by Ronn Fryer
Jenny had never been one to judge; all her convictions were built around tolerance. And yet, she still felt as if she’d been duped. That was absurd of course. The only reward Olivia received for diving in and saving the little poet, amounted to emotional devastation – certainly no motivation for subterfuge.
Everyone probably had a secret or two, that wasn’t necessarily bad. More often than not, confidentialities were just a form of personal preservation. Safeguarding vulnerability was hardly malicious deception. Jenny’s blithe butterfly tattoo and loose flowing hair, perpetually adorned with a diversity of flora, suddenly felt hypocritical. After all, what good was a heart reticent to forgive and forget? Still, she just couldn’t get that shocking image out of her head.
Nikki, meanwhile, had been uncharacteristically distant. She’d said precious little about any of it. Truth was, she felt like a coward. Even though she’d jumped in the canoe with Stacy, they failed to dislodge the cooler because she panicked. They hit the cooler on the second pass because she was afraid of falling in. Sitting up taller, leaning forward, she would have seen she needed to dig her paddle in on the right. Leaning over the bow, however, put her at risk of tumbling overboard.
Worse yet, once they’d beached their canoe, her feet had remained planted firmly on the shore. Unable to deny her behavior, she’d spent long hours staring through the ceiling of the tent – her nocturnal soul-searching offering little mercy. She couldn’t even blame her actions (or lack of), on the startling discovery of Olivia’s attributes. The naked truth may have been extremely disturbing, but blame could scarcely be hoisted on such a tiny mast – especially since that ship hadn’t even sailed yet. There just weren’t any excuses. When it counted, the girl Nicole saw in the mirror was the one who’d done nothing but cower.
Despite everything, though, time and a toasty campfire has a way of melting away negative karma. United along the lapping water, with stars beginning to fill the sky, it was so much easier for the girls to focus on more pleasant things. During the past few days, they’d taken enough selfies and groupies to fill the net, as well as multiple photo albums. This final gathering was certainly no time to curtail a little well-earned indulgence.
The two amateur paparazzi were careful to save the incriminating shots of Bobby’s cookie-jar antics, even though none were actually posted. Instead, like the others they simply packed the cloud with images of the exuberant faces of six freshly-graduated besties enjoying endless fun and frolic in Northern Michigan. Such a great time most definitely had to be shared. Ignoring basic tenets of social media would be pure sacrilege. After all, hundreds of combined family and friends must certainly be salivating for a vast array of visual proof. They would not be disappointed.
Since she hadn’t brought a chair, Tina joined Stacy and Nicole on the picnic table. It turned out to be a prophetic move. The prevailing wind seemed enamored with the occupants of the nylon folding chairs. When a strong breeze swept a wave of smoke into Keisha’s face, she squinted, held her breath and slid her chair over.
Jennifer blurted, “I hate rabbits!”
Courtney stopped texting and looked at Jenny as if the girl had lost it.
The wind relaxed for a brief moment, then regained its impetus, spewing a dense wall of smoke over the girls. Shielding her eyes, Jennifer repeated her mantra, “I hate rabbits!”
“Jenny,” Courtney asked, “What in hell are you talking about?”
Waving her hand through the gray cloud, Jen answered, “It chases the smoke away.”
Never cursed with excessive patience, the blonde spouted, “What does?”
“Chanting I hate rabbits.”
Acting as if Jennifer might be a bit mentally frail, Courtney asked, “You seriously believe your little saying chases away smoke?”
Jenny shrugged, suggesting that anything’s possible. Before she could elaborate, though, the semi-natural blonde increased her sarcasm. “So, does it just work for smoke, or will it magically get rid of everything bad?”
Along with the others, Tina had been listening to their little debate. Even if she doubted a simple chant could change anything, she couldn’t resist entertaining the idea. How wonderful it would be to chase away everything bad; erase all the nasty residue – eliminate someone’s emotional smoke.
