by Becky Due
Almost immediately, the coyotes started yipping back and forth, echoing though the hills. Lily barked back into the darkness. She barked straight up toward the hill, then suddenly turned and barked behind her toward the driveway. Rebecca was scared and didn’t like Lily’s reactions, so she decided to go back inside. “Come on Lily. We’ll try again later.” Rebecca closed and locked the door behind them. She unhooked Lily, slipped off her shoes and headed straight to the alarm system to re-arm it, noticing that the red light was illuminated when the alarm was set. She shivered in the warm house but not from being cold. She hated taking Lily out at night, especially when Jack was out of town.
Rebecca sat back down on the chaise with Lily and took a sip of her wine. Still faintly hearing the coyotes outside, she reached for the remote and turned the jazz a little louder to drown out their howling. Rebecca pet Lily’s side, touching the scar on her hip from a coyote attack and that horrifying morning came flashing back.
Rebecca woke suddenly to Jack’s yelling. Rebecca sprung out of bed and heard the front door slam. She knew in an instant Lily had been attacked by a coyote. She looked out the window and saw two coyotes running from the yard to the woods with Jack behind them yelling. Rebecca started to cry. She couldn’t see Lily. Jack turned and looked up at the window. He saw Rebecca, then bent over to call Lily.
“Please Lily… Please be okay.”
She saw Lily walk up to Jack, wagging her tail. Jack looked back up to the window, guilt ridden. Rebecca ran down the hall and down the stairs to meet them at the front door. Lily was bleeding from the back of her neck, hip and rear of her left leg. She smelled horribly and was filthy, but she seemed to be okay. But Jack felt awful, Rebecca could tell.
Rebecca looked over Lily to see how badly she was hurt. The smell and dirt made it hard to tell the extent of her injuries, so Rebecca rushed her upstairs and into their big master tub. She ran lukewarm water and put Lily in, washing her with antibacterial soap and water. When she was finished Lily started bleeding worse, so Jack and Rebecca drove her to the animal emergency about forty-five minutes away. It was five-thirty in the morning.
On the drive over, Jack kept apologizing.
“Honey, it’s not your fault. If anything you’re our hero. You chased off those two coyotes,” Rebecca said as she held Lily tighter. “Daddy’s a hero, huh, baby? Daddy’s our hero.”
Jack reached over and pet Lily. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“What’s that?” Rebecca pretended that Lily had whispered something to her. “Oh. Okay, I’ll tell him.” She looked at Jack. “She’s mad at you.”
“I know. I’m sorry I put you out there.”
“No, it’s not that. She’s mad at you because she has no neighborhood friends, and she meets two fun friends and Daddy chases them away.”
“I won’t laugh until I know she’s okay.”
“She’ll be just fine, honey. I think we were very lucky. I keep remembering all the times she wanted out and I just tied her outside. I didn’t watch her; I wouldn’t have been able to hear her. That scares me so much, I’m sick about it.”
“Yes, we’ve been lucky. I just had no idea they would come up to the house like that. Brazen. I hope she’s okay.”
They left the hospital loaded with horror stories about the local coyotes, medication for Lily, and Lily shaved in several areas with a staple in her hip. The vet said they were lucky; one second later and there would have been an entirely different outcome.
On the drive home, Jack said, “I tied her out like bait. I just can’t believe it. Did you see them?”
Rebecca could tell he was fighting tears. “Yes, I saw them. I can’t believe it either.”
“Reb, I attached the cable to her harness. I turned and went inside the house. You know, she is right there by my office window.”
Rebecca nodded.
“I sat down in my chair, heard a noise, looked out and started yelling. It happened that fast.”
“They saw you put her there.”
“They must have. They must be in the woods behind us watching the house, waiting for an opportunity.”
“Don’t scare me.”
“Rebecca, we have to be careful. Lily can’t be outside alone ever again.”
“You’re right. I’m still sick about how many times we have left her outside alone. I wonder why now, why this morning?”
“I guess it’s the time of the year, fall moving in. And remember what the vet said, first thing in the morning and around dusk seem to be the most dangerous times for small animals, family cats and dogs.”
Rebecca pet Lily lying on her lap. “Lily, we’re not good parents.”
“We’ll get better. We’re learning.” He reached over and rested his hand on Lily’s back. “Lily honey, I don’t want you hanging around those friends anymore. Do you understand me? They’re no good. They play too rough.”
“I agree with your father. Those two are not allowed to play over here ever again.” Rebecca held onto Jack’s hand and kissed it. “Thank you for saving my baby’s life.” Tears welled up in her eyes.
Jack kissed Rebecca’s hand back.
“What if they would have gone after you?”
“They wouldn’t. They’re afraid of humans.”
“How do you know?”
“They ran off when I started yelling.”
“I saw them, Jack. You were outside, and they were not that far from you. They didn’t run off very fast. And what about that woman the vet told us about who had to play tug-of-war with her dog on a leash. That coyote wasn’t afraid of her. I’m a lot smaller than you. Would they have gone after me? If they would come that close to the house and they didn’t run off as quickly as I think they should have. I’m a little nervous.”
