Scenes: Missing Big

Clomp, Clomp, Clomp.

 

Bang!

 

Then I hear the tears.

 

“Uh Oh,” I wonder, “What happened.”

 

I enter Big E’s room and as I do he lifts his tear soaked face to meet mine. I can tell that he’s very upset. This isn’t just the normal “my brother stole my LEGO” type cry this is something much more.

 

Through heaving sighs and whimpers I finally understand. He forgot Big {his favorite stuffed animal} at the drugstore. That was four hours ago.

 

My heart dropped.

 

We don’t have a Big replacement we have a couple of Little replacements. Little is the smaller version of Big, original names I know. We never thought Big would go missing, because he’s you know…big.

 

 

Like a scene straight out of Knuffle Bunny, my husband rushed to the drugstore.

 

“I should have gone with dad,” Big E said sternly. “He’s not going to be able to find him.”

 

And he was right.

 

My husband came back empty-handed. Big E’s tears started again. I cuddled in bed with him for a while thinking he went to sleep, but at one in the morning we heard LEGOs clanking and I knew sleep wouldn’t come without Big.

 

Big E wasn’t the only one who was upset. I too was worried about Big. Perhaps it’s just me, but after watching so many Toy Story movies I can’t help but think toys really do come to life once we leave the room.

 

I imagined Big all alone in the drugstore, being terrorized by the cheapo dollar toy ducks and janky Matchbox Car wannabees. They were probably binging on candy and liquor and running amuck.

 

Big was probably sad and scared just like his owner. The two have been together for years, almost since birth. They were inseparable, even now that my son is seven he still takes Big to school sometimes and obviously to the drugstore.

 

There will come a time when Big E won’t need his stuffed friends anymore. Big, Little, Ellie and Toby will all just sit on a shelf or in a bin somewhere like Buzz, Woody and his friends.

 

For me it will be a bittersweet, watching my son grow up into a man, and yet bidding a fond farewell to his childhood. He will always be my baby no matter what the future holds, and no matter whether he’s holding his favorite animals.

 

The next day my husband {aka the knight in shining armor} went to the drugstore again, and luckily Big had been found.

 

When I received the text tears welled in my eyes. He’s been rescued! I immediately emailed Big E’s teacher the news and she emailed back telling me how happy he was, and that their day was going much better.

 

My day went much better too.

 

Once the two friends were reunited we gave Big a much needed bath and tucked him in right next to my son.

 

I stood back and smiled, and for a minute I could have swore I saw Big smile too.