I

winnie the pooh sat gloomily in front of a sign.

wtp: i'm afraid i can't go to sussex with christopher robin now, they don't allow bears to ride trains

paddington bear stood beside him. his brown fur did nothing to cover the playfulness in his hazelnut eyes.

pb: but pooh bear, you can ride something much more exciting than trains.

wtp: and what is that, paddington bear?

pb: it's talking to you right now.

wtp: i'm afraid i don't understand, for i am a Bear of Very Little Brain.

paddington bear gently wiped the drying splat of honey from pooh's belly.

pb: oh, winnie the pooh, you really are a silly old bear.

paddington bear looked at the ground before whispering so quietly that his words were pooh's and pooh's alone:

pb: my silly old bear.

winnie the pooh didn't exactly understand what it is he's feeling, but for all he knew, this ridable thing he's talking to right now is so sweet that he might not need honey for the rest of his life.

II

the gust of cold air was blowing from the surroundings of the paddington train station.

pb: pooh bear, must we really sleep here? it's getting very cold.

wtp: it's the best for now, honey.

pooh gently patted paddington's ruffy hair.

paddington bear looked up.

pb: pooh bear, why do you call me honey?

wtp: well, i love honey. and i love you. so that makes you the same as honey, yes?

paddington bear was quite certain that was not how the word got its meaning, but he was more than satisfied with what he heard.

paddington bear smiled through gritted teeth. outside, the snow started to fall.

wtp: are you cold, paddington? pooh asked tenderly while putting his red sweater on paddington.

wtp: here, here.

pooh patted on his tummy and paddington slowly rested his head on it. padding closed his eyes. sure, pooh was a Bear with Little Brain, but he was the Bear with the Largest Heart paddington has ever met.

if you happen to be standing in the london train station at midnight, in a small corner of a lonely garbage can, you will see two bears cuddling each other, both shivering against the freezing cold of the british december. but little would you know that somewhere underneath their trembling fur, the two bears found the warmth that they were sure could not be found anywhere else.

III

winnie the pooh stepped onto the train. the clock chimed eight times. it was time to go. his eyes never left the window; neither did paddington's; a small brown bear standing on the edge of the platform. the train whooted. neither bear said anything, for they both knew it deep in their hearts. the wheel turned faster and faster. if pooh could choose, he would never let go of paddington's hand. but the train did not change its mind. as it moved away from the platform, grasp turned into touch, and touch turned into reach. the train did not show sympathy. as the last strand of honey-golden fur slipped off from the creamy brown hair, pooh felt a drop of warm liquid falling down from his eyes.

goodbye paddington bear, he whispered to himself.

the platform was now a toy to his eyes, and the brown speck that has now made a home in pooh's heart vanished from the horizon.

pooh let the stream of tears on his face dry up. the landscape of the lively london now became a vast field of trees.

orange trees.

" winnie the pooh, i'm never leaving your heart," paddington told him the night before he left. "and you will never leave mine. when i see the sun, i shall think of your warmth, when i hear the bees, it shall be a reminder of your laughter. and you--" paddington paused and poked his blunt finger at pooh's heart. "and you, you silly old bear. keep me in the orange trees. let the colour remind you of our happy times, and i'll always be there right next to you."

pooh gazed away at the field. every scene was still so fresh; the memories rushed in and pooh closed his eyes.

pooh was woken up from his daze by the smell of freshly baked bread.

"would you like honey or marmalade to go with your bread, sir?"

"both." pooh finally said as quietly as one could hear. "i'll take both, please."

the bread was served n front of pooh, the left half covered with gold, the right with orange. pooh found his hand mixing the two confectioneries together.

pooh didn't know why, but one thing was made certain to him. ever since that fluffy brown bear came into his life, pooh knew that his honey would never taste the same without a hint of marmalade ever again .