Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: The Book of Life
From: dapetersen@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu (Toothpick (-:)
Date: 31 Dec 92 22:51:29 -0500
Organization: Petersen's Homestead

Toothpick laughs as Thyra scoops up Tux and brings her back.  "Thank you
kindly...maybe oyu can cure her of her fear of felines. (-:  Though I
guess that's a natural rodent kinda thing. (-:"

Joyfully, Toothpick waves at all her friends, new and old.  "Taldin,
congrats!  Now the REAL fun begins. (-: DJ, Robbie, Linda - hi! Glad
to see you...and of COURSE I didn't forget you. (-:"

"Kitten, Castellan, Urban Spaceman (it HAS been a while...(-:) - 
greetings all.  It's so NICE to see so many familiar faces. 
Mandelbear, of COURSE I've met Emerald.  But I'd not have recognized her - 
nine months already?  Wow."

Tux, who has settled into Toothpick's arms, wriggles herlittle nose at a
fellow little creature, swirls her ears around, and blinks her eyes.  "I
tihnk that means she likes her. (-:"

"Alfvaen - Holo is down for a while, so NOONE can play yahtzee, but I've
been absent from the muds as well as from the net.  I'll take that raincheck,
ok? (-:"

Amanda & Ekho - hello. (-:  Don't worry, lots of personas are a given around
here.  No one will get confused...too much. (-:

"Thyra & Jason - niceto meet you both."  Toothpick inclines her head. 
"Merlinvin, Dreamweaver, thanks for the welcome!"  She passes out hugs all 
around.

Toothpick just sits, enjoying the atmosphere of the Place, when the snowball
fight breaks out.  Usually, she'd run over and join right in, but...

...but this snowball fight evokes memories.  Special memories of another
snowball fight with a special friend. 

"Hey Mike, Thyra and Jason offerred so...can I get a glass of Kir?  It's a...
well, you know. (-:"

[For everyone else, it's dry white wine and creme de cassis.  A specialty
of the Dijon region of France and a special drink to Toothpick, reserved
for very special occasions.]

Toothpick sips her Kir and watches the snowball fight from the past reply in her
head, watches other memories go by, too, cherished ones.  A few tears slip
out, but she brushes them away unnoticed.

Kir gone, she slips up near the fireplace, not really at the chalkline,
but in near proximity enough to make a small speech and a toast.

"This Christmas season has seen friends come and go.  Of course, through the
course of ourlives, some friends write more lines than others.  I've had the
great pleasure of reuniting with friends who wrote and still write chapters
in my life."

"But I've also had the great sadness of seeing another friend's contribution
change greatly.  It's my fervent hope that he will continue to write his
special memories on my heart, but only the future will tell."

She fingers the glass for a moment, thinking and remembering.

"The chapters he's written in the book of my life will always be ragged and
earmarked because the lessons he taught me are so dear.  The pages will be
smudged with fingerprints and tears and laughter, re-read and pondered anew.
He will never ever be forgotten."

Another tear slips by as the glass crashes into the fireplace.  Toothpick
makes a toast only she and the one of whom she speaks can hear.

Quietly, without fanfare, she slips back to her seat, smiling as someone
in the snowball fight gets their glasses knocked off and someone else gets
decked with snow.

And life goes on, and pages get written.  But for a time, the book remains
open and the reader lingers on those special chapters.

***
Toothpick
aka Debbie Petersen
dapetersen@miavx1.acs.muohio
216-467-3055
***--