’t want to eat grass. So go away and leave me alone.”

Tiny went back to napping and GingerSpice hopped over to see “Mr. Buck” at the bench.

“Mr. Buck…Tiny isn’t happy. I’m worried about him.”

The kind gentleman looked down at her. “What’s wrong with him sweetie?”

“I think he’s sick.”

“He can’t be sick at Rainbow Bridge Ginger. Maybe he just wants to be alone for a bit.”

“Mr. Buck, I think he’s soul-sick. I’m really really worried about him.”

Buck signed to himself. From the first moment Tiny crossed the bridge, he’d seen that this moment was going to come. He was surprised it had taken this long.

He stood up and stretched his legs, readjusting some of the bunnies that were snuggled into his bunny carrier he wore. He looked at GingerSpice tenderly and said, “Ok…take me to The BunFather.”

GingerSpice hopped as fast as she could and was surprised that at his size and age, Mr. Buck could keep up with her. When he saw Tiny laying under the big oak tree, he thanked Ginger and told her that he needed to talk to Tiny alone. She looked up at him with such worry and fear in her eyes and cried as she said, “You won’t send him away will you?” that Buck relented and said, “GingerSpice…you can come and be with us while we talk..”

She binkied so hard and fast – she didn’t realize that she was going to land on top of Tiny’s head till she heard him groan.

Buck sat down beside the black bunny and petted him. Tears started coming out of Tiny’s eyes as he leaned into the petting…and he looked at up Mr. Buck.

“Mr Buck. I’m bored. I know I’m supposed to be happy here – I know I’m healthy again and can run and binky and play and eat from any of the grasses and gardens that I want. But I need more than this. A bunny can only play for so long before he gets weary of it.”

GingerSpice gasped. “You’re BORED? How can you be bored??? Why there are so many bunnies to play with and…”

Mr Buck held up his hand and told her to hush.

“Tiny, do you like it here?”

Tiny sat up and scratched himself while he thought. “Well…its ok. I mean the grass is good and the weather is always nice. But I need more. Its hard to explain Mr. Buck. I thought I’d be ok once we went through the books and I got to send Zeus to mom. But still yet…I need to do more than just binky and eat.”

Suddenly, a big white bunny came up to Buck. “Sir, I had a problem with my last assignment and I think we need to talk. We may need to do a bit of emergency control because the wrong family got the…”

Buck hushed him. “It will be ok. We’ll talk back at the bench in a few minutes. Why don’t you go wait for me there.”

The white bunny stared at Tiny for a minute. “Oh…is he gonna join us? I know we’re getting pretty tired and could use more helpers.”

Buck watched as Tiny’s ears perked up. Tiny looked over at Ginger but she was busy watching a bug while she ate some grass.

Buck motioned to the white bunny, “Go wait for me at the bench…I’ll meet you there.”

Tiny’s eyes grew as wide as saucers as the white bunny did one leap in the air and then POOF…he was gone. Under his breath, Buck muttered to himself, “Showoff”.

Tiny looked at Buck and said, “What was that about? Where did he go? How did he disappear like that? Can I do that too?”

Tiny would have kept asking questions – but Mr Buck held up his hand and made the motion for Tiny to be quiet.

“Tiny, he is a messenger bunny. He spends part of his time here at Rainbow Bridge and part of it running errands and sending messages to both bunnies and people back home. You just saw him use his transportation jump to go where I asked him to meet me. It is a special jump he is allowed to have for the jobs he does for us here at the bridge.”

“A messenger bunny? How did he get to be that? Can I be one? What do I need to do? You mean – I’d get to do more than just eat and binky?”

Tiny almost smiled as Buck shook his head yes. Then…without really trying…Tiny binkied almost to the top of the tree and came down and landed at Buck’s feet.

“Wow. I didn’t realize how happy I was. Wait…it’s a job. That means I need to have an interview. I’m supposed to groom myself for an interview…” Tiny kept on muttering to himself as he started grooming but Buck interrupted him.

