Cimmy and Baird Read online

  “No, I’m just yawning,” the bear said. He thought it was funny that Cimmy thought his yawn meant the world was ending. Then the bear laughed for the first time since Cimmy had met him. “By the way, I’m hungry. What do we do for food?”

  “Let’s go look for berries and mice,” and thus, Cimmy and the bear started their close and rather unusual friendship.

  *****

  As the next days passed, Cimmy and Bear began to depend on each other. They played in streams and caught fish—Bear taught Cimmy how to fish. It was hard for Cimmy to learn at first, but then he stood on the rock, carefully balancing and reaching out a paw. Sometimes he fell in, and much to his dismay, Bear laughed. Cimmy tried to swim out of the water and Bear said he looked like a wet branch. This made Cimmy more upset but then he couldn’t help but laugh as Bear was laughing so hard. The bear thought it was hysterical while Cimmy was thoroughly embarrassed.

  At other times, the bear would catch the fish and share with him. Usually the bear ate berries and fish and Cimmy ate mice and fish. They shared stories and secrets and neither one ever felt alone. Cimmy told Bear about Jacob, and Bear was surprised as he had been taught humans were not always so nice. Bear told Cimmy how his parents would sometimes scold him for napping too much. Often in their play, the bear would topple on Cimmy making it hard for Cimmy to breath, but Cimmy soon learned that a quick scratch with his paw would get the bear off. Initially, Bear did not understand why Cimmy would do this, but then he realized and said he would try to be careful with Cimmy.

  Bear wanted to know why Cimmy wasn’t growing when he was getting bigger and bigger. Cimmy explained that this was as big as cats get and that they aren’t like bears.

  *****

  Soon, both Cimmy and Bear started to laugh and play more. They would wrestle as best they could since they were so different in size, and they would end up on their backs laughing and rolling around. One day, the bear rolled over on Cimmy again as he was caught up in the fun and forgot how little Cimmy was. Cimmy scratched him and it hurt, and then Cimmy started having trouble breathing. When the bear got up, he asked “Why did you scratch me?” Then he noticed that Cimmy couldn’t speak and his eyes were only half open. Cimmy was not moving and not conscious.

  “Cimmy, Cimmy I won’t do that again I’m sorry, please come back, please.” Cimmy didn’t wake up right away, but the bear stayed by his side night and day, bringing him little mice and putting bits in his mouth, checking his breathing and licking him over and over to wake him. Finally, Cimmy opened his eyes and wiggled his paws.

  “Cimmy, Cimmy you’re alive, oh I will never roll on you again, I love you Cimmy,” and he began to lick Cimmy until Cimmy couldn’t stand the moisture or smell anymore.

  “Stoppppp… I love you too, now please don’t lick me anymore.” This made them both laugh, and they rolled around. Bear was very careful not to roll on Cimmy, and they jumped and played and hunted for hours until dark when they curled up and fell asleep together.

  They both noticed the increasing difference in their sizes and Bear started protecting Cimmy more when they slept, while Cimmy loved cuddling in his paws right next to Bear’s big belly. It felt almost as nice as when the man and Cimmy slept together. Cimmy would always purr very loudly, which put a smile on Bear’s face. Bear was always very careful not to lie on Cimmy and to hold him just right, so he didn’t hurt him. As they realized the difference between them, they learned that bears can’t roll on cats and cats shouldn’t scratch bears, and neither one minded this.

  *****

  One sunny, happy day they were walking along in the forest, enjoying the smell of the trees and the sounds of creatures until they heard voices. The voices were human and sounded cold and mean. They peeked through the trees and saw two men who had big black objects in their hands. One man was very tall, with short black hair and a moustache. He had a mean look on his face and beady eyes that scared Cimmy. He spit out something and Cimmy felt nervous. The other man was shorter, grey-haired with a scar down his face. Both men had blood on their shirts and the taller one had a dead deer by his feet. Both were dressed the same, orange vests, dark plaid shirts and dark green pants with blood stains all over them. So Cimmy and Bear, feeling nervous, decided to go the other direction.

