Thursday, July 10, 2014

The Saddest Calvin & Hobbes Story You Will Ever Read






If you love Calvin & Hobbes, (and who doesn't,) this bit of fan fiction from the Redditor known as "samuraitiger19" has been making the rounds and is a must read.

*WARNING* Have a full box of Kleenex™ with you when you read this. Your Blog started reading this last night while I was waiting for KISS to hit the stage at The Forum. I stopped when I realized that I was openly sobbing in public. The people around me must have thought I was insane.

The story chronicles Calvin's last talk with Hobbes, as Calvin lays on his deathbed. It is beautiful and moving and gut wrenching.

You have been warned.


"Calvin? Calvin, sweetheart?"

In the darkness Calvin heard the sound of Susie, his wife of fifty-three years. Calvin struggled to open his eyes. God, he was so tired and it took so much strength. Slowly, light replaced the darkness, and soon vision followed. At the foot of his bed stood his wife.
Calvin wet his dry lips and spoke hoarsely, "Did... did you.... find him?"
"
Yes dear," Susie said smiling sadly, "He was in the attic."
Susie reached into her big purse and brought out a soft, old, orange tiger doll.
Calvin could not help but laugh. It had been so long. Too long.

"I washed him for you," Susie said, her voice cracking a little as she laid the stuffed tiger next to her husband.
"
Thank you, Susie." Calvin said.

A few moments passed as Calvin just laid on his hospital bed, his head turned to the side, staring at the old toy with nostalgia.

"Dear," Calvin said finally. "Would you mind leaving me alone with Hobbes for a while? I would like to catch up with him."
"All right," Susie said. "I'll get something to eat in the cafeteria. I'll be back soon."

Susie kissed her husband on the forehead and turned to leave. With sudden but gentle strength Calvin stopped her. Lovingly he pulled his wife in and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. "I love you," he said.
"And I love you," said Susie.
Susie turned and left.
Calvin saw tears streaming from her face as she went out the door

Calvin then turned to face his oldest and dearest friend. "Hello Hobbes. It's been a long time hasn't it old pal?"
 Hobbes was no longer a stuffed doll but the big furry old tiger Calvin had always remembered.
"It sure has, Calvin." said Hobbes.

"You... haven't changed a bit." Calvin smiled.

"You've changed a lot." Hobbes said sadly.

Calvin laughed, "Really? I haven't noticed at all."

There was a long pause. The sound of a clock ticking away the seconds rang throughout the sterile hospital room.

"So... you married Susie Derkins." Hobbes said, finally smiling. "I knew you always liked her."

"Shut up!" Calvin said, his smile bigger than ever.

"Tell me everything I missed. I'd love to hear what you've been up to!" Hobbes said, excited.

And so Calvin told him everything.
He told him about how he and Susie fell in love in high school and had married after graduating from college, about his three kids and four grandkids, how he turned Spaceman Spiff into one of the most popular sci-fi novels of the decade, and so on. After he told Hobbes all this there was another pregnant pause.

"You know... I visited you in the attic a bunch of times." Calvin said.

"I know."

"But I couldn't see you. All I saw was a stuffed animal." Calvin voice was breaking and tears of regret started welling up in his eyes.
"You grew up old buddy." said Hobbes.
Calvin broke down and sobbed, hugging his best friend. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry I broke my promise! I promised I wouldn't grow up and that we'd be together forever!!"

Hobbes stroked Calvin's hair, or what little was left of it.
"But you didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"We were always together... in our dreams."

"We were?"

"We were."

"Hobbes?"

"Yeah, old buddy?"

"I'm so glad I got to see you like this... one last time..."

"Me too, Calvin. Me too."

"Sweetheart?" Susie's voice came from outside the door.

"Yes dear?" Calvin replied.

"Can I come in?" Susie asked.

"Just a minute."
 Calvin turned to face Hobbes one last time.
"Goodbye Hobbes. Thanks... for everything..."

"No, thank you Calvin." Hobbes said.

Calvin turned back to the door and said, "You can come in now."

Susie came in and said, "Look who's come to visit you."

Calvin's children and grandchildren followed Susie into Calvin's room. The youngest grandchild ran past the rest of them and hugged Calvin in a hard, excited hug. "Grandpa!!" screamed the child in delight.
"Francis!" cried Calvin's daughter, "Be gentle with your grandfather."
Calvin's daughter turned to her dad. "I'm sorry, Daddy. Francis never seems to behave these days. He just runs around making a mess and coming up with strange stories."

Calvin laughed and said, "Well now! That sounds just like me when I was his age."

Calvin and his family chatted some more until a nurse said, "Sorry, but visiting hours are almost up."
Calvin's beloved family said good bye and promised to visit tommorrow.
As they turned to leave Calvin said, "Francis. Come here for a second."