“Honey, I really don’t think you have to be afraid. The coyotes are hunting during dusk and dawn. I’m almost always home during those times, so I’ll take her out then.”
“No, I don’t want to be afraid in my own yard. I like where we live. I’ll just keep my eyes out and scream like a crazy person if I see one heading our way.”
Lily snorted. Jack and Rebecca giggled.
The coyote howls grew louder and closer, jolting Rebecca back to the present. She knew that the coyotes were more active again because of the season. It was getting colder and the nights were longer, getting dark earlier in the evening and staying dark later in the morning. Rebecca gave Lily a kiss on the head. “We were so lucky, baby.”
7:50 PM
The phone rang, and Rebecca jumped.
“Honey, it’s Dad. I’ve been watching the news, and I just wanted to tell you about some recent coyote attacks where people are being attacked. Those coyotes are getting less fearful of humans.”
“Are you serious? Where? Who?”
“Here in Colorado and I think Kansas. Oh, and a young woman was killed in Canada. You may want to do a little research of your own to find out more. But I thought about you and Lily, and I know Jack’s away. I want you to be careful.”
“I will, Dad. Thanks for calling.”
“Yes, and do you know what to do if you see one and he isn’t shying away from you?”
“Well, I guess Lily and I would run into the house.”
“Becky, if you see one, don’t turn your back on him.”
Rebecca always felt like a child when he called her that. He was the only one who could get away with it.
“Make as much noise as you can and make yourself look big by raising your arms up. Maybe you should pick up Lily and hold her, but make a lot of noise. Even if one gets close to you and starts to circle you, don’t turn your back on him, okay?”
“Okay, Dad, but you’re scaring me.”
“Well, Becky, I want you to know what to do. You’re out there living with the coyotes. I wish you and Jack would consider getting a gun.”
“Dad, we’re not getting a gun. We’ve had this talk. I don’t want a gun in this house.”
“…well maybe I sho
uld come and stay with you, at least while Jack’s out of town. This is a bad time of year; those coyotes are hungry.”
Rebecca thought that it would be nice to have him around for a while, not because of the coyotes but because she missed him. He would also help ease her mind about Roy. But her dad didn’t know anything about Roy, and she wanted to keep it that way. Plus, she needed time to herself to get her work done. “Dad, I’m fine. I have a ton of work to do and I’m staying safe. I honestly don’t go far from the house. I’ve heard the coyotes, but I haven’t seen any since Jack left. Lily and I will be fine. But thanks for the information. I will use it if I need to. I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too, honey. You call me if you change your mind or if you need anything, okay?”
“Okay, I will.” She hung up the phone.
Rebecca was raised by her father and grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. She lived in a tough neighborhood, went to the toughest schools, and had the toughest friends. Her friends were like her; some of them had hard home lives and not much money, but she always felt safe and happy and loved by her friends.
Because of her father and her friends, Rebecca didn’t learn about the submissive role of a female. She didn’t know that a girl couldn’t beat up a boy if he deserved it; she didn’t know that a girl couldn’t be ready to throw down if she needed to. She liked being a little rough around the edges.
Although Rebecca felt tough and feisty at times, the last time she got together with her old neighborhood friends, she was reminded that she was usually the one in the background, watching.
“The follower,” they teased, “not feared… or tough...”
“Oh, yeah,” Rebecca laughed and flexed her muscles. “Did you have the nickname ‘Rocky’ when you were in junior high?”
They all rolled their eyes and laughed at her.
It was true and it suited her just fine. She had never been loud or a fight instigator; she was usually behind the others keeping quiet. But Rebecca did have her share of problems. She had been provoked into fights and had been sent to the principal’s office a few times for doing things like ditching class to drive a sick friend home or starting a friendly food fight in the lunchroom. It was during that last visit with her friends Cecilia, Rachel, Vicki and Lupe that she realized they had taught each other to be strong. She felt honored to have such strong and loyal friends.
Rebecca knew her dad trusted her, though he rarely knew what she was doing. She had the feeling he knew that she could be a little impish, but he didn’t know that she often stayed out all night and occasionally smoked and drank with other kids from the wrong side of town. He was disappointed in her at times, but never angry. Rebecca’s dad had two rules for his girls: graduate from high school and don’t have sex until after you graduate from high school. Rebecca was sure she could follow both rules, but she was never too sure about her older sister Lisa.
Rebecca’s life revolved around her friends, fun and a little bit of trouble, while Lisa’s life revolved around boys, makeup, bras and panties, high-heeled shoes and designer clothing that they never could afford. Lisa was in love with a new boy, heartbroken and fighting with a friend every other week. Lisa shared her life’s dramas openly with their dad, whereas Rebecca kept everything to herself because she didn’t think she had much worth sharing. Rebecca laughed remembering when she got her period and how all her friends got together to teach her how to use a tampon. She was the late bloomer of the group.
Rebecca would love to plan another get together with her old friends. Class reunions just never came often enough.
The phone rang again. It was Jack’s mom calling to tell her that she had seen the same coyote special on TV. She said she believed that both of the attacks in the United States had been on children, and the Canadian woman had also been small.
Rebecca became even more afraid of the coyotes.
