"View From the Backporch" Ep. 2 Part 3 www.fjwilson.net

“He’s under the lady statue… probably in a huff.”  Amy flew away.  It was important that Bomber handle this herself. 

“Come on out you big baby.”  Bomber laughed and called Justin Bubbles.

“You better watch yourself, my dear, Big O is ready to avenge your disgusting act and is just waiting for me to give the word.”  He huffed h is big bluff.

“Come on Bubbles, you know I was just upset.  I would never do anything to hurt you, you know that.”  She lighted under a Caladium leaf and looked into the cool dark cave formed by the colorful leaves.  She waited until she saw movement before she spoke again.

“Come on Bubbles, we’re friends.  Remember the time I told you where to find the new lettuce growing out by the fence?”

Justin Bubbles walked out of his hiding place and looked over at Bomber.

“Why are you sitting this close to the ground?  Didn’t I tell you Big O has his eye on you?  You’re asking for trouble little bird, trouble you can’t handle.”

“Do you forgive me, Bubbles?  Amy’s mad at me, and I don’t want anyone to be mad at me, even you.”  Suddenly Big O appeared rubbing his coat against the bottom of the statue, calm as pudding and scary as hell.  Bomber took off into the air just as Big O reached his long paw and knocked her to the ground.

“Why are you such a bloody bully?”  Justin Bubbles yelled at Big O.

Within the blink of an eye, Big O’s paw came down and held Bomber fast to the ground.   Things happened fast after that.  Amy and her brother saw the attack from the top of the Dogwood tree and both dived bombed at the same time pecking and pulling Big O’s scarred ears.  Justin Bubbles moved faster than he’d ever moved in his life and positioned himself under Big O’s stomach and raised himself as high as his legs would stretch.  Bill began to shake the branch of Bull’s nest and quicker than quick Bull was out of his safe place and down the big Oak’s trunk sinking his teeth into Big O’s tail.  Big O had been in worse predicaments than this, he was barely inconvenienced with this little army’s attack.  He kicked a back leg up and under Justin’s shell and made a long scratch on the beautiful design, but Justin was not going to be bullied anymore.  He held his ground and pretty soon, Big O was wrapped around Justin Bubbles’ big shell like a bear skin rug.  His feet were just off the ground but he was still kicking, trying to get traction.  Lil Bit fell/jumped from a lower limb of the Dogwood onto Big O’s back, sunk her teeth into his neck and held on for dear life.  This last attack finally made Big O mad as a hornet and he began to fight back in earnest.  The first thing he did was to scream and arch his back giving him leverage to claw into the big shell and pounce onto the moving and diving Amy.  Bomber tried to move but couldn’t.  Justin Bubbles crawled over Bomber and protected her from further attack with his body and shell and tried to become part of the rocks surrounding the statue.  If Big O discovered where Bomber was hiding, it would be hell to pay for both creatures.

“Die you Nazi monster.”  Bomber screamed from under the big shell.

“Shut up you blithering idiot.”  Justine Bubbles yelled at Bomber.

“Do you plan to die today?  Or would you prefer to wait a few days longer?”  Bubbles said in a loud whisper with his head almost in the dirt under his shell.

“What the hell is happening here?”  Jake the Pine Snake had seen it all but didn’t want to be bothered with another backyard drama.  Life was supposed to be full of eating and scaring humans, not watching neighbor fight neighbor and friend eat friend.  He slithered out from around the pond and took a bite out of Big O’s leg before he slithered as fast as he could into the pond.

Big O turned and managed to catch Lil Bit by her back leg and shook her off of his back and under his two front paws.  Before Bull could help, they all heard the sound of the neighbor’s pie pan banging on another pie pan, Big O’s dinner bell and call to come home to supper.  Before creatures could catch a deep breath, Big O had shaken them all off into the yard and sprinted under the fence into this own back yard.  He wanted to stay and win this battle, but a man has to eat and he’d never been late to dinner in his long life and he didn’t plan to be late today.  These fools could wait.