It might not do any good, and Olivia would probably think she’d gone bonkers, but the next time they met, Tina would nevertheless give it a try. “Hey sweetie, just thought I’d tell you – ‘I hate rabbits!’”
Chapter 47 – Got It
Like most good evenings, the final night at the campsite passed by too soon. Their time together ended just as it had begun that day at Ruthie’s, with non-stop chatter and warm feelings abounding. All and all, the girl’s trip had been a fantastic adventure, but they were getting tired and it was going to be a long drive home. Yawns were gradually replacing laughter. Tina had already stayed far longer than she’d intended. After a final round of hugs, cheek kisses and promises, she turned and made her way back to the Sabre.
With the door open to keep dome light on, Tina dug in her purse for the keys. Before she could start the car, however, Stacy appeared at the open doorway. Kneeling down, she said, “Hey, I just wanted to say it’s been great,”
“I know,” Tina agreed enthusiastically. Then, presenting a delightful little frown, she added, “We’re really gonna miss you.”
“Me too,” Stacy admitted. “By the way, I meant to ask you, how’s your friend doing?”
“You mean – Olivia!?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry,” Stacy apologized, “It’s still a little awkward.”
Despite Tina’s impulse to instantly defend Livvy, she knew Stacy wasn’t being judgmental. The situation was challenging and discussing it was even harder. It was a quandary that every one of the girls had tiptoed around. Stacy alone, had been the one thoughtful enough to ask.
“I can’t imagine the indignity,” Tina declared. “Especially after everything else.”
“Yeah,” Stacy admitted simply, failing to think of anything else to offer.
In an effort to brighten the mood, Tina praised the girl’s triumph at the beach. “You sure took care of those assholes!”
“Maybe,” Stacy consented, “but we’re leaving. We’ll never have to deal with them again. I hope they leave you girls alone.”
Tina smiled.
Stacy, knowing it was simply time to let her go, smiled in return.
Although they agree to keep in touch, both girls understood the likelihood. Still, you never knew. As they parted, hugging a final goodbye, Stacy’s use of that one word reassured Tina that she’d also met one of the precious few that truly got it!
Part 3
August – October
Chapter 1 - Run Bunny, Run
Depressed about losing her job and her life in general, Olivia stuck almost exclusively to herself after the girls left. Beyond Tina, she hadn’t made any new friends and despite her improved cosmetic skills, they were hardly lined three deep at her door. Occasional tire tracks were her only visitors.
The Sabre’s were easy to spot. They left their imprint in a predictable pattern, always stopping by the big norway, then leaving a triangle as the Buick reversed, and slipped back down the little dirt road.
The other tracks were no mystery either. The El Camino’s tires sashayed in and left a wide trench, lofting clumps of dirt high into the air. In case the gouges in the road weren’t obvious enough, cigarette butts usually littered the path of their descent. She shuttered at the image of the car’s vile contents. Such wonderful specimens of manhood; what a shame the vehicle lacked a backseat, obviously a bevy of sex-crazed supermodels would have eagerly jumped in.
In spite of the variance in which the gridiron heroes chose to visit, providence proved clairvoyant. They were yet to catch Olivia home. Whenever she wasn’t safe up in the clouds, her time was spent afield, tutoring various vulpes adventures. There was much to learn and time was short. Sadly, summers ju
st don’t last long enough.
The few remaining days of July seemed to evaporate. August passed just as quickly and September, ever the copycat, was apparently intent on doing the same. Between long, tedious hours spent staring at the indigenous canopy, and time preparing the kits for the day they’d be on their own, Olivia watched the days slip by. The nights, however, had a tendency to crawl. All the while she tried to decide just what her future might hold.
The forest service letter contained instructions on how to close down the cabin for the season, although most likely, for good. So, in addition to a loss of income, she would soon be homeless. It hardly put a smile on her subtly enhanced face.
On low fire hazard days, Olivia often woke early and drove down Rea Road to the bridge; the morning offering protection from unwanted guests. It was also the best time to commune with nature and catch creek chubs with an old fly rod she’d found in the shed.
