Pinky Gonzalez

Bull O'Bangles and Pinky Gonzalez had been inseparable for years after being crammed into backpacks for show and tell, forced to go on bumpy road trips whilst sitting dizzily on the dashboard all the way to Granma's, whimsically abandoned in various playgrounds, restaurants, at sleepovers and even stuffed in raincoat pockets for days. Granma once suggested they both needed a good washing but the small proprietors of these two resisted, deeply concerned that the precious pair might be damaged in some way. They had been to several countries, to the beach, sat in the front of shopping carts in the grocery store and even been to the cinema. Let's just say they were well seasoned and their attachment grew even stronger from an extremely tragic and scandalous event. The newspapers were supposedly notified but hesitated to print anything as, well, they weren't real animals. Bull O'Bangles felt quite real and although he was not certain if he were a guinea pig or perhaps a large mouse he knew that he had emotions, strong ones that is, and Pinky Gonzalez, well there was no doubt he was a pig who loved Bull unconditionally. The family was packing for a flight overseas and for a good amount of time the pair was parted being that they were in separate kiddo backpacks. Bull was in a Dora the Explorer backpack peeking out from the mostly zipped outer pocket for air; Pinky was inside a Chi-Chi Chihuahua purse with lip balm and crayons then pushed further down into the clutter within a Buzz Lightyear backpack with one child's mostly unnecessary items, (yet highly necessary for them in order to remain occupied and well behaved on the flight). Their parents led them aboard the airplane with strong hands on their shoulders, fastened kiddo one and kiddo two in their seats and took their bags and put them in unreachable compartments for take-off. The engines roared and the kiddos got chewing gum so their ears wouldn't pop; this was always the best part of starting a trip abroad. Now in the compartments above Pinky squealed as only a piglet can do and called for Bull. Bull could hear Pinky but he'd never been able to reply to anyone; he was able to pretend to eat mozzarella cheese sticks and sip through a straw when presented at the breakfast table however. The mother would quickly dab his mouth with a dishcloth when kiddo one and two were brushing their teeth and he was always much appreciative of her thoughtfulness. He hated being slung out onto the teacher's desk with cheesy breath and apple juice stains on his belly for all to observe when kiddo one had him taken away by a substitute teacher during mathematics. So, anyway, the flight reaches it's proper course and the seat belt sign is turned off; the wiggly kiddos screech for Bull and Pinky as the long armed father takes the backpacks down for the rambunctious whippersnappers. The mother sips a Bloody Mary and the father takes a beer and the kids are given pretzel sticks. Bull is relieved to see Pinky and they both fake gobbling down pretzels for the wee ones, winking at one another and smiling in the way only real stuffed critters can. At their seats the parents tune the kiddos into a long Disney film and soon they nod off. The parents relax hand in hand and catch a little shut eye, too. Upon waking both rapscallions frantically yell out that they need to use the toilet, both are scared to go alone so each parent takes one of the screaming small humans to the facilities. In doing so, Pinky falls down from the seat of kiddo two's and then rolls backwards several aisles. He lands at the foot of a serious looking gentleman who kicks him away without hesitation. Pinky squeals again but Bull is too far away now to hear him. When the family regains their seating meals are served and everyone is very hungry, in fact they are all so hungry that no one notices Pinky is not near. After eating the kiddos are given two new drawing pads and colourful markers that smell like berries and fruit. They occupy themselves for a good while and then nod off to sleep again. After seven hours Pinky was picked up by a flight attendant and put on the seat of another young child where it appeared he most likely would have fallen from. This child was happy to have something new but Pinky was very, very scared. This little weirdo was yanking on his ears, bashing him against the back of his brother and pretending to throw Pinky out the window. The seatbelt sign came back on and all were preparing to land. The father asked for the backpacks and the mother scrambled to stuff everything that had sprung out back into their places. The kiddos giggled and wiggled and above Bull O'Bangles cried. He knew he had no power to save his best friend and certainly no way to learn to talk so quickly. The family dismounted the aircraft and stood in long lines to go through customs. It was there, when a metal slinky set off the security alarm that the Buzz Lightyear bags contents were emptied and the Chi-Chi Chihuahua purse was opened and Pinky was noted as missing. The kiddos who were loudly freaking out and the parents, too knew his importance. They found a bench and went through the Dora the Explorer backpack and Bull lay solemnly, alone and frightened. Kiddo one and Kiddo two began to fight over Bull and so the parents took him away and the mother stuffed him in her gigantic purse and although weary, he felt much safer. The kiddos were sobbing now as they made their way to luggage pick up. They held each other and called out his name with quivering lips, Piinnkkyyyy! Oh man, this was not going to be a fun start to the trip for anyone now. The mother in desperation went to the lost and found area, no toys there. She spoke to an airline employee who said they weren't allowed back inside the airplane to have a look, she even looked in gift shops for any stuffed pig that might look a wee bit like Pinky Gonzalez with no luck. After retrieving their bags the father went to pick up the families rental car; as he was standing in cue the most obnoxious two kids were fighting over something in the very front of the line, slowing down the entire procedure for securing their car. Finally, a parent of the two grabbed what they were fighting over and it went up in the air then landed near him. Stunned he quickly jumped out of cue and grabbed the one and only Pinky Gonzalez! The wild boy's father said something out of his own desperation "it's just something they found on our flight, can you give it back to them?" Pinky's father stood his ground and told the his own kiddos story. He gave them both some coins from his pocket and said they were heroes. When he pulled up in the rental car to load up the baggage and collect the jetlagged family Pinky squealed in delight from the dashboard when he saw the mother approach the front door. Look who I found! The father grinned as the family all cried in undeniable delight. The father told the kiddos Pinky was thinking ahead and had gone on a bold adventure to pick out their rental car. Bull joined him on the dashboard and they snuggled closely, winking and wagging their real tails.