  “I used to live with Jacob once, he was nice, and was my best friend who loved me a lot, maybe these people are nice too, “Cimmy said a little hesitantly because he thought they didn’t sound or look very nice.

  “I don’t know, I don’t know if people like bears, mommy always told me to be careful around people. She said they are scared and can hurt us.”

  “Let’s try what my human used to tell me to do. Let’s close our eyes and use gut sense and see if we should go near them or not.” While the bear did not fully understand this, it sounded worth a try, so he closed his eyes and got a very bad feeling. “Cimmy, I have a bad feeling in my gut sense:” Bear said this hesitantly because he didn’t know if he was saying it properly, or even if what he felt was a gut sense.

  “I have a bad feeling too, so let’s go, you are my best friend and I can’t be without you. If they are mean they might separate us.”

  “I don’t want to be without you either, let’s go.”

  So they turned and ran as fast as they could. There were shouts coming from the men and they realized they had been seen.

  Cimmy and Bear looked at each other knowing they had been seen and began to run faster. So they ran and ran and ran but along the way something hit bear hard in the side. It felt like his breath had been taken away, but he knew they had to keep running if only to protect his friend Cimmy. They ran deeper and deeper into the forest until there were no more voices.

  They knew they had outwitted the men because they heard no footsteps and neither one smelled any more people. Bear felt dizzy and collapsed. Cimmy looked at Bear and saw he was lying on the ground barely breathing. This worried Cimmy,

  “Bear, Bear what happened?

  “Cimmy, something hit me in the side.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me; we could have stopped.”

  “We had to get away, and I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Oh Bear, you are so silly worrying about me, look you are bleeding. Lie still and let me look.” Cimmy looked carefully at Bear and saw blood gushing out of Bear’s side and Cimmy knew it was very serious.

  Cimmy didn’t know what to do, but he knew he needed help. He looked closer at the spot where Bear was bleeding and saw a black object sticking out of his side. He used his teeth and pulled and pulled until it came out. Bear was crying but he knew Cimmy was helping him. When he pulled the black object out, bear began to bleed more and more. Cimmy did not think there could be any more blood.

  “Bear I will put some leaves here to cover this wound, but we need help. I need to get help.”

  “No Cimmy don’t leave me please don’t.”

  “Bear, I can’t do this alone, and if I lost you it would be the end of me, I have to get help for both of us, don’t you see?”

  “No, if something happens and you aren’t here with me, I couldn’t stand it, please stay. Anyway, what kind of help can you get?”

  Cimmy thought about this. Where would he find help? He couldn’t trust the men with the black objects and he did not know where else to turn. This made Cimmy feel sad. He felt like hanging his head, but he did not want Bear to know how helpless he felt. He really did not know what to do.

  “I don’t know, I don’t know. I will lie on your wound and maybe it will stop.” Cimmy laid down on the wound, licking up the blood, going back and forth and bringing more leaves and trying to stop the bleeding. He even brought bear a tree branch to lay over the leaves to keep them in place then he lay on the branch. After this, Bear lost consciousness, lying there breathing shallowly and his eyes were closed.

  Cimmy prayed and prayed to his former human, Jacob, for h
e remembered that he had said his spirit would be watching over him. Cimmy heard Jacob’s voice telling him that help was coming. Cimmy thought maybe he imagined it. He waited a long time, but no one came. Finally, Cimmy fell asleep lying on Bear. Bear had not moved in a long time, and Cimmy felt he would just pass away with him.

  *****

  Cimmy woke up to the sound of a human voice. At first, when Cimmy’s eyes were still closed he thought he must be dreaming, having delusions of help as he had given up on the idea that any help would come.

  “Oh no, the mean men found us,” Cimmy thought, “they will kill Bear. We must run,” but the next thing he knew he was being picked up.”

  “My my, what do we have here? A cat and a bear as friends and you are trying to save your friend.” The voice seemed to drift in and out. Cimmy was so tired and Bear wasn’t making any noise. He felt scared that this was the end and began to prepare himself. He thought this might be a hallucination.