“Get off me Justin.”  Bomber said and twisted to get out from under him.

“Oh, sorry, love.  Can you manage now?”  He said as he crawled to the side and let her up. 

“Yes, I was just winded.  Thank you Justin, you saved my life.”  She fluttered over him and checked out the damage done his shell.  It was pretty bad, but it was not for her to tell him.  He’d been through enough today with out realizing his shell was scarred forever.

“Oh my goodness, Justin.  Look what the cat did to your shell.”  It was precious calling from a limb of Bill.

“Hush, Precious, Justin just saved a life.”  He looked at Justin who was indeed very upset over his shell.

“Justin, you have to realize that is a badge of honor that will be with you always.  How many turtles do you know who’ve saved a Hummingbird from a big dangerous cat?”  Amy said as she watched Justin’s whole demeanor change from sorrow to proud.

Within a few minutes all the creatures in the yard were paying homage to Justin with bits of greenery and young turnip leaves.  Pretty soon a party was going on and creatures were laughing and re-telling the story of Big O getting his comeuppance.  But all in the back yard knew Big O was only in the next yard having dinner; he would be back and he would want revenge.

“But today. He’s gone and life is good.”  Lil Bit whispered to Bull as she gave him a big peanut she’d taken from the feeder on the porch.

Bull looked up to his nest, yep… Precious was watching.  Life is good?  That’s debatable, Bull thought to himself.

I will be editing my third novel for a few days.  The creatures in the back yard will return then.  Please come back.

"View From the Back Porch" Ep Two Part 2 www.fjwilson.net

Between Big O and Justin things were getting mighty interesting in the back yard, yes sir, mighty interesting.  Big O wanted to eat Bomber and be done with her sassy self, but Justin Bubbles wasn’t a cruel turtle.  Listening to Big O expound his mischievous ideas about Bomber’s demise, Bubbles realized he only wanted an apology.  No need for death and bloody feathers. 

“You backin out, Bubbles?  You turnin yella on me?”  Big O taunted the big turtle.

“No one’s turning yellow Big O.  I am just saying, I have no wish to have the little bird harmed.”

“Sounds like a cop out to me, Bubbles.”

“Indeed not sir, but if I chose to kill every creature who’d ever shat on my shell, I would be a hideous turtle and no one would care for my company… at all.”

“Hey, is that a wise crack aimed at me?  Say, what do you take me for, a chump?”

“Take it as you wish, you great bully.  If you think you can harm me, I rather wish you’d try.  You’ll find my house much stronger and tougher than those old yellow fangs of yours.  I can assure you, kitty cat, once they are broken on my mighty shell, you’ll be gumming even the canned food you claim to hate but eat by the case.”

“You just better be glad I’m not in the mood to take on your dare.  And… you’d better watch your back.”  Big O sat on the grass and extended his long razor sharp claws toward Justin Bubbles.  “One of these could make an ugly scar on that prissy shell of yours… or under it.”

Justine began to walk off into the grass, turning his shell into the wind as he was fond of saying, and went under the statue of Mother Mary standing in the abandoned patio garden.  He was breathing hard as he got settled in his favorite hiding place; Big O had really frightened him this time.  If was only a matter of time before the mean cat would go too far and run one of those long talons under Justin’s shell.  That would hurt like a big dog and Justin’s least favorite thing in the whole world was pain… of any kind.

Amy had been watching the full exchange between Big O and Justin Bubbles.  If there was one thing Amy despised, it was bullying of any kind.  That darn cat needed to be taught a lesson.  But first she needed Bomber to make amends with Justin and apologize for her ‘accident’ on his shell.  She spied Bomber at the rose bushes darting in and out and flew over to her. 

“Hold on there Amy, I’ll help you.”  Bomber eased Amy down onto the rim of the ancient bird bath.

