12.3.09

a Bear in Sainsbury's part two

As he stepped out into the honest british drizzle of a slow monday afternoon, the bear paused to watch a familiar family bundle into a large red volvo estate. The mother was struggling with two full shopping trolleys, whilst attempting to console a small child who was gripping her neck tightly and howling like a hurt wolf cub. Her big glassy brown eyes glanced briefly at the bear through the snot and tears, but resumed her performance when she realised she would not recieve the attention she desired.

Three medium sized children ran around the car in circles, shrieking and picking items at random from the shopping bags to hit each other over the head with. The mother nonchalently continued to removed these items from each of her children, placing them in the car and shaking her head quietly at the situation she has found herself in.

The bear watched as the four children were bundled inside the car, the noise of excited young voices muffled with the shutting of each door, one by one.

As the car pulled away and veered past the bear (still paused on all fours just outside the continually opening and closing electronic doors of the shopping centre) he saw a little face push against one of the windows, smudging the condensation away. Two small red hands curled in a grimace framed a set of growling milky white teeth quickly followed by a frantic wave and a stuck out tounge.

The bear followed the car with his gaze until he saw it disappear around the boarded up mfi store on the corner opposite.

He missed being a cub.

He felt that since he came to the big city to find himself he had become lost in the fake gold of the city way of living. He missed howling and fishing and sleeping all winter long. Now he had a set amount of hours he must complete each week, no sick pay, and sore eyes from staring at a computer screen all day.

What he would give for a four month nap in a warm snug cave looking out over the forest...

He shook himself awake from his daydream, rubbed his eyes with his paws, and made a decision.

He would start his journey home.

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