Kermit kept playing as she talked. For once, he didn’t mind at all that she was complaining. He listened to her, and occasionally nodded or made an off hand comment about something he would take care of when he got back. But all the while, a swirl of other thoughts danced through his mind.
“...But he still can’t get that light fixed, Kermie. Moi do not know what he has been doing up there, but it obviously isn’t helping at all. He can’t possibly be doing anything to help Rowlfie and Scooter, because he just spends every day up there tinkering with some wires or something. That’s all he ever does, Kermie...”
He glanced at her. Was it the moonlight? The way it played across her face through the branches, illuminating her face in perhaps just the right way... But no, that wasn’t it. Was it her clothes? He kept playing.
“...And Kermie, you wouldn’t believe how terrible it smelled! But Rizzo was crazy enough to eat it, as usual, and you can’t even tell now...”
He glanced at her. Was it the swamp? The grass and the branches of a few trees behind her seemed to somehow frame her face in perhaps just the right way... But no, that wasn’t it. Was it the stars? He kept playing.
“...So he went all the way to the other side of town just to buy this silly paintbrush, and then he realized that he didn’t even have the right paint. So he went all the way back...”
He glanced at her. Was it just how tired he was? No, that wasn’t it. Planetary alignment, perhaps?
“...But he still can’t get that light fixed, Kermie. Moi do not know what he has been doing up there, but it obviously isn’t helping at all. He can’t possibly be doing anything to help Rowlfie and Scooter, because he just spends every day up there tinkering with some wires or something. That’s all he ever does, Kermie...”
He glanced at her. Was it the moonlight? The way it played across her face through the branches, illuminating her face in perhaps just the right way... But no, that wasn’t it. Was it her clothes? He kept playing.
“...And Kermie, you wouldn’t believe how terrible it smelled! But Rizzo was crazy enough to eat it, as usual, and you can’t even tell now...”
He glanced at her. Was it the swamp? The grass and the branches of a few trees behind her seemed to somehow frame her face in perhaps just the right way... But no, that wasn’t it. Was it the stars? He kept playing.
“...So he went all the way to the other side of town just to buy this silly paintbrush, and then he realized that he didn’t even have the right paint. So he went all the way back...”
He glanced at her. Was it just how tired he was? No, that wasn’t it. Planetary alignment, perhaps?
Perhaps, Kermit, perhaps not. The preceeding is a segment from TogetherAgain's wonderfully poignant story, "Swamp Call," in which Kermit is called back to the swamp to be with his frog family during a very difficult time, and his Muppet family must struggle together to cope with their beloved leader's absence, as well as finding a way to support him. Swamps, sisters, banjos and clumps, "Swamp Call" has much to draw in the ushy gushy loving reader, and is well worth a little quiet reflection under the stars, and near your own favorite, muddy pond.
No comments:
Post a Comment