“Bomber, I need you to do me a favor.”  She dipped into the nice cool water and began an unexpected, but much enjoyed bath.

“Anything, Boss.  Amy you know I’d do anything for you.”  Bomber was still darting in and out of the beautiful roses offering up their delicious nectar to the little fluttering bird.

“I need you to give Justin Bubbles your best heartfelt apology.  And I want you to mean it.  His shell is his prized possession and there was no reason for you to desecrate it as you did.  Come on, Bomber, you’re a better bird than that.”  Robin stood in the nice cool water waiting for an answer.

“I don’t want to.  He pissed me off.”  Bomber said without much emotion.

“Oh, I see.  I guess that’s alright then.  You know sort of how the Nazi ants piss you off and you have to get even?”  Amy was hoping this was the right button to puch.

“Hey, come on Ame… that’s not fair.  There is no comparison between those devil ants and Justin Bubbles.  Those ants are a real threat to my life.”

“So, then let me see if I understand this… you treat a creature who irritates you just the same as you treat creatures who threaten your very life?”   Amy rubbed her chin with her wing as if deep in thought.

“No, of course not… I mean… he really made me mad, Amy… how upset is he?”  Bomber fluttered and landed on the rim of the birdbath next to Amy.

“I think he’s more hurt than angry, Bomber.  You know he respects you and thinks a lot of you.  You have to admit it was a nasty thing to do.”  Amy splashed water on Bomber to make her laugh, but Bomber was in a quandary, hurting another creature was never her intention.

“Where is he, Amy?  You are probably right… even turtles need apologies sometimes.”

"View From the Back Porch" Ep.2 www.fjwilson.net

                   “View From the Back Porch”  Episode Two

By Nita Wilson

Part 1

Amy Birdheart was now known as the hero of the back yard, and was taken much more seriously than before.  When she spoke, creatures listened.  When she sang, people listened.  When she flew in to the backyard from jaunts around other neighborhoods creatures applauded her home coming.  Bomber positioned herself as Amy’s protector, friend and security patrol.  When you saw Amy, you saw Bomber and nothing was so important as to tempt Bomber to leave her side. Now, for most birds this adulation would go to a feathered head, make them conceited or in some cases, unbearable to live around… but not Amy.  She was as nice as ever and always available to give advice to her favorite ‘peeps’ or comfort them when they were down.  Amy still had trouble landing on certain branches, but as a rule the trees helped her out as best they could, and Bomber had been seen positioning herself directly under Amy’s missing leg to support a safe landing.  Bomber had given up her own life to tend to Amy.  Amy bided her time, she would speak to Bomber soon about her obsession but hopefully time would play a part in dispelling the adulation.  Most of the creatures noticed Bomber’s obsession with the Robin, but some were so grateful, they would have done the same for their hero if Bomber had not gotten to the job first.  Amy was a real hero and deserved to be worshiped in their collective minds.

Bill The Great Chinquapin Oak

Bill has nothing to say about the goings on in the backyard.  He watches and turns his leaves to the sun and rain in a gesture of peace and goodwill to all he shades.  He’s been badgered by Hot Head, the red headed woodpecker of late and it’s given him a permanent bark ache, but in Bill’s soul that is just part of being a tree. Of course he’s no spring sapling and has weathered many storms including the horrible Camille of 1969 when he was only a small willowy baby of a tree.  He bothers no one and pretends the ants who invade his bark are guest at his tall bed and breakfast. Bill is the master of the backyard and is respected by all who reside among his branches.  Of course some complain when he undresses in the fall and his leaves fall like idol words in a bad paragraph; but most of his guests love the extra layer of warmth his soft brown leaves make for nests, or the tasty large acorns that fall among the leaves. The light that plays off his light green leaves in the spring is a joy to the backyard and heralds days of warmth and plenty for all.  Creatures have been known to wait for years to get the best branches for their nests, but none would be so disrespectful as to fight or complain over who lives where.