She thought about when Jack’s parents and Rebecca’s dad had helped them move into their country home. They claimed they came for moral support, but they really came to see the house. Jack’s mom had fun bossing around the movers, which was fine with Rebecca. Their dads enjoyed looking over the utility room, hanging pictures and spending time outside in the country.
When they found what was left of a freshly killed porcupine, they became aware of the coyotes in the area. Then when Lily joined their family, Rebecca’s dad was immediately uneasy. Jack and Rebecca wished that they had paid more attention to his concerns.
Rebecca leaned over and kissed Lily’s head again, then reached for Angie’s packet to pick up where she had left off. She pulled out a sheet of paper with disturbing photographs of women in pornography. Below the four photos of women in bondage were four photos of the prisoners from the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. The photos were the same: a woman being peed on and a prisoner being peed on; a woman lying on the cement floor tied up in bondage and blindfolded and a prisoner tied up and blindfolded in bondage; women naked in a pyramid and prisoners naked in a pyramid. Rebecca was disgusted, “I guess if you’re a woman you are supposed to like this kind of treatment, but not if you are a prisoner of war.”
Lily sat up quickly startled by the sound of Rebecca’s voice. Rebecca pet Lily. “I’m sorry, honey. Mama’s just talking out loud.”
At the bottom of the sheet it said, “There was such outrage about the prisoners. Where is the outrage for what is happening to our daughters?”
“That is so true…” again Rebecca exclaimed, wondering how the women in pornography and prostitution felt after seeing the Iraqi prisoner photos. She wondered if they made the connection. Rebecca thought about the constitution and the first amendment. She was certain that the first amendment was never intended to protect people who wanted to hurt children and young women.
Next Rebecca read Angie’s article, “Pornographic Material Needs Warning Label.”
Pornographic material can be as destructive as cigarette smoking. The sale, distribution and use of it put everyone in danger, including men. This destructive pollution relies on men to make their industry billions of dollars. In exchange, the men are losing their families, becoming impotent and losing the sense of reality of women and how they want to be treated.
The same way cigarette advertisements go after children, pornography goes after men. They start with the bait: Women.
Some women who are forced and others who have such low self-worth feel their bodies are the only way to survive in this country. The same message is created by this industry. Then, they assure men it’s okay to participate by backing it with false information about men and women concerning sex. Everything from soft-porn magazines to hard-core pornography is filled with these harmful messages, and men accept it and believe in it.
This industry encourages men to lie to their wives or stay single, knowing that a man’s wife is less likely to put up with pornography in the home; therefore the enterprise loses a buyer and loses money. So while men are trying to convince women to “get with the times” or “I only have it for the articles,” women must understand that men are being victimized, too.
An obsession with pornography isn’t completely the man’s fault. Not only does pornography cause a hormonal change, there is also a chemical reaction in the brain causing the inability to differentiate between reality and fantasy, and, in a lot of men, it’s an addiction. It starts with a soft-core magazine that leads to an uncontrollable hunger where satisfying it becomes more and more difficult.
Like cigarettes, we need warning labels on all pornographic material. WARNING: Pornography may cause an illusional way of looking at women, children and sex. It may cause impotency and addiction. It can also lead to the destruction of your family or the inability to have one.
In addition, we need hot lines and support in every state to help men realize it’s a problem before it’s too late.
Rebecca liked the different angle in the article, that men were also victims of pornography. She loved the idea of a group of great, strong men ge
tting together and suing the sex industry the way people sued the tobacco industry. They could argue they were never warned that looking at pornography could become an addiction, or cause a loss of money and time. They didn’t know they could lose their families, lose their ability to have an erection without pornography or lose touch with reality when it came to women and children.
She thought about how laws were changed to protect nonsmokers so maybe laws could be made to protect women and children, especially considering that pedophiles and rapists often use pornography before committing violent crimes against women and children. Clearly, laws can be changed, amendments can be made.
Rebecca and Lily were worried by a sudden gust of wind that sounded like sand being thrown against the windows. It was raining again. The rising wind was like nothing Rebecca had experienced before and she was scared. Fearing the windows would come crashing in, she grabbed the remote and closed all the blinds to the big living-room windows. The blinds would at least block the glass from spilling into their home. Lily was also upset. Rebecca turned up the stereo and tried to relax.
She thought about that card she received from Roy that was still in her office: To: Rebecca, An Angel in my Heart. From: Roy. The memory of when she received the flowers and card made her smile. It wasn’t all bad. She actually had a couple of great memories of Roy.
Rebecca had stayed home from work because she wasn’t feeling well; she told her boss she would work from home. There was a knock on her door. When she opened the door, flowers and a white paper bag were sitting on the floor. She bent over to pick them up, and there was Roy with a surgical mask covering his face. “Is it safe to come it?”
Rebecca laughed. “Yes, it is.” She held up the bag, “Chicken soup?”
“Chicken soup.” He lowered his mask and followed her inside. Roy also had two movies so, needless to say, she didn’t get any work done. But she did have a lot of fun with Roy. He stayed with her most of the day and never made a pass. He waited on her, teased her and let her nap.