Bunnies are the cutest, most gentle creatures in the world and you plan to become president when you grow up so that you can declare that hurting bunnies is a crime punishable by death. But right now you're only eight and a half, so you've been doing what you can in the meantime.
There are bunnies everywhere you look nowadays. All you have to do is open up your window shutters to see as many cute and fuzzy bunnies as your eyes can stomach. Ever since the truck tipped over and the cages broke open, the fields surrounding your house have been choked with bunnies. But with the bunnies came the men in the suits.
They drive up to where the truck tipped over and they look at the guardrail that broke. They take pictures and they take measurements. And they ask everyone questions. They ask your Dad a lot of questions. They work where your Dad works.
Today after the men in suits finish asking your Dad their questions, he's going to come into your room and tell you he has a question he'd like to ask you.
"Do you know what I do for a living?" he'll ask you.
You learned how to search for stuff on the web a year ago, and when you searched the company name that's on your Dad's work ID and on all the mugs and tee shirts that are around the house, you found a lot of sites about how bunnies get hurt.
"Product testing," you'll tell him.
Your Dad will ask, "Do you know what that is?"
You haven't been able to accept his kiss goodnight without feeling nauseous ever since you found out. "You hurt bunnies," you'll tell him. You'll try hold down a sob when you say it.
He'll let out a long, tired sigh. "I test products to make sure they don't hurt people."
"On bunnies," you'll say.
"A lot of the products don't even hurt the bunnies," he'll say.
You'll want to explain to him why he shouldn't ever hurt any bunnies, and why he should do everything he can to keep other people from hurting bunnies, but you won't be able to get a grip on the words and you'll start to cry.
Your Dad will say, "Someone saw you."
The gasp will halt your sobs.
"Just before the truck went off the road. Someone saw a little girl in a white dress," he'll say. He won't be looking at you. "With a rock in her hand."
You'll be panting for breath now, feeling like the room is filling up with water. "I had to save them," you'll pant. "I had to set them free!"
"You could have killed that driver!" he'll shout. "You should have come to me!"
You'll bark in between sobs, "I'll never...come to you...for anything! You hurt the bunnies. How can I trust you to keep me safe when you're willing to hurt the bunnies?"
Your Dad will grab your suitcase from your closet and start emptying your dresser drawers into it. "You're gonna have to trust me," he'll say. "We're leaving tonight."
But your school. Your friends. You'll shake your head no in a panic. Your Dad will grab your shoulders.
"You cost these people their bunnies, sweetie," he'll say very loudly into your face. "And they want me to repay them by handing you over. We leave tonight."
You'll watch as he continues dumping your things into your suitcase. Outside your window, three bunnies will gallop through the field towards the woods down the hill.
"But your job," you'll say. "And Maria." Maria is your Dad's girlfriend and you liked her. You had hoped she could be your new Mommy.
"We leave tonight only with what we can carry and we never try to contact anyone back here again," he'll say.
You'll realize the trouble you've caused is very real and is not going away. You had quietly disowned your father when you discovered his line of work, but now you have no choice but to let him try to keep you safe. You've taken his life away from him, and the only thing you can offer in return is your obedience.
Your father will finish packing your suitcase and he'll run from your room to pack his. A bunny will come to the window and bounce its little nose at you. You won't wave goodbye.
Happy Your Dad Conducts Product Tests On Bunnies Day!
