Paris is for the bears:
old fuzz finds love in paris

by Fran Kramer

The next stop of Old Fuzz’s travels took him to the beautiful city of Paris, which many have called the City of Light and the city for lovers. In Old Fuzz’s case, it was certainly true. He found beauty, he found light, and he fell in love. Yes, even teddy bears fall in love. It happens to everyone sooner or later, if you are lucky. Old Fuzz, even though he was far along in years, was no exception. It all happened with the help of an eight-year-old girl named Camille. Old Fuzz and Ma Mère met the little girl and her grandmother, Grand-mère Lis, in a park full of flowers and bees called Parc Georges Brassens.

Camille was just like every other little girl except for two things. She was blind and she had a very exceptional teddy bear named Babette, who gave Camille courage and inspiration. Because Camille couldn’t see anything she had to take special precautions when she left her apartment. She carried Babette tucked under her arm, and in her free hand she held a little white cane which she tapped on the ground in front of her so she wouldn’t run into things. Today, Camille asked Grand-mère Lis if they could meet their friends at the Parc Georges Brassens because this park was designed for blind people. Camille would be able to talk to her friends about something she could experience also.

As soon as they reached the park, Camille asked while sniffing the air, “Oh, Grand-mère Lis, can’t you just smell the honeysuckle?”

“Oui, ma chérie, the Garden of Scents is nearby,” Grand-mère Lis answered as she sat on a park bench facing a sparkling fountain. “The smells of many beautiful flowers are bound to blow this way.” Grand-mère Lis said these last words in a sad soft voice that made Camille’s sharp ears notice.

The little girl asked, “Why are you sad, ma Grand-mère?” I wanted you to come here to make you happy!”

“This park is where your Grand-père took me just before he died,” Grand-mère Lis replied in the same soft voice. “That day, he gave me a prefect red rose he picked from a bush. I have never been here since then. Being here makes me miss him all the more!”

Camille heard her grandmother open her purse, reach for something, and then blow her nose. Camille said, “Oh, I’m sorry,” as she leaned over to find and touch her grandmother’s hand. “Maybe, in your heart you will meet him, again.”

“Huh?” sniffed Grand-mère Lis, as she wiped her nose. Grand- mère Lis was a practical lady, not given to dreams and flights of the imagination. “I don’t know where you get these ideas, child. I must get used to not seeing your Grand-père again. Besides, this is where are to meet our friends, here, in front of this fountain.”

“I can hear the fountain, Grand-mère Lis, and I can feel mist blowing on my face,” Camille replied, wiping a bit of dampness from her cheek. “It is shooting one spray of water. Babette tells me it sparkles like diamonds when the water falls back into the fountain.”

“Your Babette tells you that?” Grand-mère Lis asked, her mouth a little round o, not being an adult who understood the language of teddy bears.

“Yes, in a way,” Camille said, sitting down on the bench next to her grandmother. She placed Babette on her lap. “But not like I talk to you. When I talk with her, I use my imagination. And images just seem to come in my mind, like when I used to be able to see. Maybe she just helps me use my imagination better.”

“I believe that,” a familiar teddy bear voice carried from far away, across some rose bushes.

“Grand-mère Lis,” Camille whispered, “You can’t hear as well as me so you don’t know. But our friends, Ms. Jane and her bear Old Fuzz are coming toward us. I recognized Old Fuzz’s voice!”

Grand-mère Lis looked up just in time to see her friends approach. She waved to Ms. Jane. Soon all the friends embraced each other. Except the two bears, Babette and Old Fuzz. They did not hug each other because they had never met before today. Instead, Old Fuzz just stared. He, never in his whole life, had seen such a beautiful bear. His poor heart was so overcome, he was tongue-tied.

Ma Mère noticed that Old Fuzz looked like he’d been hit by a truck. She said, “Old Fuzz, greet Mademoiselle Babette.” Old Fuzz still didn’t say anything. He just continued to stare at Babette.

Ma Mère picked up the old bear and asked, “You haven’t lost your voice, have you?”

“No, Ma Mère, and please put me down,” Old Fuzz griped as he squirmed in Ma Mère’s arms. “Remember my dignity!”

Little Camille, who couldn’t see, could read Old Fuzz’s heart instantly. She whispered to Babette, “I think you have a boyfriend!”

Babette blushed, and it was easy to tell because she was a bear white as snow. She wore a pink bow next to one ear and a string of white pearls around her neck. Camille always made sure Babette looked très chic.

