Hinckley

She gathered the dandelion blossom till the apron she held them in was overflowing.

“Hinckley,” she called, I have something for you.”

From a distance she heard his quack. He came running over to greet her.

“See what I have for you,” she cried.

Amy-Lu was a lovely child, she was five; fair in form and disposition; she was learning how to cope with life. Grandma smiled as she watched Amy-Lu. She was small for her age, but full of life and feeling the joy of it. Daddy had gotten her a wild gosling. She named him Hinckley. Nobody knew where she came up with it. She just knew the name suited him. She knew what he liked and needed. He had to have water when he ate, so she had containers of water all over the lawn so he could have lots of water.

Daddy told her that one day he would have to fly away to find a mommy for his babies. So she knew he would fly free. She didn’t want it to happen too soon. She would always say, “Stay with me for just a little while longer.” He would cock his head at her and act like he understood what she was saying. He would quack at her and she would nod, as though she understood him also.

One day she noticed his feathers coming in and he kept flapping his wings and running. She knew that he was getting ready to fly. She was happy for him, but sad to think he would be leaving.

He did so, and it seemed ages before she heard a flock of geese flying overhead and landing in the field where daddy had plowed earlier. She called out, “Hinckley”… She heard his call. Soon he was by her side with another wild goose. That must be his mate. Soon they will have babies and I’ll get to see them, she thought to herself.

One day he was in the lawn waiting for her, and sure enough he had his family with him.

She lolled around on the grass, and let the baby goslings make friends with her. The mommy goose was a little timid. She stood behind. But did not mind Amy-Lu playing with them.

Soon they were gone.

One autumn day she heard the geese overhead. But the feeling she had was foreboding. Hunters were shooting at them. She hoped Hinckley was not one that was felled.

Just then she saw him, he wasn’t acting like he used to. In fact he plopped by her feet. She knew he was wounded. He came to say goodbye. She picked him up in her arms, “Oh Hinckley, I am sorry they hurt you.” He cocked his head and went limp in her arms. She held him to her for a while, not wanting to let him go. Her daddy had dug a hole in the middle of a dandelion patch to put Hinckley in.

“Hinckley would like this place.”

She stood frozen to the spot, she whispered, “We’ll meet again in heaven, won’t we.”

The End.