The Trespassing Crew by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview
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Chapter 9
When the duo woke up the next cloudy morning, they wanted to find out some things from their mother.
Apple: “Mom, you said that you have NEVER been on the outside?”
Annabelle: “No. I was born here and have never left.”
Pablo: “NEVER?”
Annabelle: “Never. Why should I leave? I like it here.”
Pablo: “You don’t ever get curious?”
Annabelle: “Sure, I do.”
Apple: “We’re only asking because it’s sounding more and more like most of the animals are itching to make a break for it and I think we’ll be with them. But, we don’t want to leave you.”
For Annabelle, who was previously aware of the gist of prior conversations through the rumor mill, the decision was an easy one. She said; “Don’t worry about that. If you go, I’m going with you. You’re my only babies.”
Pablo and Apple nuzzled faces with their mother, happy for what they had heard. They walked away intending to find Hilda and Gunther. They walked together slowly in the pre-dawn morning and saw no sign of the waddling, black, elusive leapers.
Pablo: “Come on out Gunther. I know you’re around someplace.”
Pablo and Apple’s heads turned to the sound of rustling leaves. They saw a pile that the wind had pushed against the side of the barn and from it popped two horned heads.
Gunther: “What a time to come looking for us. The sun isn’t even up yet.”
Pablo: “I’m sorry. I guess we got overly excited.”
Hilda frowned and groaned. The two goats got on their feet and shook off the clinging leaves.
Apple: “I apologize, too. But now that you’re up there is something important we’d like to talk to you about.”
Gunther and Hilda looked at each other with raised eyebrows and then broke into a laugh. Hilda said; “What is it, little girl?”
Apple: “We’ve been speaking with everyone else and it seems like we’re getting near escaping to the wild.”
Gunther and Hilda smiled and said nothing.
Pablo: “We’d like to keep the whole family together and we’d like you two to come.”
Gunther cleared his throat and said; “No problem. How about you, Hilda?”
Hilda: “I’m with you, baby.” The two goats looked at the two horses, wondering what more was necessary to articulate.
Pablo and Apple were pleased at the response, but quizzical and surprised with its rapidity and were at a temporary loss for words.
After a lull Apple re-stated their proposition, saying;
“So, if all the other animals make a break for it, you’re with us, no questions asked?”
Gunther and Hilda nodded their heads affirmatively, as if to say; “Your redundancy is getting boring. YES!! ”
Pablo timidly said; “Thanks,” and he and Apple looked at each other curiously and walked away. They turned around to see Gunther and Hilda get back under the leaves, as the sun made its presence known.
They resumed walking and Pablo whispered; “Goats sure are weird.”
Apple furrowed her brow and replied; “I’ll say. Are they from this country?” Pablo shrugged and after a few more steps they saw the chickens.
Pablo: “Hey, Charlene. Stop dancing around for a minute.
You too, Charlie. We have to talk to you.”
Charlene: “Sounds serious.”
Apple: “As serious as you can get.”
Charlie: “I don’t feel like being serious today. I want to go for a ride.”
Apple: “Hop on. You can have all the rides you like, but we have to talk during them. ...... Well, at least today, anyway.”
The chickens hopped on their usual elevated seats and the now medium sized horses started moving slowly, taking the same trip they had already taken hundreds of times.
Pablo: “Happy, Charlie?”
Charlie: “Very.”
Pablo: “Good, I want to tell you that all the other animals seem ready to make a break for the outside and we’d like you two to come with us.”
Charlie: “All of them?”
Apple: “All.”
Charlene: “That makes things different. I don’t want to lose my entire family.”
Charlie: “Me either, but I have my reservations.”
Charlene: “Reserve your reservations. This requires a yes or no answer.”
Apple: “I think we understand your problem, but we can make special arrangements to keep you away from the coyotes.”
Charlie: “Like?”
Pablo: “We can make sure that you’re always around a horse.
The coyotes don’t want to come near a horse, because we can give
them a really hard kick in the head. If they have any doubts about that, maybe we’ll have to make an example.”
Charlie: “Charlene, do you want to take your chances?”
Charlene: “I’m feeling lucky today.”
Charlie: “Okay, we’re with you. Don’t mind me. I can’t help but be a chicken, but with everyone’s assistance I think I can overcome that.”
Apple: “I’m so glad to hear that. We can keep riding forever.”
With that good news in hand, or, more likely, in hooves, the little horses went over to see the most adamant protagonists.
Apple: “Good morning, Efscot and Zelda.”
Zelda: “I’ll say “Morning”; I haven’t noticed anything particularly good about it.”
Pablo: “That’s where you’re wrong. There is something outstanding about this morning. We’ve found that everyone in the barnyard wants to go with you when you break out.”
Efscot: “Now, you’ve scared her. It was easy for Zelda to say how badly she wanted to leave, when it was only a very remote possibility, but now she’ll have to deal with reality.
It’s not her forte.”
Zelda: “Reality, what a concept. Maybe someday they’ll make television shows that limited. I can hardly wait for the
rave reviews to come in. Imagine the popular appeal. And no expense. Great business.”
Efscot: “What are you saying? Even I don’t understand what you mean.”
Zelda: “Dumbo, I mean that the reality I am living here has got to go. I’m out that gate as soon as it’s open and I’m not looking back.”
Efscot: “Okay, princess, I just wanted to be sure.
Sometimes you confuse me. I don’t want to deal with a situation where you say, “I’m going. I’m going. I’m going. I’m staying”.”
Zelda over-overtly widened her eyes and said; “I know you just love it when I confuse you.” She stuck her tongue out at Efscot and added; “Don’t worry about my going. Are you sure of yourself?”
Efscot: “I’m going wherever you go. You know nobody else can entertain me like you. I’d be suicidal here without you.”
The two big horses gave each other a knowing, satisfied look, that the smaller horses didn’t fully understand, but the little ones knew enough to see that this escape was right on the horizon.
Pablo: “The next step we’re going to take is to call everyone to a meeting right here tomorrow. We’ll make our plans; deal with the problems and whatever else pops up. Apple
and I will tell everyone to be here in the AM right after breakfast.”
Zelda: “I’ll try to hang on one more day.”
Efscot: “She will and so will I.”
After Pablo and Apple left Efscot said to Zelda; “You’d have been great on stage.”
Zelda snorted and gave Efscot’s head a playful shove with her own.