GraciousJaneMarie.com's MarthaBear.com GraciousJaneMarie.com - Roses, Recipes, Romance
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GraciousJaneMarie.com's MarthaBear.com GraciousJaneMarie.com - Roses, Recipes, Romance
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Except for the insistent ticking of the small French wall clock hanging over the mantle, there was silence. Well, silence if you didn't count the snores of Mr. Buzzbee and the occasional winged flurry of Bird in her spacious cage. Airborne, a grasshopper and Martha Bear's very best companion, had left Stately Martha Manor a few minutes earlier to accompany Hedda Mae Hopper to dinner and then the Spring Sing, so he wasn't there to add his few but always valuable words. No one wanted to openly look straight at the clock. Instead, they stole glances at the hands as they passed from 6:30 p.m., the time Wink E Bear had promised to pick up Martha for the Sing, to 6:31, then 6:32, then 6:33. Never finding joy in empty places of any kind, Jane Marie filled the awkward stillness by saying, "I was just thinking about our family motto, Martha. You know, No Space Unfilled? Anyway, when a person sits back and looks about this parlor, there certainly is a lot to see.” Martha nodded in agreement, trying to bar from her mind any negative thoughts of Wink E standing her up. "Yes, ma'am. There are so many interesting items that someone visiting must return in order to view everything.” "I like visimors (visitors),” injected Spew who had positioned himself comfortably atop Jane Marie's recently worn shoes. Jane Marie knew she should have put her sandals away, but the felines so enjoyed using them as pillows. She hoped Wink E would understand her sloppiness when he finally did arrive. Since Wink E was a most respectable bear and would never be late without good reason, Jane Marie was certain he would be rapping on the front door any moment. As she waited for that moment, she listened to Spew. "Visimors think I'm cute and give me lots of scrtichy-scratches.” "That's because you are cute, Spew.” Jane Marie went to the cat, picked him up and draped him around her shoulders like a fat furry wrap. "Martha Bear® is right about one thing. We're never lonely around here since people have to visit repeatedly to see all the treasures we've gathered over the years." Jane Marie decided the next subject they could talk about would be the new digital camera she had just purchased and how much fun it was to instantly see her photos on the computer. "Yesterday, after I took those shots of Martha posing in the flower garden, I ...” "Screech! Screech!” Bird hollered, announcing someone's arrival. Seconds later, everyone heard a knock, knock, knock. "Oh, thank goodness,” Martha whispered. "Yes, thank goodness,” Jane Marie whispered, too. With the cat still around her shoulders, she answered the door. Standing there in a black bow tie, one hand behind his back, Wink E Bear was quite a dashing looking ursine*. "Please come in, Wink E. It's so good to see you. And thank you again for the gift of fresh, new seeds.” She leaned down and said softly, "Our kitty, Mr. Buzzbee, doesn't know I've secretly planted them in my cutting bed out back. By the time they sprout, he won't want to straighten my rows any longer because the onion odor tickles his nosey-poke and makes him sneeze. I do so appreciate your thinking of me, Wink E” She turned her head and looked into Spew's crossed eyes. "Now don't you be telling Mr. Buzzbee either. Alright?” "Albright (alright),” the cat purred back, enjoying the vantage point of Jane Marie's shoulders. A pink flush spread across the white quilted cheeks. Martha suddenly felt like a school-age bear. "Miss Martha,” Wink E explained, "I want to apologize for being three minutes late. Surely you've heard I pride myself on the customer always being right. Well, I had a ladybug at the store who wanted to tell me the horrible tale of how her house caught on fire and her children almost burned! I'm happy to say that all the little ladybugs are fine, but they were flitting around the floral department of my Teddy Cares Grocery and teething on the blooming daisies. I had to usher them back to their mother, and all the shenanigans made me tardy." Mr. Buzzbee, thinking Wink E Bear's story might make for interesting reading, commented, "Jane Marie. You ought to get the details and write a story about those poor ladybugs. "Actually, Mr. Buzz, I believe someone else has already written a poem to that effect." "Ladybug, ladybug fly away home Your house is on fire And your children will burn." Unknown Wink E seized hold of the conversation again. "I hope you can excuse me, Martha.” Having said that, he presented what he'd been hiding behind his back, a red, white and blue corsage. "Oh, how very lovely, Wink E, and it goes so well with my dress.” Jane Marie helped Martha get the elastic band of the corsage over her bear wrist and then offered refreshment. Wink E declined for himself and Martha because he was anxious for their evening to commence. Jane Marie understood, but couldn't help herself and insisted upon one thing. "Before you go, please let me snap a few pictures.” Martha looked from Jane Marie's pleading eyes to Wink E's and decided to go with the photos, not to punishment Wink E for his slight tardiness, but because she felt pretty and wanted to capture the moment, which was a better thing for a bear to feel than the gurgling of her empty tummy. "We'd best let Jane Marie take her pictures,” Martha said, not wanting to sound vain. "She loves to chronicle things, you know.” Being an agreeable bear more often than not, Wink E smiled. They stood in front of the teal painted fire screen Jane Marie had made the previous winter. They settled themselves on the church pew by the dining table. They sat on the sofa with Wink E situated on two pillows, and snap, snap, snap, Jane Marie had her photos. "Oh, what about one of the both of you outside on the joggling board?” asked the photographer. "It's also called a courting board you know, Wink E” Wink E did not know this fact, but liked the idea so was a willing participant. That accomplished, they were soon on the back of Bailey Bunny of Bailey's Transport Company. As owner and chief conveyer of customers, Bailey was a strapping-sized bunny for a bunny and a business