“Tiny, let’s talk. You don’t need to groom yourself. Let’s figure out if you even want to be a messenger.”

Tiny sat up and smiled. “Ok. Tell me about what messengers do and how soon I can become one.”

Buck motioned for Tiny to come sit in his lap while he talked. Tiny snuggled in and felt Buck rub his ears as he started talking.

“Tiny, sometimes we have to send messengers from here to both people and bunnies. Let me give you some examples. When it’s a bunny’s time to cross the bridge but we know they will want to stay – or that they might be nervous – we send a messenger to let them know to not be afraid.”

Before Buck could go on, Tiny jumped up and looked Buck in the face. “Like that gray bunny I saw that Friday night I got so sick? I haven’t seen him since then…”.

Buck groaned. “Yes, Tiny. Like that bunny. He’s been demoted to another department for a while so that he can get some retraining. You see…he was supposed to MAKE you come here and he was sure that he could convince you, so he took the assignment. But then, as you laid in your mama’s arms, he let you stay there until you were too ill to refuse to cross the bridge. He was supposed to convince you to come across but he let you stay. So because he failed his assignment, he is working elsewhere for now.”

Tiny was obviously troubled by this. He sat and stared at Buck for a minute or two and then said, “That’s right. I remember telling him I couldn’t leave yet and that I loved mama. And mama held me and held me and kept begging me to stay.”

Buck was crying as he looked at Tiny. “Do you remember the pain you went through for the next two days and how you dragged yourself out to be near your mama?”

Tiny looked down at the ground and nodded that he did remember.

“If you had left when you were supposed to – you would not have suffered so much. But because you tried to hold on for your mama – you had to suffer until you had no choice but to come to us.”

Tiny thumped at Buck. “I’d do it again too you know. I’d stay again in spite of the pain if it meant I could be with mama.”

Buck said, “Maybe you shouldn’t be a messenger bunny then…”

Tiny interrupted him and said, “Aren’t there other types of messages?”

Buck smiled and said, “Yes – there are lots of types of messages. For instance, there are some bunnies that are sad and long to come to the bridge but we know they’re going to get well and it is too soon. So we send someone over to tell them that they’ve got to fight. We tell them to hold on and that they’ll cross the bridge later on … when the time is right.”

“I like that job. What other types of messages are there?”

“We also send messages to encourage shelter bunnies – to know that we’re working on getting them a home. We send messages to people to adopt bunnies. And every shelter bunny that is ‘put to sleep’ gets an honor escort across the bridge. They come in at a different place where they spend some time destressing with other shelter bunnies and then they come to this area of the bridge and merge with others.”

“Oooh. Mr Buck I always wanted a job when I was down there and now I can finally have one. What do I have to do now?”

Buck smiled down at the buck – happy to see that he wasn’t moping anymore. He motioned for GingerSpice to come over and he told her, “Tiny is going with me for a bit and you won’t see him around for a while. Say goodbye but make it quick.”

Tiny hugged GingerSpice and whispered in her ear, “I’ve got a job…I’m gonna be a messenger.”

GingerSpice nudged Tiny’s nose. “I love you Tiny. I always did. Come see me again soon…ok? I’m gonna go see SugarBear.”

GingerSpice hopped off and Tiny said, “I’m ready.”

Buck clapped his hands twice…and Tiny and Buck were sitting on the bench with the white rabbit Tiny saw before. The two rabbits stared at each other and each started to thump when Buck said, “Harvey, this is Tiny. He’s going to be your first trainee. Take him with you on your next assignment.”

The two bucks glared at each other.

“Tiny. Harvey. I want you two to behave and work together. Now GO.”

Buck clapped his hands again and Tiny was in the air beside Harvey who said, “You have got to learn to transport binky soon….come on with me..”

And off they went…to start Tiny’s New Grand Adventures.

 

[Elf Mommy]

Peg, you are such a talented author! This is a great story and really hits home to me. Thank you for sharing it!