He is most interested now days in the great yellow cat known as Big O, who sneaks around the yard with hideous self confidence day and night looking not so much for dinner as a living play toy for his giant ego.  The furry feline doesn’t even wait for the young and helpless who may’ve strayed too far from a nest he is a democratic serial killer and will torture and play his deadly game with anything smaller than himself.  The only warning a creature may have is the cat’s smelly dragon breath.  Bill especially dislikes Big O as once when he was still a kitten, the poor creature climbed to Bill’s highest branch and was so terrified, Bill had to work all day moving his branches in order for the ungrateful cat to crawl down to safety. And once he was down he had the effrontery to sit casually under the big tree licking his paws with nary a thank you or by-your-leave.  Big O has been circling the pond lately keeping a watch on Zelda and Scott and not to play with, oh no, this would be dinner.

Bill watches all and does what he can, but usually that means letting God’s creatures work out their lives the best they know how.  He’s never liked to see empty nests in his branches especially the ones left tragically littered with the soft down of Hannibal’s menu, but he is now grateful to Amy and Bull and even Lil Bit for putting the big owl in his place.  He would be dipping his branches down to the pond today to show Amy there was trouble brewing with Big O.

He’s stronger than most Oaks and has weathered many bad things, but he has the joy of being respected and nurtured by the human and all who live among his homey limbs and so he lives his days shading, waving and watching.  Along with Big O, Bill has been watching Justin Bubbles the big turtle crawling slowly around the yard keeping one serious eye on Bomber.  Bill has wondered when this would come to pass.  Bomber should never ever have pooped on Justin Bubbles’ shell.  It was a foolish thing for her to do and mighty disrespectful, yes sir, mighty disrespectful.  Justin is one of the oldest creatures in the yard, second only to Bill himself and by George, age should command respect if nothing else.  Everyone knows Justin can be a bit too much with his fake British accent and faux knowledge of everything in the Universe, but hasn’t he earned his own story to tell?  When a turtle has lived as long as Justin, he may know a whale-of-a-lot more than people think, and if he doesn’t, he’s earned the right to say he has.

Between Big O and Justin, things were getting mighty interesting in the back yard, yes sir, mighty interesting. 

"View From the Backporch" part 7 of Episode One www.fjwilson.net

Part 7

Amy looked down at Lil Bit, “Oh crap, she’ll get in the way.” Amy whistles to herself.

  Hannibal Horrible couldn’t see Amy, but the fish were swimming around lost and confused by the noise of the big machine and the horror of their recent loss. 

Hannibal decided he would come back later for the one-legged bird, there was too much going on here, he would just grab a little morsel to complete his fish dinner. 

The whole thing lasted less than thirty seconds but in the numerous tellings it takes on monstrous proportions.

Lil Bit, in a fit of real bravery jumps and half flies in the way of the big bird as he lowers over the porch toward the pond which causes him to have a momentary sway just long enough for Bull to jump for his back.  But… Bull lands to the side and rolls off.  Amy knows she has to move fast, and flies after the big Owl, grabbing tail feathers and tiny bits of down.  Bull, runs up to a top branch of the Crepe Myrtle and again jumps toward the back of the big killer, who is now circling the pond.  But Bull over estimates his distance once again and lands on Jake startling the snake into slithering onto the porch causing the human to spill her birdbath which makes her mad as hell. She stops to eat the little green marble in her now empty birdbath, grabs the hoe and runs after Jake into the yard.  The human working at the pond’s pump sees Jake the Pine Snake running towards him and throws the hatchet attached to his belt, missing Jake, but hitting Hannibal Horrible in his arrogant head and sending him crashing onto the roof of the porch.  Amy reaches the big Owl first and thinking him dead, gives the all clear.  Gingerly they all appear, looking up at the felled prey.  Bull and Lil Bit reach Amy just as the big bird starts to move.  There are gasps as the three brave creatures back up as one.  But Hannibal Horrible is all in.  He shakes to clear his head,

“Has the world gone crazy, what the hell just happened?” He asks groggily.  Suddenly the shadow of another big owl swoops down and grabs feathers out of Hannibal’s head.

