As the 2 weeks dragged on, they had some crazy playdates and hugfests and movie nights. The Bluey charactrers stopped by almost everyday, and they agreed to stay and watch him go to Boy Scouts. Michael had now made some friendships with the Bluey characters: Honey, Rusty, Chloe and Mackenzie. Bluey downright LOVED him! She always hugged him and licked him in the face. And Michael played songs on his guitar from punk bands and guys like The Offspring, Green Day, Bad Religion, The Get Up Kids, Albert Hammond Jr, Saves The Day, MxPx, The Melvins, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, The Presidents Of The United States Of America,
(No kidding, The Presidents Of The United States Of America were a real band in the 1990's!)
Cont: Hootie and The Blowfish, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam and many others he knew.
He gave them a good time. He was the talk of Camden after their performance at Wembley. BBC was airing the festival and some big shot producer found them and signed them up on a deal at Domino Music records. They were still working on the album they were set to make as a punk band: The Camden Hotheads. They were still working on the art for their debut album: "Angry Mother Figure". The artist was Da Vinci obviously. "Ha. That looks good Da Vinc." Michael said, patting her head. "That Cruella -like lady as a giant and a teen running off, and a big hand trying to grab him and our logo by the left side of her head and the album name in the middle. It's creative like most punk bands." Da Vinci chuckled. DJ was working on chords for the songs and lyrics for the first song. He was working hard and concentrating, like Shakespeare writing a new play. "Hey DJ, you got something worked out?" "Yeah, got the lyrics for the song "Mom's Precious Goods" and I just need to put in this last chord... there! Finito!" "Good boy!" Michael said happily, and scratched behind DJ's floppy ears. "Oh yeah! Right there! Aw, I LOVE ear scratches!" Michael chuckled at this. He looked at the grandfather clock from his mom's house. It read 9:00. It was time to go to his Boy Scout camp in about 30 minutes. So he made the announcment: "Guys!! Look, it's almost time for me to go to my camp in Cambridge. I just wanna say, thank you for giving the best 5 weeks a boy could ever have. But, I must leave you for about 7 weeks, then I'll be back. I.... I feel at peace now that my Mom is gone and she can't hurt me anymore. I'll see things I never saw, do things I wanted to do and maybe roast some marshmallows. I love you all, and I will survive and get by. And that's not just a Grateful Dead song." They all gathered around him and they ushered him out the door and helped him into the London old bus from the 1970's. As they drove to Cambridge on the London Freeway as the pups sang along to "My Baby Thinks She's A Train" by Asleep At The Wheel on the radio. The song from 1977 was usually played in Nashville, not in Camden, but somhow the album was sailed overseas to the UK. Michael sat in the front seat with Da Vinci snuggled in his lap, taking a nap. "Come on Mike old bro! Dance with us!" DJ called as he Michael Jackson moonwalked past him. "No thanks. Da Vinci's on my lap and she'll get nightmares if I leave." Right on cue, she began to squirm around and whimper. She was having a bad dream again. Michael placed a hand on her head and she stopped. She smiled and fell back to sleep happily. She felt at peace with his hand on her head. he took it off and Deepak gave him a lick. "Another rank for you Michael." Deepak said. "Thanks Deepak." He said, rubbing the Yin Yang pups head. "Your welcome friend." Deepak replied, licking Mike's hand.
When they arrived at the camp, they walked him to the entrance as if he was a kindegartener being walked by his parents to his classroom. Michael looked weird without his usual joggers, awesome "Dookie" t shirt and black Vans, but he looked like a forest ranger in his Boy's Scouts uniform. Michael bent down and patted all the pups' heads. "Guys, we all knew this day would come, and so did I. Well, the time has come for me to say farewell. I'll see new exotic places, get some badges and move up the ranks. Maybe even be the leader. I'll see all of Britain in a month. But, I'll think of you guys always. I won't be 2000 light years away, I'll only be miles away. But, here," He placed his holy rosary in Da Vinci's pink paw. "Take my rosary some nun gave to me. I got another one in my backpack, but this will be something to remember me by. I promise you all: I'll be back. I swear to the most high God." Da Vinci squeezed the human boy. "I'll miss you!" She said, paint filled tears streaming down her face. "It's alright Da Vinci. I'll be ok. I will ALWAYS, think about you. No matter how far I am, just know I am always right here:" He put a finger on Da Vinci's heart. "I'll always be there. Watching over you." She nodded sadly. She still couldn't believe that he was going away for a month! ONE MONTH! How could she bear not seeing his face, feel at peace with his comfort and hear his sweet, calm voice?!!? HOW?!?! Dante gave the human a lick, telling him that if the apocolypse came, he would think about him. DJ gave him an EP of him playing and singing, and the others just licked him. Deepak however, placed a paw on his forehead. "May the glory of Guru Miaow and your God watch over you for all times. And may peace and blessings come your way always." "Thank you Deepak." "You're welcome.... brother." Michael grinned. "Go get em tiger!" "Break a leg!" "Enjoy that DJ tape." "Don't die." "YOU COME BACK!" "Bye guys. I'll always think about you!" As they watched him go into the palce, they knew, he would have some of the best memories he would ever see. And that, was something they were sure of.
(The End....?)