 

[TinysMom]

Thank you for your kind words. I do have some ideas for future installments - in one of them - Tiny is going to argue with Buck about the rabbit that got demoted and how it isn't fair since some bonds are just too strong for a rabbit to voluntairily break.

I wish I had your gift of drawing to make animals come alive - but I guess I have to stick with writing 'cause I can't even draw stick figures!

 

[Elf Mommy]

TinysMom wrote:

I added GingerSpice and SugarBear and they got along so well with Tiny...

Peg, which one is Gingerspice and which one is Sugarbear?

 

[TinysMom]

GingerSpice is the tort (brown) and SugarBear is the white (like processed sugar). They were brother/sister...and both have crossed the bridge far far too young...

 

[Elf Mommy]

Here are the calendar pages of our dear Tiny:

May your heart continue to heal!

 

[LuvaBun]

Oh wow! Elf Mommy, those are amazing

Jan

 

[TinysMom]

Oh Tiny - my world feels so empty without you right now....

Elf Mommy did an excellent job capturing you...didn't she? Robin looked at her drawings and said, "Wow - I forgot how young Tiny looked when we first got him.."

I miss you so much - I have so many regrets.

Zin posted this - and while it actually applies to three of you....and I'm posting it on all three threads....it really really REALLY applies to you...

So this is where we part, My Friend,

And you'll run on around the bend, Gone from sight but not from mind,

New pleasures there you'll surely find.

I will go on, I'll find the strength,

Life measures quality, not its length.

One long embrace before you leave,

Share one last look, before I grieve.

There are others, that much is true,

But they be they and they aren't you.

And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought

Will remember well all you've taught.

Your place I'll hold, you will be missed,

The fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.

And as you go to your final rest,

Take with you this -- I loved you best.

 

[chinmom]

I sent this to Peg in a PM, and she asked me to share it with everyone that's following this thread. I got her PM several hours ago, but wanted to think about it. It was kind of personal, but I decided to share it here with you guys.

Here is the PM:

A few days ago, I was looking through the scrapbook I made for Sophieafter I helped her pass over. That night I fell asleep in tears with the scrapbook on my lap. Suddenly I woke to some mumbling coming from the end of the bed. It was so dark inthe room that I thought Georgie had escaped and was on my bed. But I saw straight ears and knew it wasn't Georgie. I sat up and noticed that the bunny was looking at the scrapbook I had made, and was mumbling something about needing to find this bunny because she was too beautiful to pass up.The big black bunny turned to me and winked...then I woke up.

I fell back asleep a few minutes later, andhad a dream about what I can only guess was the Rainbow Bridge.I saw Sophie there binkying in a beautiful field of dandelions-- her favorite treat that shehad a lot of troubleeating because of her malocclussion. Suddenly a huge black bunny hopped over and nudged her nose; she flashed a huge smile at him, and I got to see that her teeth were finally perfect. They were shiny and white, and straight. They started binkying and chasing each other, and she seemed so happy. Sophie never binkied here...I think she was in constant pain despite all my efforts to keep her at ease. I was so worried about her; she never seemed to bond with any other bunny here, especially bunnies that were larger than her. I was so worried that she was going to be all alone over the Rainbow Bridge; that she would be as miserable there as I think she was when she washere with me. The black bunny started hopping away and Sophie yelled, "Tiny! Wait for me!"

After a while of chasing and binkying, Sophie's mood seemed to drop. Tiny asked her what was wrong and she said that she had been watching hermom back homeand that she sawher momwas lonely and crying and wished she could do something to help. Tiny asked her to tell him about her mom and she told him, "I had to go my second mom after the first family couldn't take care of me. I had bad teeth and they couldn't afford to keep me comfortable. I was miserable and in pain every day. As soon as my new mommy got me, she gave me some yummy medicine and it helped a lot. She took me to her vet and had my teeth trimmed. I could finally eat without much pain, and was happy for a few days. But then the pain started again. My new mom kept giving me the yummy medicine every day, and it really helped."