“Get up you, idiot.  Don’t you see that big yellow cat approaching your sorry self?” Mrs. Hannibal Horrible takes wing and soars overhead screeching and screaming at her husband.   

“He’ll not be sleeping in the nest tonight, the Mrs. is mad.”  Says Bull.

Amy, Bull and Lil Bit go down to the pond.  Jake the Pine Snake is hiding from the ‘ho’ with the hoe and won’t be out for a few days.  Scott and Zelda are recuperating under the wing of the cement angel covered in algae.  Bull looks over at Lil Bit. “Wow, she’s something else.” He’s really under estimated her.  He wonders how far he could go with Lil Bit before Precious killed them both.  “Ah, a guy sure can mess up his life by falling for the wrong squirrel.”  Bull told Amy.  Well, there’d be other days and other ways to see to this love dilemma.  Lil Bit was glad she could help Bull… he is after all the love of her life.  Precious was waiting in the tree, she was glad Bull was all right; after all he is the love of her life.  She’d treat him well for a few days, and remind him how much he loved her, that’d take his mind off miss goody ‘Lil Butt’.

Amy Birdheart became a hero that day, not that she did it alone, but because she knew it had to be done and would’ve done it alone.

So life goes on in the back yard.  A little safer for the moment, but friends have been established and boundaries made and kept.  Love is allowed to grow between beings who’ve found a way to live together in friendships.  Hannibal Horrible stops by and perches on the little gazebo overlooking the pond on occasions when his Mrs. is in a rage.  Not to eat, just to enjoy the calm.  He knows not to temp this back yard.  The big yellow cat is always close at hand.     What will happen next?

"View From the Back Porch" Part 6 www.fjwilson.net

Part 6 

  Hannibal Horrible lifted from the top of the great pine and headed back to the yard…”Ah, the catch of the day, fresh and sweet.  Life is good, on this nice summer day”.  He breathed into the wind.

The human returned home and saw the yard men finishing up two houses down, good they would be in her yard soon.  She could put away the groceries and straighten the back porch for the evening guests knowing the yard would be cut and edged, and the porch blown clean with the loud smelly blowers.  She began making the martini that was her late afternoon ritual on the porch. She put away the folded towels, took supper out of the freezer to thaw and decided to take a ten minute power nap.  She could hear the mower coming into her yard and the sound of the big engine always made her feel safe… it was part of being home.

Thirty minutes later, Jake the Pine Snake gave up. He had lain under the spigot in the front yard coiled and ready but the humans stepped over him several times with nary a gasp or a notice.  He was slithering home as his heart wasn’t in the prank anymore… besides, he couldn’t get his own back yard troubles out of his mind. Scott and Zelda and their vanishing families were a part of his world, a world he had chosen many years ago, and weren’t they a part of the whole that made up his world?  Could he really be so disloyal as to turn and slither away?  Jake loved that word, slither… he loved to slither… he was the only one in the back yard that could slither, and he was proud of his slithering abilities.  He slithered over to the pond just as the humans opened the gates to the backyard and drove their terrible machine through.  The conspirators at the pond disappeared just as Hannibal Horrible came cruising overhead.  The machines didn’t bother him, he had no truck with them, and their worlds were millions of miles apart.  If anything the humans with their mower loved to watch him soar above their heads.  Once one had even taken a picture of the great owl perched on the limb of a big Sweet Gum tree.  Yes, they were fans of Hannibal as they pointed and drew each other’s attention to the big bird.

Amy was watching in the dogwood tree as the great Owl returned.  The big bird searched the trees looking for the little Robin.  So, she was to be the target along with Scott and Zelda?  Amy had made a promise to the fish she was afraid she couldn’t keep, but she sure as hell would try.   When Amy gave her word it stood for something in the back yard.  She began to prepare herself and gather strength for the oncoming battle.

