My First Hush Celebration

I frowned as I finished writing my story. Why had I set it so far in the future? It wasn't even 1900 yet, and I had written a story with the setting of 1907. Besides, who would even care if every good thing about Ratigan managed to return to Mousedom in the form of a confused, wandering spirit, and other than the former henchmen, who even cared that Bartholomew Ingham had ever existed? Furthermore, it was ludicrous to believe that a cat could speak! I contemplated throwing the story into the fireplace, but before I could do so, Uncle Fabian asked if I wanted to take a walk.

"It's late at night," I argued.

"C'mon, niece. It's Christmas! Yur 'lowed ta stay up a little late on Christmas, ain't ya?"

"Alright," I agreed. "Perhaps a short walk would be harmless enough."

To my surprise, Uncle Fabian took me to the cemetery. A mouse was waiting by the bell-shaped monument.

"Good evening, Fidget," he greeted.

My uncle grinned. "Nice ta see ya, Allen. This is my niece. Ain't she pretty?"

Allen smiled. "She is indeed." He shook my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Your uncle's told me a lot about you."

"I've heard a lot about you too, sir," I replied.

He laughed. "With an uncle like yours, I'm sure you've heard about half the town!"

A mouse in a red jacket approached with his wife, who had a child in her arms.

"Ya look kinda fat, Tirade! Ya gonna have 'nother baby?" Uncle Fabian asked.

The woman frowned slightly.

"Would it kill you to use a slight amount of tact?" the man whispered.

"Sure thing, Virtue!" my uncle replied.

I tried to recall the story that Uncle Fabian had told me about these two mice. They were apparently given the nicknames "Virtue" and "Tirade" when they worked for Ratigan, but I didn't remember what their real names were. I knew that Basil had helped them escape since they weren't truly criminals, and they had accepted some sort of deal to avoid any time behind bars.

I was surprised to see Basil's pets, Toby and Felicia, arrive at the gathering. Felicia hung a wreath on the monument and placed a poinsettia before it, lightly running her paw over every name engraved on the stone, pausing on the last one.

Tirade also touched the final name on the monument. "May my brother forgive me for living to see the twentieth century when he cannot." She nearly sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Bartholomew!"

Felicia looked as if she had been stabbed. I'll never forget the pain or guilt in her eyes.

"No grief." Tirade managed to smile. "He would not want anyone mourning for him on Christmas."

The cat nodded and cuddled the young mouse that Tirade placed on her paw.

The child giggled. "An Fis!"

She kissed him.

"What does 'An Fis' mean?" I whispered to Uncle Fabian.

"He's too young ta say 'Aunt Felicia,' so he calls her 'Aunt Fish,' or at least close as he can."

"Uncle Fabian, what are we doing here?"

"We're havin' Hush!" he remarked. "Been a few years since we done it, 'n' we thought it'd be fun."

"Mother is going to kill me!" I whispered.

"Not if she don't find out. Even a good girl has ta break rules sometimes, right? Ain't healthy ta be proper 'n' polite all the time. Am I wrong?"

He tossed a package to Allen, who began opening it as quietly as possible, trying to pull the tape off without ripping the wrapping paper.

"A suit?" Allen grinned. "Thanks, Fidget! Maybe this will help me get a better job so I can live somewhere other than a condemned building!"

Virtue placed a wrapped box in my hand.

"Thank you, sir." I opened the package and gasped at the sight of so much chocolate. "Mother is going to be furious!"

"Hush," Virtue answered. "This is the one time of year you can break rules without anyone ever having to know."

Uncle Fabian passed me a mug of hot chocolate. "Ain't like we're cel'bratin' Hush by ourselves, ya know?" He tapped the monument. "They're all here. Someone ya care 'bout never really leaves ya, 'cept in phys'cal form."

Christmas or Hush, I wish that everyone may keep the spirit of this most special of days in their hearts all year long.