She continued, "Mom would cut up my veggies real small so I could eat them. She would hold out craisins for me and hold them there until I could get them behind my front teeth and chew them. Sometimes it would take me a while to get a hold of the craisin, but she would stay there and hold it. My first family would always give up and just stick it in my bowl...I could never get it behind my front teeth, and just sat there trying and trying and feeling sorry for myself.

"Mom was wonderful to me. After a few months, she explained to me that she knew I was in pain and that she could help but we would both need to have a lot of courage. She told me that I could go to a place where I would never be in pain again, and that I would be happy and binky. One day she gave me some extra pain medicine andlet me out for an entire day. I binkied once and Mom laughed at me. Then she picked me up and wrapped me in my favorite pink fleece blanket. She held me for a long time and said that it was time for me to leave her. I didn't want to and laid there trying to tell her that I didn't want to. I don't remember much else, except that day I went to sleep and woke up here."

Sophie hadtears in her eyes whenshe stopped talking; she noticed that Tiny was intently watching her.

"You know how much your mom loved you?" Tiny asked Sophie.

In a small voice, Sophie said, "yes."

Tiny asked, "Do you want to help her feel happy again?"

In a slightly stronger voice, Sophie replied, "yes."

After her response, Tiny said, "Follow me." They hopped together across the field and towards a big book at the edge of the dandelion field. Tiny explained that the book was filled with pictures of bunnies that needed someone to help them and love them. He told her that she could help choose the bunny to help her mom feel happy again.

He said, "I'll leave you here for a little bit. Look at this book and see if there are any bunnies you think your mom would love."

Sophie flipped through the pages slowly and when she saw a description of a bunny that didn't have a name, she knew she had found the perfect bunny. She sprinted back through the field calling out, "Tiny! Tiny! Come here!"

Finally she found him and told him in a high voice that she had found the perfect bunny for her mom. "He doesn't have a name and really needs someone to love him enough to name him."

Tiny replied, "I'll see what I can do."

Then, like the end of a movie, everything went black and I woke up. I couldn't help but feel like I had just watched a movie. I knew that Sophie had visited me toletme know that she was okay and happy. The rest of itI didn't take it too seriously, because, after all, it was just a dream. I kept mulling over it, though, because usually once I wake up, I don't remember anything about the dream I just had. Yesterday morning I was thinking about it as I put Sophie's scrapbook back in its place, but kind of put it out of my mind because I had to get ready to go.

Yesterday afternoonI met the grandfather of the guy I've been seeing. We began talking about Georgie, and he said, "I have a bunny I'm trying to find a home for." I told him that Ididn't have room at the moment but could take a look at the bunny so I could describe him whentrying to find him a home.

When I walked into the garage, the bunny was housed in a cage so small that he couldn't even hop one full body length across the cage. I asked what his name was, and the grandfather said, "He doesn't have one. We just call him "the rabbit."" As soon as he said that, I knew that my dream actually had a meaning, and the rabbit Sophie had found was the one in front of me. I told the grandfather that I would try to get another cage together so I could take in the rabbit. When I came home, I picked up the box that holds Sophie's ashes, and thanked her. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I will have the rabbit back here...and his new name is "Ollie."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you, Peg, for encouraging me to share this here, and especially for your strength; it has given me the strength to heal as well. I hope this touches someone else as much as it touched me.

-Annie

 

[TinysMom]

Thank you so much for sharing this on Tiny's thread. I knew it was very personal - but it was also so touching. It is so neat to think that Ollie will be joining your family and that in some way - perhaps - Tiny helped you to recognize that Ollie was supposed to come to you.

I've had three people so far tell me that they've seen Tiny in their dreams....all three were influenced to get another bun...and while Tiny has been in my dreams - it has been more to comfort me - that there was a purpose for his life - and even his passing.

I don't know that I really have any strength to encourage others with. I still have days when I cry on the phone to Zin - one day this week I was crying and saying, "I want him back. I still want him back even if I can't have him." I try hard to accept his loss - but I miss him more than words can say.

I do hope you share LOTS of pictures of Ollie with us - and be sure to let us know why you named him that...

