The Trespassing Crew by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview
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Chapter 7
Months passed and seasons changed. Pablo and Apple grew to about half their eventual size, but noticed that the other animals weren’t growing the same way. They asked various questions about this, but were satisfied with the consistent answer that they used to be babies and that this is what babies do until they become adults, while everyone else here was already an adult. Just one thing perplexed Pablo.
Pablo: “Look at Charlie. He’s so small. Is he an adult, too?”
Charlie: “Why does everybody pick on the little chicken?”
Charlene: “Oh, be quiet. It applies to me too. It seems a fair question. Pablo, if you haven’t noticed we’re not all the same. Chickens are little, dogs range from little to medium, goats are medium and horses are BIG. It’s just the way we’re made. I don’t know why, maybe someone else does.”
Vanessa: “I really don't know either, but wouldn’t it be extremely boring, if we were all exactly the same.”
Hilda: “It would bore me, too, but isn’t valuing the differences, convenient for the pretty ones, like you?”
Vanessa: “I don’t understand.”
Hilda: “Well, if we all looked like you, or Apple, it would be an improvement for all of us.”
Vanessa: “That’s so silly.”
Gunther: “It’s very silly. You’re perfect just the way you are, you old goat.”
Everyone laughed as Hilda ran over and tried to butt Gunther. That was the end of the discussion, but it sparked new questions in the minds of Pablo and Apple, though they did not yet have the words to articulate them. Later in the day they paid their usual visit to Efscot and Zelda, who seemed to be in a particularly bad mood.
Zelda: “I hope you’re not coming over here to tell me how wonderful things are.”
Pablo: “You’re in some kind of mood today.”
Apple: “Want us to leave you alone?”
Zelda: “No, not really. Not at all. Seeing you guys is the best part of my day.”
Pablo: “What’s wrong?”
Efscot: “She doesn’t like this privileged existence in captivity.” He sarcastically added; “Oh, the bird in the gilded cage.”
Zelda: “You see any gilding around here, nitwit?”
Apple: “I wish you could come out more often and play with us.”
Zelda: “Yeah.”
Pablo: “Maybe we can figure out a way to get you loose at least part of the day.”
Efscot: “We’ve broken the doors down a few times already.
It takes some effort and Joe and Mary quickly fix them and put us back in. It just gives them a lot of work and we don’t have any problem with them.”
Apple: “I hate to see you so unhappy. There’s got to be a way. Don’t your owners know how you feel?”
Zelda: “No and if they did, they could care less. To them, we’re the same thing as if they had a Porsche in their grubby driveway.”
Efscot: “This is the first time we’re directly talking to you like this. You were babies before, but you’re so smart and curious, I think you’re old enough now.”
Pablo smiled and said; “Yes, I think we’re ready to listen to the resident malcontents and keep things in perspective.”
Zelda: “Good answer. By now you understand that you two have a very good life, as do the others, thanks to Joe and Mary.
We’re the two here with the problem. Maybe we have to solve it ourselves, or shut up about it.”
Pablo: “Oh, no. You’re not alone. We’re on your side and would like to help, if we knew how.”
Zelda: “You’re sweet. You see, we used to be show horses.
Humans considered us beautiful and when we were young our owners
went out of their way to bring us all over the country, so that other people could admire us. We liked that a lot. We got to see new people and surroundings virtually every week. And then when we were about three years old, our dollar value at a highpoint, we were sold to the boring cretins who still own us.”
Apple: “You were sold?”
Zelda: “Yes. That’s the human system. Everything is bought and sold, often for no good reason, other than they don’t know what to do with themselves otherwise. Someone once said;
“Paupers exchange possessions, each one wishing for what the other has got.” It’s stupid and we are paying the price. But you guys are very lucky to have Joe and Mary. They’re not like the majority.”
Pablo: “So, we’re really the privileged ones.”
Zelda: “Really, you are. Just hope Joe and Mary never have to sell this place.”
Pablo: “Why would they do that?”
Efscot: “There are a lot of possibilities; death, poor health, money problems, ......”
Pablo: “You’re given us a lot to think about.”
Zelda: “Here’s some more. As contented as you are here, wouldn’t you be just as contented, doing the same things, with no fences around you?”
Apple: “No doubt, yes. But we like Joe and Mary, too and wouldn’t they miss us?”
Zelda: “Yes.”
Efscot: “Yes, more than you can probably imagine.”
Pablo: “We’ll see you later.”
Pablo and Apple walked away slowly, looking at the ground.
They weren’t happy. They weren’t sad. They just knew that they now were entering another stage in their development and soon they might be making some difficult choices, that could affect the rest of their, as well as other lives. Instead of playing today they would seek out some other perspectives.
Pablo: “Hey, Charlie, I’d like to talk to you about something.”
Charlie: “Sure, I’m feeling particularly bright today.”
Pablo: “Would you rather be fenced in here or free in the outside world?”
Charlie: “I’d rather be fenced in here. In the outside world, I’d have to find my own food and that’s not easy. There are coyotes out there and they kill and eat chickens. I also like Joe and Mary a lot.”
Apple: “Those are good reasons.”
Charlie: “There’s more too. The outside world is full of predators. Humans and animals have territories that they claim
for themselves and they try to get rid of anyone who crosses their border.”
Apple: “Animals do that too?”
Charlie: “Sure. For instance, this is Joe and Mary’s territory and since they like us, we’re all allowed to use it as we wish. Outside the gate you can see a couple of other properties. You’ll notice that there are very unfriendly dogs on them. If any of us went over there, they probably would attack us.”
Charlene: “Oh Charlie, you can’t be sure about that. Their bark may be much worse than their bites.”
Charlie: “Well, I don’t want to find out the hard way.”
Pablo: “Thanks. We’ll have to talk again soon. We have some thinking to do.”
Charlie: “Well, before you waste the day thinking, take us for rides.”
Pablo and Apple smiled and squatted down so that Charlene and Charlie could get on their backs. They went for a slow walk around the property, stopping at the gate a few times to take a look at the other properties. Charlie wouldn’t sit still and kept pointing out all the items of interest to him. Charlene told him to shut up a few times and it fell on deaf ears. Pablo and Apple forgot about their ponderous thoughts and enjoyed another day spent with their good friends.