Everything Ends Eventually

Just One More Time

I sat on a dusty thrift store shelf far from the view of any windows. My only companion was Fairbanks, a TY bear who had arrived not long ago. I had been here for a while. Other newer toys came and went as children smiled with astonishment. A few glanced smiles at me, but in the end decided a scruffy brown bunny with a pink ribbon around her neck was not the kind of toy they wanted to bring home.

I often thought about the days when I still had a home. My last owner had grown old and I was eventually forgotten about and given away. Before that I had been passed on from parent to child through multiple generations. Being passed on from child to child gave me many hours of play time every day. Now, I could only sit on this shelf and collect dust.

But then a girl came down my aisle, looking up and down the shelves as if searching for something specific. She wasn't a child but she didn't have an old face either. Her eyes stopped moving right as they landed on the little basket both Fairbanks and I sat in.

I wasn't surprised when she reached over to grab Fairbanks instead of me. She started fiddling with his arms before a smile spread over her face.

"He has rotatable joints!" She proclaimed as she looked for his name on his tag.

The girl looked back into the basket and brought me out as well.

"This one also has rotatable joints!" She looked between Fairbanks and I, "But I only need one of you."

I understood now that she would definitely pick one of us. Fairbanks was always the one to be picked up and admired so it was obvious what the decision would be.

The girl smiled sweetly at Fairbanks, "Sorry, you're just too cute for my plans."

Fairbanks was placed back into the basket as I stayed in the girls hand shocked. She smiled gleefully down at me and started walking towards the front counter. I was still completely confused why she chose me over Fairbanks. However, the excitement of finally getting out and the mysterious plan this girl had in store for me outweighed my confusion.

I was paid for with a handful of coins and brought outside in a plastic bag. It had been such a long time since I had seen the sun lit sky! I couldn't wait to have more picnics and tea parties on freshly mowed green grass and to splash through puddles after a rainstorm. I couldn't wait for slumber parties, snuggling at bedtime, and cuddling after a bad day. There was just so much to look forward to now that I was off the shelves of the thrift store.

The drive was far from silent as I could hear multiple other people, some who sounded like children, talking about everything that crossed their minds. While ignored, I tidied up my pink ribbon and tried to smooth out my ragged brown fur without making too much noise. As soon as the drive was over, I couldn't help but imagine how fun today would be once we started playing.

I was brought inside and to a table with a sewing machine surrounded by fabric and different sewing materials. Were we going to play a game of dress making or was she just going to check me over for any tears? I wasn't sure.

The girl sat me down on a section of the table that was cleared of any materials so that I was facing her and the machine. She gathered pieces of fabric she had already cut out and started pinning them together. Looking closely, I could tell the pieces were carefully labeled with parts such as arm, body, and head. She was making me a friend!

I sat, patiently waiting as I watched her pin and sew one section before pinning and sewing the next section. I had been made long before this girl was even born, but I could still remember coming to life just as my last stitch was put into place. It would be so exciting to watch as this new toy slowly gained life as well.