 

[LuvaBun]

Annie, that is awesome - thank you for sharing!

It seems like Tiny is very good at his job . I bet Ollie is very grateful.

Jan

 

[TinysMom]

Chinmom,

Thank you for posting that - I wrote a long message once and I swear the forum ate it....but I really do appreciate what you posted and what you shared with me.

Tiny - I miss you so much. I thought it would get easier - but it doesn't - it gets harder.

As I'm sure you know big guy.....I'm getting Ori sometime in the future. I've got to say - you must be mastering your "message sending" .... first of all to get Ori to Zin....then to get the message to her that he was for me....along with the message to me that he was for me. The more I hear about what an attention hog he is - the more I think of you. You big baby.....if you had to - you learned to nip me to get attention (although you didn't do it often). Seems like somehow - Ori has learned the same trick.

I know he's not you at all - but in some ways - as Zin shares about him - and as I look at a photo of him - he reminds me of you.

For those who are reading this and think I'm crazy....look at these two photos..

My big boy....

My future big boy...

I miss you so much....I'm in tears just looking at your picture.

I told Zin that I'm afraid of taking Ori - afraid of loving him and losing him. Like I told her....You helped me through GingerSpice's death....New Hope helped me through your death.....now who is there to help me through New Hope's? I won't let Zeus help me....I don't want to risk losing him too.....I love him too much to let him close to me. I feel like I'm jinxed - or cursed. I feel like no matter which one I love the most - it will be the next one to die.

Sometimes I just want to give away ALL of the bunnies - so it will stop hurting. But I can't....cause then I say, "Well, I can give away everyone but Harry...and Harriet...and Miss Bea (of course)....and ... and .... and....." and before you know it - I can't give away any!

Anyway - I probably should close this 'cause I'm just sitting here crying and missing you so much.

I loved you - my big boy - my big baby. You taught me so much about love your last few months with us.....thank you so much for being my baby.

 

[TinysMom]

It needs some editing - but here is the next chapter..

[line] Tiny sat back on his haunches and watched Harvey do his stuff. He knew better than to interfere. He was supposed to watch 100 crossings to observe how to help bunnies cross. Then he would do 50 crossings while being observed by his trainer. Its too bad that he had to get stuck with Harvey. Harvey was a jerk. He never thought about the rules …he just followed them. It didn’t matter who they hurt.

Tiny once told Harvey, “They’re not rules…they’re more like guidelines really.” That was when he got his first “coaching” session with Buck after an escort.

Tiny thought back over the last few weeks. At first, he liked his job. It was fun to help the suffering buns cross and watch them relax as they were whole again. Once he watched a breeder knock a rabbit in the head and it laid there fighting death while Harvey gently coaxed it across. Tiny cried at that but he knew it was best for the rabbit.

The day he watched a shelter bunny get euthanized though was almost his last day as a messenger. He watched the rabbit fight to stay alive even though it didn’t have the love of a person. When he got back to the bridge he cried and cried and went off to be alone for a bit. He told Ginger and others that he wasn’t going to do this anymore…that he couldn’t.

But then Pow Wow came to him to ask him for a favor. A litter was crossing in a few hours due to an “emergency spay”. They were going to come to her and she knew they would be afraid. Would he help them cross – as a favor to her? She would be waiting for him at the bridge. Tiny did it as a favor to Pow Wow, even though it was hard. However, when he saw the look on their faces when they saw Pow Wow, and he watched how they jumped into her hug…he was glad he had helped.

Then he found out it had been GingerSpice’s idea. She knew that the babies were hard on Tiny and he’d snapped at Ginger for days the last time he helped a litter cross. But Ginger and Pow Wow hatched the plan to get him to help this litter cross too. She knew Tiny had to help bunnies cross. He was meant for this job. He figured out later that Ginger was behind the plot to have him help…after Ginger confessed it. She said it was because she knew he was meant to be a messenger and they had to get him back at work.