  Then Cimmy looked up into the kind eyes of the man that he heard, and he knew the man could hear his thoughts like his human used to--but he didn’t know how. The man was very tall and muscular, with long flowing black hair down to his waist. He had a wise look in this eyes that made Cimmy feel he was with one of his own. This felt funny as the man was not a cat, but he felt they were kindred spirits. He looked ageless but old at the same time. The man wore a long black robe with a white tie in the middle with long fingers unlike any Cimmy had seen.

  “I am Torre, Keeper of the Glen, and you are in my realm now. I don’t know how you made your way here, but only the pure of heart and soul can get here.” This made Cimmy picture the whole episode in his mind, the men, the shouting, and the running.

  “Oh yes, I see hunters were chasing you, and you are very lucky that you escaped. Don’t be so surprised. I can see what you see and hear your thoughts. What is your name?”

  “My name is Cimmy. Bear is hurt help him please, please.” Cimmy cried out as he didn’t know what to make of all this, but he knew Bear needed help.

  Torre said, “I know he is; I will be right back.” But before leaving he knelt by Bear and rubbed his hand over the wound gently. He made strange movements with his hands. “Yes, yes, a bullet, Bear has lost a great deal of blood, but he is still breathing.” He scanned Bear’s body with his hands and at certain places would leave his hands a moment. Cimmy did not know what was happening but he heard his former human’s voice telling him to trust this man, and so he did. Cimmy closed his eyes and prayed and prayed, then opened his eyes again.

  Bear was still not conscious, so he did not know what was happening.

  Torre looked at Cimmy, “I don’t know if I can save him, he is so far along, in and out of two worlds, and he is being called by his mother and father who he wants to be with, but they are telling him it is not his time yet. I will be right back.” With that Torre disappeared into the wind in a swirl of air so fast, Cimmy did not know what happened.

  Within minutes, Torre was back with leaves, herbs, and oils that he pulled out of a red sack. He leaned over Bear, whose body was bigger than this man’s. He took away the branch and gently placed oil and sweet-smelling herbs on the wound and covered this with deep green leaves.

  “Cimmy, give him time and stay by his side--do not leave him. I will leave you this food as you need your strength too, but rest your head on his wound and you will see him recover.” He put down a bowl of food with the word Cimmy on it.

  Cimmy could not believe this and started to say, “How did you…?” but Torre interrupted.

  “Just rest now. While you stay in this part of the forest, you are in sanctuary--no one else can see or hear you from the other forest. You are safe.”

  Cimmy had so many questions, he did not know how he and Bear got here, or how others would not see them. He only knew that if Bear recovered he would never let them leave this glen again.

  Torre disappeared again in a rushing swirl of wind, and this time Cimmy knew he was magical. Cimmy could not deny what happened in front of his own eyes.

  *****

  Cimmy stayed with Bear all night and all through the next day. Soon he started thinking that Torre was a dream and Bear would never wake up. He kept his head on Bear and did not eat or leave his side. He knew Torre said to eat but he did not want to. He did not know how Bear could be breathing and yet not wake up. His human Jacob had said to trust Torre, but Bear was not awake, and Cimmy doubted if any of it was real. Cimmy began to get weak and feel lightheaded and even more sad. He knew he would die but he did not care, for without his best friend Bear, he did not want to live.

  There was so much Cimmy did not understand, but most of all he wanted Bear to be alive again. He began to cry for he loved Bear so much. The tears fell onto the wound and the mound of leaves and oil. As the tears fell, Bear woke up with a low moan.

  “Bear, Bear is that you? Are you here with me?” Cimmy began for he was so surprised he could not believe it.

  “Oh Cimmy, Cimmy I am tired, but my side doesn’t hurt any more. What happened?” Cimmy told him the whole story about Torre and the glen. Bear smiled. He looked at Cimmy, saw the mound of leaves, herbs, oils and tears, “It was your tears and your love that saved me.” With that, Bear hugged Cimmy close and kissed his head.

  “What, I don’t understand my friend” Cimmy felt things could not get any more confusing, but he didn’t care, his friend was awake.