Bull was under the eave of the roof watching for any signal from Amy.  A squirrel had to do what a squirrel had to do and if it meant getting killed, well… oh crap, getting killed?  Suddenly he had an urge to bolt back to Bill, the big Chinquapin Oak and crawl in next to Precious, cuddle up and deal with all of this another day.  But a loud sharp bark from Precious resounding from the nest, reminded him that the joy of his fantasy was just that lately, a fantasy, and suddenly being a hero seemed safer and a little less challenging than trying to make Precious happy.  He puffed up to twice his size, began to bark an angry bark and prepared himself for battle. 

“Battle with a bulldozer.”  Said Bull to himself.  “Great odds here…”  He almost whimpered.

Amy was watching Hannibal circle as she kept an eye on Bull.  When they attacked, it would have to be very fast, and very sure.

  Jake the Pine Snake suddenly saw an opportunity to help.  One of the humans was walking toward the pond with a clean filter for the fountain.  The human was sitting on the porch holding the small, weird little birdbath she held every evening.  Good, it was still full, she would not be too calm to care what was going on, she would help…  he knew it… hell he counted on it.  He positioned himself between Bull and Amy just under the edge of the porch.  Amy smiled and acknowledged his presence and was more than glad for whatever help Jake had cooked up.  Then Lil Bit, trembling and scared came up beside Bull, she was little, but she was wiry with strong teeth.

“Go home Lil Bit, this isn’t for you…” Bull barked in his meanest voice.

“I won’t leave you Bull, so don’t ask me, I can help”.  Bull was totally bumfuggled, how was he ever going to save himself and her in the bargain.   What to do now?

"View From the Porch" Part 5 By Nita Wilson www.fjwilson.net

The Day Continues…

 Amy had grown quite fond of Scott and Zelda and knew the persecution they had been going through these last few days.  She flew to the windows of the house, she flew to the front of the house, she flew to the creek and found Jake the Pine Snake, but Jake was so terrified, he was pretending to be a garden rake and was stretched out stiff; no bird of prey would ever suspect that he wasn’t just that, left out in the yard by some human.  Amy was about out of her mind, she had started this rescue mission and by darn she was going through with it.  Just as she was flying over Hannibal Horrible, she saw the gold sliver of fish coming up to taste a little water bug walking on water, “STOP” she screamed at the little fish, to the great annoyance of Hannibal Horrible who without malice or menace, dipped his great beak into the water as if taking a cool drink on a hot day, and immerged with Zelda’s last little sister, so fast it was that Amy thought she had imagined it.  Two great wings opened, and Hannibal rose into the air… the wind of his wings blew Amy backwards several inches.  The great Owl and Zelda’s little sister only a faint hint of gold tail trailing from the great beak looked with great angry eyes at Amy as he soared up and away.  Amy was filled with terror.  She perched her one leg on the side of the pond and looked down at the sadness beneath.  Scott and Zelda were close together, in mourning, in grief, in terror.  Amy promised them at that moment from the bottom of her heart that it was over, she begged them to trust her, she would not see them parted, she would make sure they were safe.  Zelda looked up with watery eyes, a sad hopeful look, maybe Amy could do it, she lived up in the big world of danger… maybe she could save them.  Scott just wanted to stay close to Zelda for as long as they both lived.   He would meet his family and friends in the catacombs that was the belly of the big bird one day, but for now he was home.  Amy would probably end there also she was just too silly to know it.

Bull had been feeling guilty all afternoon, safe in his nest in Bill, the big Chinquapin Oak, Precious had been in one of her moods and he was having a real hard time finding anything to love in her.  He looked down on Amy, standing on her one pitiful little leg talking to Scott and Zelda, probably saying good-bye, Bull thought.  He raised his tale in an ugly salute to Precious and ran down the tree to the pond.  Jake the Pine Snake had limbered up but was still trying to un-kink parts of his middle and relax   as he joined Amy and the fish at the pond.  Bull came up to the worried parties. 

