“Careful”, George yelled from the bank, with his foot propped up on a bobbing log in the water.
I’m trying”, Henrietta said, gently dabbing a wet leaf on George’s bloodied foot. “I’m doing the best I can”, she explained. “How in the world did a piece of glass end up on our bank?”
“Perhaps George should keep his bill from out of the clouds”, Henry said, floating near-by and within earshot; “then he might see where his feet tread.”
“Perhaps, Father”, Henrietta said, “You should not speak like a testy ole geezer. You should mind your own bill, before we nickname you the geezer gander.”
“Henrietta girl, I am sure I taught you to respect your elders.”
“I am sure father”, Henrietta snapped, “that the elder should not provoke their younger to anger. Don’t you see George has a very bad cut on his foot?”
Henry slowly paddled over to George. He stretched his long black neck closer to George’s foot to assess his wound. “It looks painful, George, and wide. There is a wide gash on your foot. I’m sorry. I am sorry for the comment also.” Grandfather Henry sounded humbled and sincere, something you didn’t get from him often – humility.
“I was grazing about the bank”, George said. “I had a wonderful time this morning satisfying my hunger and my palate until I stepped on a sharp object protruding from the ground.”
“Ouch, Henrietta!”
Henrietta reached for a fresh new leaf from the bank’s edge with her wing, “I’m only applying a little pressure, dear”, she said lovingly. “Apology accepted, father.”
As Henrietta and her father stayed next to the bank with George, the rest of the pond’s Canada Geese buzzed from sensational hints of spring’s arrival. Multiple families swam around the pond feeling the fusion of chill and warmth filter through their feathers. Seeds from budding trees would soon swirl recklessly above the wild habitat from whimsical March winds providing abundant food.
Nature had provided well for the Canada Geese except that more and more families had migrated in and liked it so much there, that they had become permanent residents. This had caused problems within the past couple of years due to all of the unfamiliar geese. You never knew who might want to start a fight simply because they didn’t know you very well.
It was a typical and wonderful new day on the pond, not unlike any other. However, for Annika and Nathanial, the day would give to them a life- changing surprise surpassing wonderful or typical. Nathanial had been watching Annika for a long time, and unknown to Nathanial, Annika had been watching him.
Nathanial, and Seth, his brother, swam slowly in mid afternoon while having a talk.
“Seth”, Nathanial said, “I think I love her.”
Seth is a kidder; he liked to joke around and replied, “Not my Sophie, brother, she’s mine.”
“Not Sophie”, Nathanial said. He raised his strong wing to give Seth a playful whop on his head.
Seth grabbed his head with his wing. “That hurt, Nathan!” Seth returned the blow to Nathan. “You’ve always been a smart gander but a very touchy one. I was kidding Nath, I know you like Annika.”
Nathan responded in a gentle tone, “There is something very special about her.”
They halted their cruise and treaded the water. In the distance, they watched Sophie and Annika talking under the willow.
Seth yelled out to Sophie, “Hi Baby!” She waved her wing to Seth.
She was anxious to get to him and asked Annika if she wanted to go with her. Annika treaded gazing toward Nathan. “No”, she said, “I think I’ll stay here.” She smiled at Sophie, “Go over to Seth.”
Sophie glided across the pond like a skater on ice to get to get to her gander. She swam past Nathan and gave a passing “hello”. “Hi Nathan”, she said. She swiftly paddled to Seth, kissed him and softly caressed her head along his neck. Nathan looked away and back at Annika also allowing for the privacy of new and enthusiastic lovers. He was somewhat embarrassed by Seth and Sophie’s passionate display. Suddenly, Sophie spoke out to Nathan. “We are mates for life.” She said it with a bubbly and wondrous expression.
Nathan, feeling a little queasy, and distracted while looking straight ahead at Annika, simply answered, “Yes - what?”
Wading closely beside Seth and noticing Nathan’s aloof approach, she said again, “We are mates for life.”
By this time, Nathanial had slowly drifted forward in Annika’s direction. Seth and Sophie heard him murmur a short distance away, “Mates for life.” He looked entranced.
Seth and Sophie looked on joyfully because they knew what was about to happen, until….
“Trouble”, Seth said, to Sophie.
“I see”, Sophie said. “What can we do?”
“My brother, he can handle himself. I’ll step in if I have to.”
An unfamiliar gander on the pond had approached Annika. This made Nathanial very angry. He hissed, and spread his wings full-length. He moved closer to the gander and yelled, “Leave Annika alone!”
The gander saw conviction in Nathanial’s eyes, strength in his voice, power in his wings and he backed away.
“I told you, Sophie”, Seth said with relief, “Nathan can handle himself.” Nathanial shook off the tenseness from the near encounter with an equally sized gander.
He circled to the left looking away from Annika. Then when he had gained his composure, he looked back at her. He bustled his wings and lifted them slightly as a man would straighten his shoulders to show strength and confidence before proposing to his fiancé. He approached her slowly and lowered his head like a man, showing respect and admiration by kneeling before his beloved.
Annika watched him approach. She waded gracefully in the water with her long neck straight and her chin up in a secure yet unpretentious pose. She also managed keeping her poise while feeling mighty beats of her heart through her brownish-black breast.
|