  “Don’t you see, it was your tears that saved me. Torre said to lay your head on me and you did, and you cried, and I woke up. There is magic in your tears and that magic is love.”

  “Bear I do love you, but I don’t know if it is magic.”

  “Love is magic, silly, you taught me that a long time ago when you found me crying and did not leave me. I thought it was magic when you came to help me.” Just then Torre appeared in a rushing and swirling whirlwind.

  “Bear is right Cimmy. Your love was the last part of the magic needed to heal him. You were loved so much by a man so strong that he helped you find your inner magic and when you love that much you heal others. In that, you must believe. Bear, I am glad to meet you.” He flashed a huge smile at Bear and revealed a mouth of pearly white teeth.

  “You and Cimmy may share the forest as long as you wish and never have to leave, there will always be food, water, and friends. You will always be safe in this glen and will have nothing to fear. Would you like that?”

  Bear and Cimmy both nodded. Just then, as if with new eyes, Cimmy noticed the beauty all around him. The green leaves, the pink and purple flowers, the deep blue of the sky. Everything seemed to have a depth of color he had not seen before. Even the smells were different, strong fragrant, beautiful nature smells. He could smell the moist richness of the earth, feel the soft dirt beneath his paws, and smell the dew still hanging on leaves. Then he heard Torre speaking.

  “Let me introduce you to some of your new family.”

  Out of the woods came deer, birds, woodchucks, bear, big cats, little cats, monkeys, chipmunks, dogs and animals of all kinds. One by one they came up to Bear and Cimmy and hugged, kissed and welcomed them.

  “You will never have to kill for food again Cimmy, there will always be a plate of food for you at the big tree where we all eat. We will show you.”

  Torre looked at Bear who was looking crestfallen, “Don’t worry there will be lots of berries and food for you too. All who stay here have endless supplies of food,” at which Bear smiled a huge smile.

  He dared to speak, “Will there be honey too.? Cimmy looked at Bear surprised as he never heard Bear ask for this.

  “Yes, Bear, there will be honey just for you,” Torre replied, and as he did a big jar marked ‘Bear’ appeared on the ground. The pottery jar was full to the brim with honey. Bear inhaled the sweet fragrance and felt life could not be any better.

  “Torre,” Cimmy ventured, “who are you, why hav
e you helped us, and how did this forest come to be?”

  “So many questions, little cat.”

  Torre picked Cimmy up, held him close to his forehead, and let him see his thoughts and visions. Cimmy saw how Torre had been around before the earth was created. He had come from the stars-he was one of the original creators and had held galaxies in his hand. Torre had created worlds out of dust. He saw the struggles Torre had learning his craft as a young boy on another world, never knowing if he would learn like those around him and how he had risen to be a master of worlds. Torre could bend time and space. He saw Torre’s energy spread out among the stars. He saw the millions of lives Torre had saved on many worlds. Cimmy saw the way Torre’s heart was so vast he did not worry about himself but gave his all to help others. He saw how he struggled with sorrow when innocent beings were hurt. Cimmy saw how Torre made Earth his home to help save her and the innocent creatures. He also felt the huge amount of love Torre held in his heart and had given to so many.

  Torre’s mind was so infinite Cimmy could only understand a small piece of it. Cimmy began to get lost in the vastness of Torre’s mind, dissolving into the stars themselves until he no longer felt like a cat but rather the universe itself. He felt he could stay like this and never come back just one with space … and then he felt himself being put firmly back on the ground.

  “Enough Cimmy, time to stop.” Cimmy was lightheaded and dizzy at first when he felt the earth beneath his paws, but then he began to feel his body and knew he had been put down just in time or he would have been lost in the vastness of Torre’s mind.

  Then Torre turned to Bear. “Bear, your parents are here. Look behind you.”

  Bear turned to look behind him and saw his mother and father standing there on four legs looking beautiful and happy. Bear rushed over and rubbed noses with both his parents. His mother spoke, “Bear, you are in a good place now. If you need us just call on us, we love you and are always there. We were there watching out for you when you were hurt, but it was not your time to join us. You have other members of your family now.” Bear smiled at this and Cimmy came into his mind.