The Prodigal Son

I have good news!

Puck's home.

He's not exactly the same Puck as he was. Exotic travel with carnies will do that to you, but he's home.

He arrived a couple nights ago on my door step.  I had received a postcard from him days before explaining that he had "flew the coop" and was living it up with the carnival and they were in Germany. So I knew he was safe.

But before I received the post card, we were convinced that Puck was missing. I posted Missing posters everywhere. And called in the the crazies family to help find Puck.

As expected with our very large family, I started receiving leads from all over.  The most promising coming from Tucson where the MomUnit and William Eugene (younger sister) were putting William Eugene's police skills to good use.

William Eugene and the MomUnit rounded up some suspects. All of them looking guilty as ever, but William Eugene thought the blue horse in the back right looked the most suspecious.

Further stellar detective work we ascertained the monkey looked more shady. (Get it? He's in the shade.)

I received a photo from William Eugene introducing me to the sheriff she was working with.  She said he was good at finding lost ducks, but she wasn't sure why he had such a good skill for it.

Lastly she said they had the firemen on standby in case we found Puck and he needed any assistance.

Then I got the post card and we knew he was "safe".  Carnies? I knew the Seattle Center had some strange types hanging out there, but carnies? Who knew?

I also had no idea he felt couped up and wanted to live on the wild side for a while. Its true that parents rarely understand the mind of their teenagers. Still I was glad to know he was at least safe and living it up.  I figured he'd come home one day.

Then I got the phone call from him saying he was homesick and was on his way home. Typical! The grass, it turned out, wasn't greenier.  I didn't know then how ironic that statement would be until later. 

A couple of days later, this was on my doorstep.

I knew it was him.  It had air holes and part of his name on it.

I scrambled to open it. To welcome him home. Once the box was opened and he popped out, I was all, "Say what?"

The story goes like this: As part of carnie hazing, poor Puck got drunk on some toxic carnival moonshine. When he woke up in a sheep farm in Germany he had a new tattoo. He was hung over beyond belief and never got his coloring back.

He's slowly telling me stories of his days with the carnie people. And as I digest them I'll share the one's he'll allow me to share.  He's a changed duck. And as The Pantry Goat said, "It isn't easy being green."