natural. In mere minutes, Martha Bear® and Wink E arrived at one of the best establishments in town, The Mexican Burro. Once Martha helped Wink E off the rabbit (since Wink E was so much shorter and might have broken his bear legs jumping down to the sidewalk) they dined on frijoles. Unbeknownst to most people, bears occasionally enjoy spicy food, particularly jalapeño peppers, as long as it's in moderate quantities, of course. Their bear tummies full, Wink E and Martha arrived at the Spring Sing just in time for the dimming of the lights declaring the show was about to begin. Frankie Toadmoor looked at their tickets and, even though it wasn't dark yet, turned on his flashlight with the sole purpose of distracting the other toadlets who were all doubling as ushers as well as singers. Soon seated, Martha Bear® spied Airborne and Hedda Mae just two rows in front of them. When Airborne turned around to see all who were in attendance, Martha waved and he waved back. The theatre darkened, the gold curtain split in the middle and was pulled to the sides, and the Little Critter Orchestra began playing. Bonnie Beetle hummed her rendition of Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Jessie Slug slowly slimed over to center stage and proceeded to do his tumbling act. A quick mopping of the floor by the worker bees to sop up the excess ooze, and it was Pottsie Squirrel's chance to whistle That Old Time Rock and Roll through his nose holes. The first half of the show concluded with the Amelia Island Toad Choir singing a medley of TV commercials. The applause was thunderous in appreciation, but Martha noticed Wink E wasn't clapping. His left paw, instead, rested on the back of her chair. She guessed that paw would soon be bestowing itself on her bare bear shoulder, a thing for which she was unprepared. "Let's go have some light refreshment, shall we?” she suggested. Withdrawing his arm, Wink E's unusual sour expression told of his disappointment. "Say, Martha Bear®!” It was Airborne with Hedda Mae hopping close behind. "Have you been itchy lately?” Surprised at the odd question, she answered as they walked toward the back of the hall where plates of cookies awaited, "No. Why?” "My legs are driving me crazy and when I scratched this time, I pulled away a handful of hair wires!” "Yikes!” cried Hedda Mae. "Yikes, indeed!” Martha agreed. "Have you eaten or done anything odd or different from the norm lately?” Wink E asked, his investigatory instinct taking over. "No. I don't believe so.” Airborne paused. "Well, since I wanted to look my dashing best tonight and make sure the chirp from my hair wires would be mesmerizing when I rubbed my knees together,” he flashed a grin in Hedda Mae's direction, "I decided to polish them. I saw a tube of cream in the powder room at the manor. That's what gave me the idea in the first place.” Looking down at the floor where he stood and itched, his now detached hair wires were piling up around his hopper ankles and his hind legs were nearly bare! " "Oh, my. Oh, my, my,” Martha Bear® cried, panic on her face. Her panic transferred to Airborne. "What is it? What is it?” his voice carried the high-pitched squeal of the toadlets. "I'm afraid that wasn't cream you put on you hair wires, but hair remover!” "Double yikes!” he wailed. Wink E stepped in. "Quick. Go to the little boy bug room and wash your legs, posthaste!” Never before had Airborne jumped so high, so fast or so far between hops. Making tracks, he was gone, returning in twenty minutes, well after the second act had begun. He found his friends waiting in the lobby, worriedly finishing the last of the cookies. Airborne explained, "Sorry to be so long, but I waited until the lights went out because I'm so embarrassed by my naked legs.” They all looked down to see shining hopper shins that had formerly been covered with golden hair wires. "I jumped in the sink, sat on the edge and dangled my legs under the water. I used paper towels and scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed, but all I managed to do was rub off the rest of my hair wires and clog the drain.” Wink E tried not to smile. Hedda Mae patted Airborne's shoulder. And Martha Bear® was saddened at her friend's trials, knowing how emasculated he must feel since he was so very proud of his hind legs. "Don't worry, Airborne,” Hedda Mae sympathized. "Your wires will grow out again some day, just thicker and darker.” This did little to improve the patient's mental condition. "In the meantime,” Martha offered, trying to help, "and only because you're my best friend, I will lend my collection of good luck white kitty wickers (whiskers) to the cause. We can glue them to your legs and pretend they've been bleached out in the sun. After all, we do live near the beach.” Martha was most serious, but at this point the rumble of laughter began bubbling in everyone's throat, including Airborne's. It became so loud the ushers standing inside the door of the auditorium stuck their heads out into the lobby and shushed all the noiseniks. "Anybody here feel like finishing up the evening at the fudge shop?” Wink E whispered. "I hear they have some new fangled jelly beans that include honey flavor for bears and aphid flavor for hoppers.” "I'm there,” agreed Airborne. "But I'll wait outside in the shadows. It'll take me a little time to get used to my new look.” "I'll wait with you,” Hedda Mae cooed, coyly looking up at her date from beneath slightly lowered eyelids. Martha Bear® and Wink E watched the grasshoppers' flirtations while they waited for Bailey Bunny’s Transport Service to pick them all up. Both animals wondered if romance would come to them, as a unit or separately with other bears. Ursine Major, the bear constellation, was watching the earthly scene below. Smiling, he nodded to the Man in the Moon who had also witnessed the anticipations, agonies and antics leading up to this night and approved in kind. "Patience is best in all things,” the constellation stated knowingly. "The rest will take care of itself,” wisely commented Mr. Moon. And they turned their attentions to other activities across the universe and beyond. The End - For Now
MORE Stories. Follow Martha Bear's adventures. The complete list of stories can be found on the Fancy Fables or MarthaBear.com pages.
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