Friday, April 10, 2020

Foley and the Easter Bunny in the Time of Covid-19

I don’t know how he ended up in Doggyspace Town Square.  He was slumped in the gazebo, with a bottle of carrot water at his feet.  There were colored eggs scattered on the floor. He was talking in his sleep.  “Washed up, I’m washed up, I am.”

 I jumped on to the bench next to him and licked his hand.  “Mr. Bunny?” I said softly. “Are you okay, Mr. Bunny?”

He woke up with a jerk of his head.  He saw me, and despite being five times my size, he began to tremble.  “Don’t hurt my little dog,” he said.

I’m not going to hurt you,” I said, putting a paw on his arm.  “I hadn’t harmed a rabbit since I got to the Bridge unless you count a few random, non-Lutheran words uttered at them when they raided my garden.  “Mr. Bunny,” I said softly, shaking his arm to rouse him from his self-pity. “Tell me what I can do.”

He smiled.  “First, you can call me by my given name, Easter.  I am upset because I have spent the past year making special eggs for everyone, and now because of the virus, I can’t get into their houses.”

This damn virus.  It’s always the fictional rabbits who suffer the most  Harvey is in isolation, Peter is going hungry because Mr. McGregor can’t plant his garden. Rabbit is in the 1,000 Acre Woods Psychiatric hospital with nervous exhaustion.  They are the silent victims of this disease.  

But the Easter Bunny had the more pressing problem.  The holiday was right around the corner, and there were children waiting for their chocolates and eggs.  What we needed was an Easter Miracle. Everyone raves about Christmas miracles, but no one pays any attention to Easter Miracles except, you know, for the first really big one.
I asked the Easter Bunny if he was sure he couldn’t still bring his eggs and goodies to the children.  “I did a trial run in upstate New York last week,” Easter explained. “Governor Cuomo came after me in a tank and demanded I get off the street.  I told him I was the Easter Bunny, and he said, ‘sure, and I am Santa Claus now go home.’ I don’t think he’s Santa. If he were, everyone would be leaving pasts and cannolis at Christmas and not cookies.“    

This was a conundrum.  I laid on the seat and thought about the problem for a long time.  Suddenly, I got gobsmacked by an idea. “People have to be off the street, but not dogs!” I barked excitedly.  “We could deliver the treats!” My fluffy tail wagged excitedly.

“How are we going to get the treats to the dogs?” the Easter Bunny asked.  

I said I could ask Santa if we could use his sleigh. “No way!” the Easter Bunny said.  “I am not working with that tank, driving Bastardo!” There wasn’t enough time to explain away the confusion. Then I had another idea.

“The only other souls allowed on the street are Amazon drivers.  You ship the eggs to our houses by Maundy Saturday, and our dogs will deliver the eggs,” I said, happy I had solved the problem.

“Maundy Saturday, what the hell is that?”

 I didn’t have time to teach something to the Easter Bunny. He really should have known anyway.  I had to work all night to get all the eggs mailed. On Easter Eve, the dogs will slip out of the house and deliver the treats.  It will be a real Easter Miracle.

And maybe, someday, children will wait up Maundy Saturday night for Foley the Easter Puppy to arrive. 


10 comments:

  1. That really will be an Easter Miracle, you really stepped up to make it happen!

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  2. We had Maundy Thursday, but Maundy Saturday is a new one on us, too. We peeked out the front door, and the Easter Bunny is sitting out there in the rocking chair. We should go check to see if he is waiting for us to go deliver eggs for him. Thanks for the tip on that. XOX Xena and Lucy

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  3. Oh is the life we all knew turned topsy turvy. We just have to go with the flow and look for fun in new places
    Hugs Cecilia

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  4. That's a great idea! I'm sure all the Moms and Dads out there will make certain their kids get some Easter treats as well. If nothing else, they can boil some eggs with onion peels to get some pretty colors.

    Hope you pups and your humans are doing well. Happy Easter!

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  5. Boil eggs with onion peels? I have to try that with one at least....curious!

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  6. Foley the Easter puppy!!! You are a hero!

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  7. Let's hope it all went to plan!

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  8. Mom is suffering from a lack of chocolate but we have lots of treats and we'll share with her.

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  9. What a wonderful story, destined to be a holiday classic!

    Kiki and Rosie

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