Camille wanted to show her friends around Parc Georges Brassens. With Babette tucked under her arm, and her little white stick tapping in front of her, she led her grandmother, Ms. Jane and Old Fuzz to the park’s bee hive. The buzzing of the bees grew louder and louder as the group walked toward the hive area where many children gathered, learning about the lives of bees. Near the hive, a park attendant explained in English for Ma Mère how the bees are raised, and when their honey is sold.

Old Fuzz had a hard time listening to the explanation about bees. His own heart was humming its own tune so loudly he couldn’t think of anything but Babette. Babette, in Camille’s arm, would glance at Old Fuzz and give him a sweet smile.

Camille then took her friends to the Garden of Scents. She asked everyone to close their eyes and try to smell all the smells in the air from the various flowers, and experience the flowers as she did. . Camille explained as she pointed her cane at the garden, “They made this garden for people like me. They grow over 80 kinds of flowers, herbs, and spices with wonderful scents for us to smell. Even though we can’t see the flowers, we can smell them!”

“I see the names of flowers are written in Braille,” Ma Mère said as she gazed at the strange looking signs next to the flowers.

“Isn’t it great?” Camille asked, her fingers dancing over the metal sign to read its message. “Here they grow rosemary. Can’t you just smell it?”

After the group saw the Garden of Scents, they left the park to go to a nearby open-air restaurant to eat French bread, a hearty vegetable soup, and wonderful white asparagus. All the adults drank a glass of deep red wine. While everyone was eating, Old Fuzz whispered to Ma Mère, “Babette and I want some time to ourselves. So if you will please excuse us…”

“Huh?” Ma Mère said in surprise. “Where are you going?”

“Never you mind, Ma Mère,” Old Fuzz replied, as he hopped off his chair and took Babette’s hand. To Camille he said, “I shall watch over Babette. Never fear.”

Camille, who hadn’t been alone outdoors without Babette in a long while, said, “Well…I suppose so. Babette needs her own free time!”

Old Fuzz took Babette’s paw and together the two bears disappeared.

“Where are the bears?” Grand-mere Lis asked, suddenly noticing that two chairs were now empty.

Camille grinned, telling her grandmother, “Babette said they would go in the direction of the Left Bank of the river Seine, where lovers go. I think the bears are in love, Grand-mère.”

On hearing this, Grand-mère Lis was so shocked, she said, “Am I supposed to believe this?”

Camille bent over and whispered in her grandmother’s ear, “Believe and magical things happen!”

Ma Mère said, “After we eat, let’s go to the Left Bank. Maybe we will catch a glimpse of the bears.”

“That sounds like fun,” Camille said with a little giggle.

That afternoon, Camille, her grandmother, and Ms. Jane joined the rest of Paris strolling along the Left Bank, enjoying the warm weather and eating ice cream cones. Sunlight shimmered on the river and streamed through the trees along the bank.

Ma Mère said, “What a romantic place! No wonder lovers come here.”

“I used to come here with my husband, when we were young and in love,” Grand-mère said, again wiping her nose. It was so magical then, I didn’t need to use my imagination.”

As she led the group along with her tapping cane, Camille said, “Come this way, maybe we will see a little magic today.” Camille already knew where to go because she could hear Babette laughing in the far distance. When they reached some stairs that went down to the river’s edge, Camille pointed her cane to a bench along side the river. She said, “Look, our bears!”

Sure enough, the two bears sat paw in paw on the bench, watching the boats float by on the glittering river.

“Oh my gracious,” Grand-mère Lis said, her eyes wide with astonishment. “Now, I can believe anything!”

In the evening, the bears suddenly re-appeared at the apartment of Grand-mère Lis where everyone was having dinner. Ma Mère wanted to know all about the bear adventures but Old Fuzz wasn’t talking. He just had a very content smile on his face. Babette did have a little “girl talk” to discuss alone with Camille. All in all, it was clear the bears had a wonderful day.

Grand-mère Lis didn’t know what to make of the talk about a teddy bear romance. She knew her grandchild had an amazing imagination that made her life magical. She wished she could think magically, too. That evening, after everyone else went to bed; Grand-mère Lis opened her shutters and looked out on the Paris lights. A gentle breeze blew against her face. Suddenly a soft object touched her cheek and fell to the floor. Grand-mère Lis bent down to see what it was. “Oh, mon dieu, merci,” she said, her eyes filling with tears when she picked up the object. It was a big petal from a perfect red rose.