Both Arvy and Felicity adored the tasty morsels, although neither could understand why mom was such a lousy fisherman. Seems she lost more than she caught. With such poor skills, it was a wonder humans didn’t starve. Meanwhile, as they waited for their streamside sushi, the kits filled time honing their skills: stalking birds, chipmunks, and discarded pop cans; the latter usually being the easiest to capture.
It was quite the day, however, when Reginald Von Fox caught his first field mouse. Despite a complete lack of modeling, his instincts took over, senses intuitively primed for the hunt. Felicity watched Arvy’s every move, scrutinizing his method of slowly advancing, then pouncing.
Their intuition and innate abilities were a good sign. Although Olivia dreaded the day, she knew their survival would depend completely on those very instincts.
The kits gradually spent more and more time outside and Livvy had begun dispensing mushed up Alpo, their new staple, inside the hollowed out belly of a stitched-up rabbit. Once they developed confidence extracting the contents of the static fare, she tied a string to the bunny’s nose and dragged it across the ground.
Arvy caught on quickly, pouncing deftly on the hapless varmint. Felicity also excelled, capturing the plush prey on her first try. Despite her brother’s prowess, she even beat him to the ragged critter on occasion. Even if she never suspected Olivia’s habit of slowing the rabbit’s getaway for her, capturing dinner increased the female’s self-confidence tremendously.
Since the kits buried all excess food, Olivia started to add extra portions – all of which soon found their way into a multitude of caches. Life was tough in the wild even for the best hunters. Hopefully, during lean times, starvation would be staved off with a savory, remembered scent.
But Olivia wasn’t going to dwell on negative thoughts. Creatures had been surviving in the wild for eons. All the same, since it was indeed survival of the fittest, she favored them with a steady diet of Purina’s Prime Cuts, fresh Au Sable seafood, and an occasional vitamin-laced chicken breast – nutritious insurance to provide plenty of strength for growing muscles and bones. No, there was no doubt that her kits would begin their journey with the best possible odds, Olivia was damn well going to stack the deck!
Chapter 2 – Bonbons
They seemed nice enough at first. Although Tina didn't recognize either of the women, she nevertheless gave them a smile as they entered. It never hurt to be friendly. And, since they appeared to basically be browsers, she simply went back to her travel magazine. Santorini was beckoning.
Cal had been stocking the back shelves. He also smiled at them and included a cheerful ‘good morning.’ They didn’t return his greeting. Working with the public can be tricky – you need to make people feel welcome without seeming too invasive. It’s a fine line, especially with women.
Cal fully understood the line and although he was friendly, he was careful not to cross it. He’d never gotten married; the extent of his experience with the fairer sex was basically limited to holding the door or bagging their groceries. He would have loved finding a life companion, but felt that ship had long sailed. Truth, of course, was it never left the harbor. Foote Site was hardly a hotbed of opportunity, and actual flirting took a fair amount of confidence. Beyond everyday pleasantries, the best Cal could offer was help in locating inventory.
“Can I help you ladies find anything?” He asked.
Despite the store’s broken air conditioner, a wave of frigid air nearly frosted the hotdog buns he’d been shelving. A simple ‘no thanks,’ would have been fine, but ignoring Cal’s very existence was rude beyond description. Tina, who’d temporarily suspended her reverie over the glossy images of Italy’s most picturesque vistas, witnessed the snub from behind the counter. Their audacity damn near lifted her off the stool. Although she’d originally thought one of the women might be a good match for Cal, she instantly decided they didn’t deserve to breathe the same air.
Cal silently reached for his cane and escorted his bruised feelings back through the rear door.
Totally ignorant of the painful insult they’d induced, the ladies simply continued perusing the contents of Ruthie’s store. Tina, meanwhile, literally bit her lip, lectured herself on the merits of remaining professional and slipped back into idyllic visions of Greece. She probably wouldn’t even have caught their subsequent conversation had it not been for the snickering. It was one thing for teenagers to whisper and giggle, but it was just weird for full-grown women. The cashier nevertheless did her best to ignore them – until she heard Calvin’s name mentioned. Evidently, these fine ladies already knew him.
