Fatty is a little stuff tiger who came free at a Saisaki buffet. He has a strange shape and the most expressive face I had ever seen on a stuff toy; it could look happy or sad or even disapproving, at times, when you took his hands and crossed them together. Most of the time though, he looked quite concerned, about what, I'm not sure, but it was sweet to imagine that he was worried about something and he wanted you to always be careful. Whenever I looked at him, I could hear him, hear his little voice, saying "Hello".

I will never forget how he looked when I had to patch him up myself, that one time, when he had somehow managed to put a hole on his little bottom, just right by his tail. That's what you get, I told him, running around the city like you do. But don't worry, I reassured him right away, it's just a little patch-up and I've done this many times before. He still looked worried, but suddenly then, more patient. And when it was over I told him, look, you're good as new, he looked as if he thought he was even better than that. He was real. For always.

He was stolen today, taken during a late afternoon train ride, and I feel like I've lost a really good friend.