Disclaimer: I have not watched a full episode of Sesame Street in a long time
Big Bird has been waiting for the store to open for a very long time now. Heās a patient bird, and he knows about waiting his turn, but his watch has the big hand on the three and the little hand on the nine and heās pretty sure that Alan usually open the store when the little hand is on the seven.
Finally, when the little hand goes all the way to the four, the door opens.
āHi, Big Bird,ā Chris says, his eyes red and puffy.Ā āWe arenāt going to open the store today.ā
Big Bird doesnāt understand; Hooperās store opens every day.Ā āWhy arenāt you opening the store, Chris?ā Big Bird asks.Ā āI need beakpaste, Iām all out.ā
Chris just looks sad.Ā āBig Bird, did you hear about The Snap?ā
āNo,ā Big Bird says, and the way Chris is talking is very scary. He feels like he might need to sit down.Ā āI donāt even know how to snap!ā
Chris steps out form behind the door and gestures for them to sit on the stoop. When theyāre settled, Chris takes a deep breath before he speaks.Ā āWell, a bad man named Thanos came to Earth. Do you know about Thanos?ā
āYes,ā Big Bird nods He heard some of the grownups saying that name.Ā āHe fought with the Avengers.ā
āThatās right,ā Chris says.Ā āAnd the Avengers lost their fight. Sometimes, even when grownups try really hard, they canāt do all the things they want to do, and sometimes that means that bad things happen.ā
āDid a bad thing happen?ā
āYes,ā Chris says, taking Big Birdās wing in his hand.Ā āBecause of Thanos, a lot of people are missing. And Alan is one of them.ā
Big Bird has to think about that for a moment. He went missing one time, when he was a blue bird in a circus, but his friends found him and brought him home. But something about Alanās face tells Big Bird that this isnāt the kind of missing where your friends can find you.
āIs Alan dead, Chris?ā Big Bird asks.Ā āI remember when Mr. Hooper died.ā
āThe honest answer is that we donāt know. He might be. Or he might just be missing.ā
Big Bird tries to understand that.Ā āMissing?ā
āYeah,ā Chris says.Ā āHe might come back some day, and he might not. We just donāt know.ā
Big Bird wants to cry. He loves Alan, and he doesnāt want any of his friends to be missing.Ā āIs anyone else missing?ā
āYes,ā Chris says.Ā āSome of your friends may be, or their parents, or yours cousins and uncles and aunts. A lot of people are. And itās very scary.ā
Chris is crying a little, a few small tears pooling at the side of his eyes, and Big Bird wants to do something, wants to say something, but he kinda feels like crying too, and doesnāt know what will help.Ā āI donāt know,ā Chris says.Ā āI think the only thing we can do is be here for each other, and love each other, and take care of each other. When things are scary, and when bad things happen, the most important thing to do is look around at the people who are still here, and try to do your best for them.ā
Big Bird nods.Ā āHey Chris?ā
Chris nods.Ā āI would very much like a hug, thank you.ā
Big Bird does the only thing he knows how to do; he opens his wings and wraps them around Chris, doing his best to be there for the people who are still with him.