Mikaela's Story

Later in the day I was out in the garden pulling weeds when I heard Daniel's bike. I looked over and saw him pulling into his drive. I waved and I'm sure that he saw me, but I got no response. “Whatever. You'd think I'd insulted his mother or something.” I went back to weeding and felt a nudge from behind. Next thing I knew I was face down in the garden. Looking back through my knees I saw a white bearded goat eating from the collard plant behind me. “Bravo! What the hell!” Then I noticed Luciano, my steer also in the garden. Standing up and brushing the dirt off my face and jeans, I saw where Bravo had eaten his way through the fence and into the garden, allowing Luciano full access as well. “Bravo! Bad Boy! Bad! Bad! Bad! Boy!!!” Bravo ignored me and kept on eating. Of course, he did. I took him by the collar and escorted him out of the garden, with Luciano following as I held the collard plant in front of his nose that Bravo had dug up. Standing outside of the garden perimeter, I looked around to see what I could use to block the big gaping hole in my fence, until I could repair it. Holding onto Bravo, and leading Luciano, I walked to the shed. Grabbing the red aluminum chair that I had set against the side of the entrance, I took it and walked it back to the fence, placing it in front of the hole. Bravo used it as his jumping post, one hop and a skip and he was over and back in the garden. “That's it! I mean it Bravo! I'm loading you in the truck and dropping you off somewhere far, far, far away from here. Do you hear me!” Bravo looked up from the kale leaf he was now eating and continued to chew some more. Like I was his entertainment. Frustrated, I might have screamed. Luciano, who had been making his way back to the garden, nudging the chair to get it out of his way, heard me and looked at me like I might be certifiable. At that moment I might have been. I took the rake that was on the ground and threw it. I didn't throw it at them but just the same, Luciano moved away from the crazy woman coming at him. I heard voices. I looked up. There on the top of my roof were the workers who'd stop working to watch the crazy lady down below. Catching my eye, they went back to work. “Problem here?” Picking up the rake, I turned to see Daniel standing nearby. “No!” “Are you sure?” “Yes, I am sure.” “Want some help with your goat?” “I don't need any help with my goat, thank you very much,” I said, picking my hat up off the ground and shoving it back on my head. “Well, if you're sure,” Daniel said, seemingly amused. “What is so funny?” I asked. “Not a thing,” Daniel said, suppressing a laugh. He walked over to where Bravo was still eating and took him by the collar, pulling him out of the garden. “Maybe Bravo needs a friend.” “A friend? He's got Luciano, did you not see the two of them in cahoots here? Oh crap!” “What?” Daniel asked. “All of my animals have Italian names. Now, I'm going to have to rename them,” I said. Seeing Daniel's face, I added. “Never mind. Forget I said anything. I forgot who I was talking to.” “Come here,” Daniel said, still with a hand on Bravo. “Why?” “Just come here.” I walked over. Daniel took his free hand and wrapped his arm around me. “What's that for?” “You looked like you needed a hug. I know how hard this is for you, you know, not being who you thought you were and all.”