Wabash Boy

Chapter 8 (scene) The fawn instinctively remained motionless as the old woman let herself through the gate. Her knees creaked as she knelt and held out her palms. The fawn cautiously eyed the old woman before playfully kicking up its hind legs, running to meet her. She stroked its thin, spotted back. Lillie looked at Eddie. “Set down your dog and come in here and meet it.” Eddie placed Jack on the barn floor. The dog stuck his eager nose through the slats of the gate, and sniffed. “Pull the gate shut behind you,” said Lillie. She observed the fawn’s reaction as it sought safety in her arms. “Come closer.” Eddie crept forward and bent his knees, all the while maintaining eye contact with the fawn. He held his palms in front of his body. The fawn did not move. Slowly, Eddie’s hands reached for the fawn until his fingertips touched its shoulders and brushed its sides. His arms caressed the unmoving animal, and brought it close to his chest. It did not resist, so he began stroking its thin back. “That’s right,” whispered Lillie, looking pleased. “That’s exactly right.” “How did you get him?” “For years I’ve worked with the game warden. I volunteer to adopt orphaned wildlife. But, in this case, I discovered the fawn myself. I found the doe yesterday in my woods, evidently dead just a short time. The fawn was nearby in the brush. I sent Billy to the doe to find out what happened. I called the game warden and told him about it. He came over to check everything out, and he asked me to take care of it. Don’t ever take a fawn from the wild just because you think it’s orphaned. People do terrible harm by taking fawns that aren’t really orphaned. But this one clearly was.” Eddie continued stroking the fawn’s thin back. “I can’t believe it’s letting me hold it.” Lillie smiled. “It knows your intent. Animals are smart that way.” She reached out and patted the fawn. “Would you like to see my favorites?” “Sure. You mean your lambs?” “No, not lambs,” Lillie chuckled. Her knees creaked again as she strained to stand up. “The game warden brought me other orphans when he came to look at the fawn. Set down the fawn and come over to this other pen.” The fawn followed Eddie to the gate and watched him secure the latch. “Come over here and see these four babies.” Eddie shied outside the pen as Lillie entered it. Four tiny black and white skunk kits were frolicking inside. A large cardboard box for sleep and privacy sat in the corner, but for the moment, the kits were busy playing. A pan of diced carrots, lettuce, and food pellets sat in the corner of the pen. “I’m still feeding them puppy formula with a small bottle once a day because they’re not completely weaned. Their mother got hit on the road and the warden found the kits nearby in the ditch.” Lillie looked back at Eddie who was hesitating at the gate. “Don’t worry. They can’t spray much more than a little poof when they’re this young. Come in here and meet them. You know, Eddie, these little orphans offer us an important lesson in life.” The kits froze when Eddie entered their domain. They raced to Lillie’s feet. The old woman knelt and allowed them to jump up and huddle in her lap. “Skittish little things, aren’t they?” “What lesson?” asked Eddie. “Come over here and join me. Let them come to you. Hold them on your lap, and pet them like you did the fawn.” Eddie took a small step backwards. “They won’t want to come to me.” Lillie gave Eddie a reassuring look, and nodded. “Oh yes, they’ll come right to you,” she said as she winked. Eddie crept forward, squatted, and held out his arms. The four kits sniffed the air and bolted from the woman’s lap. They raced to Eddie and jumped onto his lap and into his embrace. “My gosh,” whispered Eddie, as four tiny wet noses reached up and smelled his breath inches from his mouth. Four sets of squinting, black eyes examined his face. “What’s going on?” he asked as he looked at his admirers. “This is so weird.” “No, no. It’s not weird,” reassured Lillie. “Think about those creatures in your arms. How do you think skunks feel about their spray? How much you want to bet they think their spray’s weird and disgusting. But, that’s their biggest strength. Who knows? They may feel ashamed to use it. Sometimes a person feels peculiar, very unique, like these skunk kits are discovering about their spray. In fact, sometimes people even feel embarrassed about their talent and don’t care to develop it.” She paused and admired the skunk kits content in the boy’s arms. “Sometimes a gift a person or creature thinks is strange is his biggest strength.” Lillie chuckled and pointed at the skunks with one hand while holding her nose with the other. “It’s not so weird.” Eddie nodded his head and smiled as the kits remained nestled in his arms. “Yes, I understand what you’re saying. I like animals a lot.” He petted the kits with his free hand. “Animals aren’t afraid of me. They seem to stay calm around me right from the start. But, you know how kids like to tease.” He focused on the kits’ sweet faces a moment before looking at the old woman. “Our secret?” “Our secret,” Lillie agreed.