How to Meow in Yiddish: C'est La Vie

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“Why didn’t you teach him the real dance?” asked Ramona. “Were you afraid he would just pop back into the forest any old time? All you did was send him back the way he came, one way trip! I wonder why?”

They were sitting together outside, watching Twigg and the Puma brothers dart in and out from among the trees. Anyone looking on could have seen that Ramona’s carriage of number two was coming close to an end. She was resting more these days, letting Ralph do more of the lifting and shifting. He was staying closer to home more too.

Thaga had been put on notice also, she was counting the days with them. Both Thaga and Ramona had been through this before, and they were actually looking forward to it. Ralph felt a kind of reserved respect. He knew those two would do fine.

Twigg didn’t have a clue.

Now that she had asked him that, he had to ask himself that same thing. He knew that he liked the doctor just fine. It wasn’t really a trust issue. It was more like he wasn’t sure the doctor could navigate the inter-dimensionality of all things by himself, without help, even if he did know the traveling song and the steps. He figured, and he was probably right, that knowing the tune wasn’t enough. He had to be playing with the right instrument. That instrument comes with time and wisdom.

“Aw, Ramona, I like the guy, a lot! But I wasn’t ready to give him the car keys yet. When I snuck up on him back in town, he wasn’t ready to see me at all. What he believed that he saw was a low-browed inarticulate beast. Then when I brought him out here, well, we blew his mind pretty thoroughly. But I like the guy. I like his determination to get to the bottom of what’s real. He just hasn’t gotten there yet. I will admit we did give him quite a peek, didn’t we?”

“I don’t think he will forget us,” agreed Ramona. “I wonder how he will square us with the rest of what he knows, officially that is, when he tries to explain his visit here to people he knows, if he tries that?”

“I think maybe it would be best for his career for him to think it was all a dream,” said Ralph, grinning mischievously. “The only problem with that, is that I put his cigar butt in his shirt pocket for him. It’s hard to say you weren’t here when you possess the cigar butt to prove that you were!

“So, now Dr. Geoff has a quandary. Does he pursue true and complete truth, or does he fudge to protect his reputation? I think he will come around eventually.”

They were just giggling together when Ramona got a sober look on her face and sat up straight suddenly. “Ralph, I think I want Thaga now. Will you send that nosy bird who loves you so much to get her for me. I could go there but I think walking that far might be asking for a surprise.”

He stood and whistled long and loud, three long notes, very high and insistent. Then he and she waited for the familiar great black wings to arrive. It was only a couple of minutes later when Maeve floated down out of the tree tops and landed on Ralph’s left shoulder. If a Raven could look besotted, she did. She ducked her head and chuckled and marched in place a little bit. She plucked some bits of plant matter out of his head hair in a motherly sort of way.

“Hey Birdie,” said Ralph, “it looks like today is the big day! His brown eyes sparkled. He was all excited. “Will you go tell Thaga that today is a birthday and we’re going to have a party here? So, will she get her big basket and hurry over right away?”

Maeve took a moment to perch on Ramona’s knee. She cocked her head over to really get a good direct look at her. She nodded a few times and said, “well, eggs seem like a lot less trouble to me, but we all have to work with what the Almighty gives us, eh, honey? Yes, we do. And yes, I will fly to Thaga this very minute!” Ramona stroked the Raven’s back once, affectionately, and sent her on her way. Maeve took off like a shot.

The thing about birthdays is that each one has its own rhythm, its own timing. A person can’t always predict the course of any particular birth. Only the Lord of Creation knows what is next. Sometimes He hurries it along.

As it happened, Thaga missed the big event. When she and Maeve arrived, it was all over but the tidying up. But all the ladies were pleased, because a quick birth is usually an easy one and soon over. Even Maeve knew that.

Ramona had moved into the cave and Ralph had tucked her and infant into their big bed. Twigg was there also, looking in amazement at the new family member. Even Berry and Bob were perched at the very end of the bed, smelling the new one and all of the excitement.

When Thaga and Maeve got to the home clearing, they came in also, to meet the baby already lying in the crook of Ramona’s arm. She shone in the dark room. She was smaller than Twigg had been, and she was pale blond. This is very rare indeed in Forest People, who are mostly some shade of brown, black or reddish brown. She also had her mother’s pale blue eyes. An unusual wee being to be sure.

“What is her name, Ramona,” said Maeve, importantly asking the question that everyone was thinking of asking.

“I believe I will call her Cherry,” said Ramona, smiling and looking at each face to see how they liked the name. “Yes, a very good name,” said Thaga. Twigg said he liked it too. Maeve nodded her approval. Then she flew away to wherever Ravens go.

Ralph was so tickled that he went out into the clearing and sang and sang until the BNF rang with his joyful song of thanksgiving.

We must hope that he didn’t frighten any forest visitors. But you know, he may have! Such is life, c’est la vie! And all was most well.