Teddy
by Cedrick Mendoza-TolentinoYou will get a letter tomorrow that will arrive in a flat cardboard mailer. Do not, I repeat, do not bend it. Before you open it, make sure you have a pencil and an eraser. Not a mechanical one, but a soft wooden one that can be easily erased. Make sure the tip is not too sharp - you don't want to damage the paper inside. Carefully open the envelope and lay the single piece of paper on a flat surface.
You will see on that piece of plain, 8.5x11 paper a bear. He may be smiling. He may be asleep. Whatever you do, do not scare him. When he sees you, he is likely to curl into a ball and cover his head with his paws. This is important - the first words out of your mouth must be given in a whisper because he has never heard a human voice before, and his ears need time to adjust. He has never used them before. Speak softly and slowly. Draw a box around him because he will likely start running. If he makes it the edge of the page and runs off, he will be lost to you forever. He does not know that, but it's one of the many things you will have to teach him.
Introduce yourself. Don't make any sudden movements with your hands. He will likely be crying and scratching at the box around him. Anything you draw on the page is as real to him as the pencil in your hand. You don't have to be an artist - draw everything as best you can. The key is to imagine exactly what you wanted to draw in your mind, complete with taste, texture, and smell. If you let the image slip from your mind, if you let the jar of honey you drew turn into an angry bee in your mind, your bear will be covered in bee stings in a matter of moments. This will take practice, but in time, you will be able to conjure up anything for your bear with a few lines and simple shapes.
The first thing you draw will be important - make it small and simple. Anything too complex will confuse him, maybe scare him. If you scare him now, it will take you weeks to get him comfortable enough to uncurl out of his ball when you are in the room.
When he sees what you've drawn, it will take a few moments for him to uncurl himself and start inspecting the object. He'll likely sniff and poke it with his paws. Don't make any sudden movements while he does this. If he likes it, draw him another one. If not, try something else. Whatever it is, draw it slowly so he can connect the object and pencil to you. Once you have drawn the second object, smile at him, introduce yourself, and then leave him alone for a few hours.
Come back late at night when he is likely asleep. Gently erase the box you drew around him and draw a border around the page as close to the edge as possible so as to give him as much space to roam as possible. Draw him a big breakfast and something to play with. In our experience, the bears love big rubber balls. That will keep him entertained for weeks, maybe even months.
Set up a schedule for the next few days. Take some time off work and be prepared to spend several hours with him each day. During this initial period, research what kinds of foods bears eat and provide an ample supply. Also feel free to draw some of your favorite foods - pizza, ice cream, chocolate - whatever you enjoy. He'll like them too. But remember, this is only in addition to his normal food. He will get sick if his diet is solely human foods.
Once you have gotten through these initial days, ease him into a routine. Feed him at the same time every day. Spend a part of the day reading him a story. Play with him every night. With every passing day, you'll start to notice that he will look at you with warmth and love. He'll be sad when you leave for work each day and overjoyed every time he sees you.
Draw him anything your imagination can think of - a big house or cave full of cushions and rubber balls to play with or a jungle gym. Avoid anything involving rope or things he can hurt himself with. And remember, always draw the things softly, careful not to damage the paper. If by some chance you poke a hole or tear the page, make sure to draw a box around it immediately in case he slips and falls off the page.
Years will pass and your friendship will grow. He will be more loyal to you than anyone you will ever know. While you grow older, his appearance will remain exactly the same. You may be tempted to share him with others, but be careful with who you ultimately entrust. They may not understand what is going on and do something stupid. The last thing you want is to have him stolen away from you, which has happened before. Just be careful.
There will soon come a time when you sit down to write a will. Here is where things get tricky. Death can come suddenly or be a prolonged process. If there comes a time when you realize your death is approaching, sit down with him and explain what is happening to him. It will be hard, he won't understand at all. But be patient and explain fully what is happening. Then comes the hardest part of all - take an eraser and erase the border you made around the page. Explain to him that there is a world for him beyond the page and that it is time for him to move on. That there are others waiting for him to join them. But the unfortunate could happen - you could die before having the chance to explain these things to him, so you must leave crystal-clear instructions in your will to the person you trust most in the world. He was made for you and you alone and no other person can take care of him. Your instructions must clearly explain that he or she cannot keep him and must erase the border and find a way to coax him off the page.
That is everything you need to know. Take good care of Teddy. In many ways, he was meant to care for you.
©Cedrick Mendoza-Tolentino
Cedrick graduated from Columbia University with honors in the Creative Writing Program. He is currently a first-year law student at Cornell Law School and is a co-editor of Brink Magazine. He is currently working on a short story collection when not reading briefs and judicial opinions.