Idyll
A Thursday Prompt story
© 2023 by Walter Reimer

Prompt: gratitude


“I’m surprised at you,” the Muse said.

“Oh?” I asked. “What is it now?”

The Muse had shifted Aspect to that of a red panda femme wearing a tweed skirt, matching jacket and a white blouse. I guess she thought that a wah’s heavier fur would help against the chill in the air, and I had to admit she looked pretty.

She tsked. “Wearing white after Labor Day,” she sniffed. “Shame on you.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s a nice heavy fabric, good against the cold,” I said, glancing down at my suit, “and you know I am famous for my taste.”

“’Notorious,’ more like, and your taste is in your mouth,” yapped the little feral Pomeranian ball of fuzz from his position at the end of his leash. I was holding the other end. He eyed me as I fixed him with a steady glare that implied another form of ‘fixing’ might be in the offing.

“Look,” I said reasonably, “we’re out here for a pleasant walk – “

“Is that why you had the bus drop us off at the crossroads?” the Muse asked.

“Yeah. The walk will do us all a lot of good,” I said. Ignoring the old devil at the crossroads had been easy. I gestured with my cane, and we set off.

I don’t need a cane for walking, but it looks good with the rest of the ensemble and comes in handy for disciplining the Inner Bastard. He was clearly resenting being turned into a yappy little Pom, so I felt the need to maintain order as necessary.

Still, it was a lovely day for a walk down a country lane, crisp and clear with only a pawful of fleecy clouds in the bright blue sky. Dead leaves crunched underfoot and the slight breeze rustled the dead branches over our heads.

The Muse laid her head on my shoulder. “This is very nice.”

I nodded as our route took us past a large, rambling Victorian-style house.

The sign out front read Whackadoodle Inn.

Switching my cane to the paw that held the leash, I tipped my hat in passing to the rabbit doe industriously sweeping the veranda. She waved back, and the Muse and I moved on.

As one might expect, there was a destination to all this. With the sun climbing higher in the sky, the beginnings of a small town came into view, and we stopped by one farmhouse to allow the Inner Bastard to get some water and relieve himself somewhere other than on my trouser leg.

“Is this the place?” the Muse asked as we approached a large barnlike structure. Two attached buildings had smoke drifting out of their chimneys, and my canine nose sang a song of the many toothsome smells coming from them.

“Did you think I would forget?” I asked, and went up the driveway to the building, past the various wagons, cars, and atmospheric-capable shuttles parked along the way. We put the Inner Bastard in the dog park and went inside.

“Walt!” Vixyy said, the short fennec offering me and the Muse hugs. Behind her was a perfect skulk of foxes of all descriptions. “Did you walk all the way here?”

“My feet tell me we did,” the Muse said, smiling even as she grumbled. She’s my plus-one for today.

Others were there, of course, and I picked out the bright white fur of The Teg, with his beloved Kelly on his arm. Matt was surely wandering about with Tali, and I saw Eric already seated at the table beside a minkess with caramel fur and in a dazzling red dress.

Folvontutum called out, “He’s here! Can we eat now?”

I laid my hat aside and moved to the head of the table. I seated the Muse and remained standing as the others hurriedly took their seats, and gradually things quieted down.

A glass of red wine appeared in my paw. “Friends! We gather today to celebrate and thank The Great Perhaps or Fate or Whathaveyou for everything.

“For life and health, love and liberty; for family and friends and, yes, even foes; for even the bad things because they teach us to appreciate the good all the more. We are grateful for what is given to us, and for our ability to appreciate them.

“It is written in a scripture, ‘Which of your Lord’s blessings would you deny?' and good or bad, great or small, we are all blessed, and show proper gratitude.”

I stopped, and raised my glass. “To you all, my friends,” and drank.

I then grinned and said, “Let’s eat!” and cheers erupted as the food began to be brought out.



end