Before Tina could fine-tune her antennae, however, the lady closest to her peered over her glasses. Since the help seemed preoccupied, the coast was evidently clear. The help, however, didn’t need her eyes to pick up the rest of their vicious tripe.
“Like anybody in their right mind would even...”
“Full grown man, still living with his mother.”
“Probably some kind of pedophile...”
Tina turned the next page so hard it nearly ripped. Limits were just that, and she’d just reached hers. When the women finally finished their little shopping spree, they placed a bag of bonbons on the counter and offered her a plastic smile. Tina mimicked their smile and collected the bag of chocolates.
“Ooouu,” she purred, “Bonbons!”
Nicely as you please, she casually opened the bag, reached in and pulled out one of the big, round chocolates. Plopping it into her mouth, she sucked in its juicy sweetness, closed her eyes and sighed.
“Uuummm,” she moaned, “these are absolutely delicious.”
With her face all aglow after such culinary nirvana, Tina pulled out an extra dark chocolate, and explained, “This one’s for Cal, they’re his favorites.”
Then, presenting a smile as synthetic as their oversized vinyl purses, she resealed the bag and cooed, “You are just gonna love these!”
Chapter 3 – Arvy’s Cache
Olivia looked everywhere, but she couldn’t find her new cami. Never able to wear anything without washing it first, she thought for sure she’d hung it out to dry. The line was empty though, with only a half dozen wooden clothespins patiently waiting for washday. Without a single neighbor around and only a mild breeze, it was puzzling. Twenty-two really was a bit soon to start losing one’s mind.
After a second inspection of the clothesbasket (once again being used for clothes), however, she looked out the window and had an epiphany.
Felicity was lying at the base of the norway, basking in the sun. A.R.V., however, seemed to be M.I.A. Nothing to worry about, he’d been stretching his boundaries and he usually came bounding back whenever Olivia called. Hearing his name either meant food or a good scratch behind the ears, neither of which could be resisted.
This time was no exception. At the sound of her voice he came prancing out from the small clearing between the cabin and the old railway embankment. Her suspicious were quickly confirmed by the dirt around his snout. Evidently food was not the only item deemed worthy of his cache.
When the Archduke came back and plopped down at her feet, Olivia had a strong urge to chastise him – not that he would have understood. Cute or not, they would always be wild animals at heart. They were as domesticated as they ever would be and she was getting tired of waking up to one mess after another.
Her foxes might act like cats in some ways, but despite her best wishes they just didn’t seem to understand the idea of litter boxes. Although she’d forgiven more number ones and twos than she could count, it was the threes that really tried her patience. They usually kept their food down, but not always. Strange lumps of gooey regurgitation regularly seemed to be lying in wait for her cleanest socks.
It’s highly unlikely that animals comprehend human language. They most likely just respond to the tone of which the strange utterances are spoken. That was a good thing for Reginald Von Fox. He may not know what pain-in-the-ass little shit, might mean; but, the way in which it slipped through his mother’s lips, it sounded like something to be truly proud of.
Evidently he was right, since there was only a slight pause before he was rewarded with a major head-scratch. It didn’t last very long though. Seems mom had something more important to do; she was intent on inspecting his cache.
No need to worry, it’d pass inspection. He’d been diligent – everything but a small strand of the cami’s spaghetti strap had been completely buried.
Chapter 4 – Letter from Nice
Olivia actually had a mailbox, although she didn’t check it on a regular basis. Once a week was usually enough. Even if the dirt road from her cabin to the dented canister along Bissonette was only a few hundred feet, ‘Limited Time Only’ notices addressed to occupant, hardly seemed worth the effort. Twenty percent off on a satellite dish wasn’t much incentive either since she didn’t have a television.