Francis came over to his grandfather's side, "What is it Gramps?"

Calvin reached over to the stuffed tiger on his bedside and and held him out shakily to his grandson, who looked exactly as he did so many years ago.
"This is Hobbes. He was my best friend when I was your age. I want you to have him."

"He's just a stuffed tiger." Francis said, eyebrows raised.

Calvin laughed, "Well, let me tell you a secret." 
Francis leaned closer to Clavin. Calvin whispered, "If you catch him in a tiger trap using a tuna sandwich as bait he will turn into a real tiger."

Francis gasped in delighted awe. Calvin continued, "Not only that he will be your best friend forever."

"Wow! Thanks grandpa!" Francis said, hugging his grandpa tightly again.

"Francis! We need to go now!" Calvin's daughter called.

"Okay!" Francis shouted back.

"Take good care of him." Calvin said.

"I will." Francis said before running off after the rest of the family.

Calvin laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. The time to go was close. He could feel it in his soul. Calvin tried to remember a quote he read in a book once. It said something about death being the next great adventure or something like that. He eyelids grew heavy and his breathing slowed. As he went deeper into his final sleep he heard Hobbes, as if he was right next to him at his bedside.
"I'll take care of him, Calvin..."

Calvin took his first step toward one more adventure and breathed his last with a grin on his face.

35 comments:

  1. Oh my.
    You weren't exaggerating.
    I'm a tearful mess.

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  2. Thank you, YB Normaall, for loving this as much as I did.

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  3. this was the most amazing thing Ive ever read. Im a bawling mess, but as a lifetime Calvin and Hobbes fan, this is the only way the story could go....

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  4. this was the most amazing thing Ive ever read. Im a bawling mess, but as a lifetime Calvin and Hobbes fan, this is the only way the story could go....

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  5. This needs to get animated and printed. Perfect way to end a classic

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  6. This needs to get animated and printed. Perfect way to end a classic

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  7. I read this a couple of years ago and sobbed. Didn't sob this time, but I have a lump in my throat and the tears are welling up in my eyes. Very well done. A good sendoff for one of the greatest comic strip characters of all-time.

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  8. Man, I work full time on hospice as a chaplain. This really hit me in the feels.

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  9. I read Calvin and Hobbes sporadically... But this is how I hope to look at my death - as one more adventure. Leave something behind for each of my grandkids to keep - something that helps make their lives as adventurous as I feel mine has been (though there is always room for more adventure in our lives). I hope my end is a ways off - but if not, I have had a good run with a wonderful woman.

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  10. I.... I, can't find the words.

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  11. Oh Lord may I never lose Hobbes.....

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  12. Wow. I didn't even cry at my grandmother's funeral. This, I was a bawling machine! Wasn't this on Pinterest?????????????

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  13. Absolutely Beautiful. I've read this several times and each time I do the tears run down my face......its beautiful

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    Replies
    1. Again, and again.
      Sad, and yet the twist of hope, as the magic of Hobbes
      is handed off to his grandchild,

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  14. It is wonderful it made my eyes tear up.

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  15. Oh my God. I love Calvin and Hobbes. I have the entire box set, every single comic. I read it every day. This ending...it is perfect. I cried so hard. This needs to be drawn as a comic, now. This ending is happy, sad, and beautiful.

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  16. read this a hundred times...… crying like a baby!!! EVERYTIME!!! don't know who wrote this....THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart....i'm 65 soon to be 66 and I cry everytime I read it!!!!




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  17. I can't. I.. I'm sorry, but.. Oh, Calvin...

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  18. the first time i read this, i was almost going to cry fully. but only 2 tears come. it was so sad. :*(

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  19. wow... im a big fan of this comic strip and im crying my eyes out the last bit got me "Ill take care of him calvin" im crying while im writing this :.(

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  20. I'm sobbing. I tried to tell my daughter about this, and could barely get my voice out I'm crying so bad. This is SO beautiful!

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  21. So many memories from reading that strip. Now we need a new one - Francis and Hobbes. The adventure will go on!!

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  22. Tears and smiling - hope my passing will be that easy.

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  23. Well the tears came as I knew they would. This was SO well written! But I agree -- somebody MUST animate this into a final strip. I wish I had the skill...

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  24. I just can't type...I'm a bawling mess...

    This is the way everyone should leave this earth; with thoughts of when we were children and everything was an adventure...

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  25. My son has had a stuffed tiger since he was a baby. Big Tiger went everywhere with him. Now he's 15 and Big Tiger still sleeps with him and I sneakily catch glimpses of him hugging his tiger. We've always joked that my son and Big Tiger were Calvin and Hobbes. Now I'm bawling...

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