Figaro, mostly called Figgy by the People, blinked his eyes open reluctantly, not quite ready to leave his dreams of under-the-chin pets and especially slow-moving squirrels. Flopping over to extend his nap, a furry paw, which Figgy now registered had woken him up, prodded repeatedly at his side. Even before he gave up and rolled to stand, he knew this paw belonged to his roommate, Eustace.
Figaro gave him a lethargic hiss for his trouble, but quickly softened when Eustace reminded him why he couldn’t sleep the day away—at least not hidden where he was now. Though he was usually content to let the People search for him however long they pleased, today was different. Today the People were coming back.
Well, that wasn’t exactly true. There were People everywhere, every day—old People, young People and the Reverend. But when the air got thick and muggy, and the sun started feeling like Figgy and everyone else had personally wronged it, there were a lot less of them. The peace and quiet was nice for a few days—he was very popular among the People—but he secretly loved the day they all came back.
It was still too early for all but the most adventurous of the People to be up and about, and he assembled with Edmund, Eustace and Sissy on the front porch of the Reverend’s small house. Edmund had a plan for the day, about how to welcome the People back, and Figgy listened dutifully. He was as earnest about it as he was about everything, and there was no harm in letting him think he was in charge.
Edmund and Eustace were stationed on the small couch on the front porch of the house, as they often were, wrestling between naps, pets and treats. Sissy was curled up in the shade of tree, surrounded by a bed of pine straw, waiting to be discovered by the more observant People. Figgy, the most social and the least likely to listen to authority, was given free reign of the flower beds surrounding the concrete buildings.
The day went off without a hitch. People he recognized remembered his fondness for treats, and he came close to catching several squirrels, who had taunted even through the summer (he didn’t understand why they couldn't leave with the People). One Person smelled so nervous that Figgy left his flower bed to cuddle up against their large, black boots. Plenty of People held up cameras to which he directed his most natural poses.
As the heat receded and the sun dimmed, Figgy couldn’t help but think all was right in his corner of the world.