But this time was different. This was going to be his last time. He knew it. He couldn’t handle this anymore and this case had made him realize it. For two hours, Harvey had been arguing with ______ that he needed to cross the bridge. Harvey gave all the usual reasons…the ones the bunnies fell for. A place to relax and play in. All the grass and carrots and stuff you could eat. He even talked about how you could look into the water and watch your person.

Then ____ lifted his eyes to Tiny and said, “Would you do it? Would you cross if you were loved?”

Tiny looked at the bunny – cradled in his mama’s arms as she cried and wept and rocked him back and forth. He watched the tears slip down the mama’s cheeks. He’d already seen her give Sub-Q fluids and painkillers – he’d watched her syringe pedialyte into the bunny.

It broke his heart to see what this human was going through – to see her suffering.

Tiny felt a thump as Harvey sent him a message. He knew what the message was, “Agree with me. Get him to cross…”

Tiny looked at the human one more time. “No. I’d stay. I’d stay and fight to be here.”

Harvey thumped louder and said to ____, “Don’t do it. You’ll only suffer. You’ll be in pain and you’ll hurt and you’ll make your human hurt.”

He could remain silent not a moment longer. Tiny said, “I know you hurt but your mom is giving you stuff to help with the pain. The longer you remain – the more time she has to say goodbye and get ready for you to cross. I’d stay.”

The next thing he knew – Tiny and Harvey were at the bench. Tiny knew what was coming – another “coaching session” with Buck Jones. It seemed like he couldn’t go for more than five crossings without having to get “coaching” from Buck.

Buck sighed as he saw Tiny and Harvey sitting beside him. He knew Harvey had been gone an awful long time with this crossing and from the look on Harvey’s face and the way he was thumping the bench, he knew that he was in for a long session with Tiny. Perhaps he ought to find another job for the BunFather?

Harvey started to report when Tiny turned around and kicked him in the mouth. “Shut up!” he yelled. “I’ve had enough of you. I’ll tell the story this time.”

The two started to scuffle on the ground – both bucks running at each other and kicking with all their might. Buck looked on and decided to give them a few minutes to get things settled this way. He had seen the tension building for weeks.

Finally, Buck clapped his hands and said, “ENOUGH. Both of you get on the bench. NOW.”

Harvey sat first and he thumped as Tiny sat down. Tiny thumped back and they continued thumping at each other until Buck said, “Boys. Stop it now. You’re setting a bad example for the others.”

Both boys looked and found that they were surrounded by bunnies. Some were saying, “Tiny’s gonna get it” and others were going, “Uh uh…Harvey’s in trouble this time.” Many of the bunnies had been escorted across by Harvey but they all had come to know the BunFather too. Buck shoo’ed all the bunnies away and told them he needed to be alone with the two bucks for a bit.

Both bucks spoke and Buck said, “Tiny. Tell me your side first.”

“Harvey was trying to get a bun to cross. But ____ was loved by his mom and he was getting pain killers and he wanted to stay. Harvey used every argument in the training manual and when ____ asked me if he should stay, I said I would.”

Harvey pointed at Tiny and said, “Buck – he’s an idiot. He can’t be trained to follow the manual. He won’t follow the rules.”

Tiny replied with, “The rules are STUPID. You need to think for yourself but you don’t have enough of a brain to do that.”

Buck asked Harvey to leave so he could speak to Tiny alone. “Tiny, the rules are made for a reason. We don’t want to have bunnies suffer if they don’t have to. We don’t want them to be alone when they cross and if they don’t cross when they are supposed to – if they hold on for a human…then they might have to cross alone. That can be scary and traumatic. So the rules are in place for a reason – to help every bunny have an escort. “

Tiny looked at Buck. “The rule are wrong. They don’t allow for love. They don’t allow for the fact that sometimes a soul is so intertwined with another that it is like one soul sharing two bodies. In those cases, you need more time to break the bond so the human isn’t hurt.”

Buck looked at Tiny for a minute. “But Tiny, most bunnies don’t understand that concept. We don’t have enough escorts to waste time waiting around for a human to be willing to let go. Many of the really good humans want to NEVER let go…not even at the last second.”

