This evening Linus asked about when we moved last year (only last year?!): did we carry Bartleby in our arms or put her in a box? I honestly couldn’t remember, and Yen pointed out that while Bartleby had always been Linus’s sleeping companion, it was only after we moved that she became such a constant companion. In fact before we moved, she was a he and his name was bò biển (sea cow).
But she is Bartleby now and she is the star of most of their games. For instance, Linus has made her a seaweed costume, as apparently she enjoys dressing up and fooling people.
A few days ago he dressed her up with this festive headgear and spent an hour laughing about it.
His love for her is so pure and contagious that I find when I look at her, I can feel a personality too and she’s part of the family. It’s a truly odd feeling, rather like she’s our beloved pet. One who doesn’t shed, doesn’t eat, doesn’t poop, and who only occasionally needs a run through the washing machine and one of her plastic eyes fixed.
Stay solid, Bartleby. One day you’ll be Real just like the velveteen rabbit.