Cilly the Panda

Description

Character Dimensions: 3" x 3" x 2.5"
Meet Cilly's Panda friend Takeo at:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20258606

The afternoon was slipping into evening. I believe they call it dusk, still light enough to see, just dark enough that the faintest twinkle of the brightest stars in the sky were starting to show.
The day had been hot, too hot, the kind of day when you flinch under the relentless glare of the sun and wonder what it's problem is. Did we do something to anger you oh great ball of fire in the sky? It never answers.
But on days like those when the sun grumbles it's way grumpily over the horizon, chased away by cool breezes and washes of fresh night air I go outside.
It's a wonderful time, the birds who all hunkered down in the shade during the day burst with music as night starts creeping in. Louder and crazier than normal, making up for the heat leaden stillness of the day. I walk, underneath their flapping wings and happy calls, down the long drive, enjoying the flowers and grinning at the lizards that are up past their bed time, skittering along as if they think I'm chasing them down. I'm not, not this time.
And so, quietly reflecting and enjoying the moment as I am I become very aware of the low thumpy sound, the crash of something bursting through the bushes on the hill behind me, gathering speed and apparently heading right towards me.
I gape as I make out the form rolling down the hill at incredible speeds. I briefly wonder if the animal is dizzy yet and then my brain reboots and hollers to my limbs "RUN! BEAR! RUN!"
So I run, I dash further down the drive just in time. And I mean JUST IN TIME. I felt the brush of warm fur against the back of my legs and I pivot, mouth still open in wordless shock as I watch in stunned amazement the animal come to a crashing halt at the base of a tree on the other side of the drive.
Silence returns. Complete silence. Even the birds are amazed.
I am wary. Remembering my brain's instinctive and lightning quick warning of "BEAR!".
Retreat seems the best option, running like all get out for the safety of the house seems like a good one too. And I am almost half way to a dash when I hear, "Wooooooooooooooooooooo. That was fun."
Now if the voice from the supposed bear in a heap at the base of the tree had called "Woooooooooo I'm gonna eat you for a snack." I'd have kept running, I am not daft. But hearing a bear call a dizzying roll down a hill through the brush "fun", makes one stop and reconsider one's flight.
"Are you ok?" I ask.
And there was silence.
I stepped closer and saw now that it wasn't your regular run of the mill eat you for dinner sort of bear either. Silly brain, silly safety reflexes. It was a PANDA!
"Hello? Are you ok?" I stepped closer and saw the bright eyes peering up at me, dark little button eyes that glittered with humor and specks of fun. The Panda Bear, sprawled on her back, head against the tree grinned at me in delight.
"Did you see that?" Her voice had the sweet tones of a young Panda.
"Umm, well you were kind of hard to miss. A Panda bear, actually ANY bear rolling down the hill in this neighborhood is gonna grab some attention!"
"Cool huh? I was going sooooooo fast! It's not easy to get going that fast. You gotta find the right hill and then you gotta run right at it and remember to duck and curl up or else when you jump, you just fall. I've done that before." She finished ruefully.
"I bet you have." I said knowingly and we shared another grin. I was assuming she was ok, or as ok as a Panda bear can be if said Panda bear routinely throws herself down hills for the rolly poly thrill of it. Who was I to judge, people throw themselves out of planes. Now that I thought of it a roll down the neighbor's hill seemed a lot safer...and saner.
"I'm Cecila, but nobody calls me that, so you shouldn't either."
"Ahh, ok...."
"I'm Cilly!" She piped up, still apparently at complete ease, sprawled on the ground effectively talking to me over her own round rump.
"Yes, you are, quite silly."
She wrinkled her brow at that. One of her perfectly black little ears twitched before she flung herself backwards and roared with very bear-ish laughter. She didn't have far to fling as she was already sprawled on the ground.
"CILLY, not silly, but maybe I'm both." She finally said.
And what could I do, I agreed. And I lay down beneath the tree and chatted up the silly Cilly Panda Bear who likes to roll down hills for fun.

Character Dimensions: 3" x 3" x 2.5"
Meet Cilly's Panda friend Takeo at:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20258606

Added on Dec 14, 2009