Tiny thumped at Buck. Then he thumped again. He thought for a minute and said, “That’s the problem. You’re only thinking of the bunny that is crossing. You’re not thinking of the human. Somebun has got to think about the human too you know.”

Buck sighed as he looked at Tiny. It hurt him to do this but he had to formally reprimand the BunFather. With tears in his eyes, Buck said, “Tiny, I’m sorry. But it looks like you’re not going to work out with this program. I’ll give you two weeks to think about this and if you’re willing to accept the rules or not. If you’re willing to come back after that time and obey the rules, you can rejoin the service but we’ll give you a different trainer.”

Tiny hopped off and sat under a tree. He liked being a messenger and he really liked the few times he got to take messages to humans. But he knew in his heart that the rules were wrong. He knew that when encouraging a rabbit to cross the bridge, one had to consider the bond with their human. Sudden deaths could be hard on the human and they needed the humans to be ok so that other bunnies could get rescued and adopted. There had to be some way to work through this.


Everywhere that he went for the next two weeks, Tiny heard the murmurings behind his back.

“The BunFather doesn’t believe in rules.”
“The BunFather got kicked out of the program.”
“Harvey was right and The BunFather was wrong.”
“BunFather is in trouble with Buck.”

It was all Tiny could do to stay silent. He knew the truth about the matter. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in rules because he saw a purpose for them. However, he saw them more as guidelines because he felt in his heart that humans needed some rules to protect them too. Losing a bunny was hard on a human and he knew humans were frail and needed protecting.

Several times Tiny went back to the bench and argued his point with Buck. He liked Buck and respected him but he couldn’t help himself and as the “discussions” got more heated, Tiny would thump at Buck several times and finally leave, flicking Buck off the whole way back to his favorite tree.

He discussed the whole problem with GingerSpice after she wiggled her tail and agreed to secrecy. In many things Ginger agreed with Tiny but she reminded him of how much she had suffered those last few weeks. When he asked her if she would go through the suffering again, she got very silent and said, “I don’t know Tiny. You suffered for two days. I was sick for a long time. I loved mama and I still miss her but I don’t know if I really helped her by holding on so long. “

The two buns hopped over to the water and peered in it and watched Mama as she played with Miss Bea and took care of New Hope. Before he knew it, Tiny’s tears were hitting the water. He missed mama so much.

It was while Tiny was at the water on Thursday that he got a message. Buck needed to see him and he needed him NOW. Tiny turned around and looked at mama one more time and then took off for Buck’s bench.

Tiny landed on the bench and looked Buck right in the eye. He started to sputter at him and Buck said, “Tiny. I know you were on break and thinking things through. But we need your services. Now.” He handed Tiny a folder and said, “We’ve tried for months to bring this rabbit but he keeps refusing. We’ve used every messenger to escort this one across but they just won’t come. Please help us this one more time.”

Tiny looked at the folder and he looked at Buck. “No. I won’t do it. I refuse.”

Buck looked at Tiny again. “Tiny, I’ve never asked you for a favor. But I need this from you. Just this one time. PLEASE go escort this bunny across. I think he’ll come for you.”

Tiny shouted “NO” at Buck and took off for the water again. He was crying and almost panting as he stared down into the water.

He wanted a job – he needed something to keep him busy. But taking bunnies from their people? He couldn’t do it anymore. Not when they were loved and especially when they were soulmates.

He heard footsteps behind him and he turned to look at Buck. “I won’t do it. I won’t take a beloved rabbit from their soul-mate. I refuse.”

Buck shook his head and cried as he sat down beside BunFather. “Tiny, we’ve had our words and you’ve made some good points. We need you to do this. I need you to do this. We’re modifying the rules so that no messenger ever has to escort a bunny they don’t want to escort. We’re making the rules guidelines and we’re going to give our messengers the right of refusal. But this bunny needs to cross and he needs to cross now. Look in the river."

How GingerSpice got beside him – Tiny never knew. It must have been something Buck did…to get her there. But she looked into the river with him. She saw his tears and heard his gasp. “Tiny…you have to help.”

“No. I won’t help. I can’t help.”

She pleaded with him, “Tiny, they’re both suffering….human and bunny. You HAVE to help.”

Tiny wiped at his eyes and watched as the bunny laid in its mom’s lap. He heard her cry out, “God…if he’s gotta go…take him now and take him quickly.”

He didn’t even look at Buck or GingerSpice. He wept silently for 10 seconds and took off. It was time for him to do his job even if he hated it. He had to do the right thing.

He landed beside the sick bunny with a thump and the sick bunny’s eyes grew large as he looked at him. The bunny wearily replied, “I’m not leaving. I’ve told them all…..every time….I’m not leaving mama.”

The bunny could see Tiny’s tears as Tiny replied, “I know how you feel. I really do. But trust me – we’ll take care of your mama for you. I promise we’ll send her messages of comfort and she’ll be ok. But you need to go and she’s ready to let you go. Come on New Hope, take my paw and let’s cross the bridge together.”

 

[juliew19673]

OK seriously - I'm sitting here crying my little eyes out.. I know its supposed to inspire hope and a different way of thinking of letting your bun go, but I side with Tiny on this one.. a little giggle through the tears..

Great story/chapter.. Hard to read when your crying though..

 

[GoinBackToCali]

I got to read it before it was posted..

Mucho mucho optical leakage...



I must go hold Ori now..

 

[RexyRex]

You have a wonderful ability as a storyteller, I'm crying as I type this. Beautiful story, Tiny was one in a million.

 

[LuvaBun]

Oh goodness, like the others I am sitting here in tears. That is so moving, so well written.

Jan

 

[chinmom]

That was beautiful, Peg...made me bawl like crazy, but beautiful.

Oliver Twist was one of my favorite stories growing up, so I've always loved the name Oliver. Georgie's original name was going to be Oliver, called "Ollie" for short. When I went to visit the new bunny, it wouldn't let me sex it, so I decided that Ollie was perfect...it can be the nickname for either Oliver or Olivia, so whichever sex the bunny is, it works! Just like the Oliver in the story, this little one doesn't really have a home, and is pretty much all alone in the world.

I went to visitOllie on Friday...I haven't been able to bring him home yet because of the influx of chinchillas that needed rescued. But I've gone over to see him/her and the conditions are worse than I originally noticed. The cage floor is covered by about two inches of feces and reeks of ammonia. Ollie is living on dried leaves and eating crackers and nasty-looking veggies. I feel so bad for him/her, but for right now he has shelter. I took some of Georgie's pellets out to himand askedthe guyto feed the bunny those for now. The chinchillas were on death row...I had to take them in. I feel bad that I left him there, but the death row animals seemed a little more important right then.

I hope I don't seem like a terrible person for leaving Ollie in those conditions; I just had to think of all the animals instead of just him. But anyway, some of the chins are going to another rescue sometime this week, so hopefully Ollie will be coming home after that. I'll try to get some pics of the little one when I go to visit next time.

-Annie

 

[TinysMom]

Its been six months since you've been gone. It feels like forever....or longer.

I did ok yesterday - even though it was the 6 month anniversary.

But today?

Not so good. Not at all. I can't even work today - I'm just really struggling to keep from crying this morning. The grief is back again in overwhelming waves.

I don't know what else to say - except I love you. I miss you.

I thought time would make things better....but it isn't. Not really.

I think my heart will always having this gaping empty hole. I just have to live with it.

 

[pumpkinandwhiskersmom]

Peg...I'm so sorry that things are hard right now. Tiny was such a part of you....I love your stories about him.....please know that you're in my thoughts and prayers.

I had a class several semesters ago that was a "lifespan" class. One of the most important things I took away from it was that mourning can last up to 10 years for some. That magical statement that after a year it's better just doesn't seem to hold up.

May Tiny visit you and comfort you today....you are loved much, and thought of often!