“We have to do something here.” Amy was saying as Bull entered the group.

“Not I” said Jake, “I obviously value my own life more that you do yours you silly one legged bird, besides… if Scott and Zelda here are munchies to this great winged horror, I am his prime rib, and as such have no intention of putting this wonderful creature I call me, in his fine dining schedule”.

Bull looked down at Zelda and thought his heart would break, she was beginning to tarnish, the gold had gone dark with melancholia.  She had been one of his most favored confidants when Precious was too much to handle.  He could always come and enjoy the water ballet Zelda would give him to lighten his load and remind him of the world’s beauty.  Bull looked over at Amy…

“Okay, Amy, what can I do to help, I’m in.”

Bull didn’t miss the look of gratitude and hope crossing Zelda’s face and lifting her spirits.  That alone was worth risking his life, and after all what are friends for.

Jake the Pine Snake looked with disdain from one to the other… didn’t they know there was a natural order of things?  Didn’t they get it?  The big ate the little on down to Scott and Zelda eating the tiny water bugs on the surface of the pond, who spoke for those little beings?  The whole scene was beginning to bore him terribly and he heard the big machines down the road. If he cut through two yards he could scare them just enough to cause a commotion for a few minutes and get back to see the outcome of the drama in his own back yard.

Hannibal Horrible was still angry with that little one legged twit of a bird.  How dare she interfere with his food, how dare she take it upon herself to even question any decision made by his royal self.  He would go back for the two remaining fish and maybe finish off the bird at the same time.  The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.  Why wait, today was a fine day for killing unwanted meddlers, besides he was still hungry and he felt like more “catch of the day”.

"View From the Porch" Part 4 By Nita Wilson

                       Zelda and Scott

Zelda and Scott are the two of three lone gold fish and the only survivors of a plastic bag of twenty-six brought home as fine baby flecks of gold, several years ago.  But over the first few weeks, many sadly became dinner for frogs, birds or marauding cats.  The three have bonded and made a home for themselves in spite of the obstacles.

So much rain has fallen this summer the three fish long to sit on a warm rock edging the pond and enjoy the sun reflecting their brilliant, red gold scales.  For obvious reasons they have resisted the urge to sunbathe.  Scott has been in the doldrums lately… mooning around the pond like a love-sick puppy.  Zelda and her sister have been their usual charming selves trying to keep bright and cheerful through the days of rain and clouds. But, life under water can be harsh, and there have been arguments lately.  Zelda is tired of his persistent negative self and has been visiting herself elsewhere.  She and her sister like to hide under the broken wing of a sunken angel covered with algae that rests in the curve of the pond wall.  Scott cannot bear it… he’s convinced himself she’s stopped loving him and is mighty close to making the suicide leap onto the warm bank surrounding the pond. 

“Why can’t she hear my pain?”  He wonders? 

“Why can’t he shut the heck up?” Zelda ponders? 

“Why can’t they get along?”  The sister whispers to the broken angel.  They are going through a bad time and every one leaves them alone. 

“Too much water can drive a fish crazy.”  Precious says to Bull one morning as she munches on the last sunflower seed in his little stash. 

“I know something else that can drive a man crazy.”  Says Bull as he checks to see if there is anything left in the whole yard for him to eat, after her morning ‘snacks’.

Jake the Pine Snake doesn’t give them the time of day.  Amy Birdheart worries about them, but doesn’t interfere.

Scott and Zelda have lived through so much together.  Somehow they found a way to survive as one by one their family and friends began to disappear. Their escape was nothing short of miraculous, and the story is so touching, it must be told and told again by all who witnessed; told so as never to forget, but to remember the bravery and the good heart of a little one legged Robin. 

It was the day Amy became a hero and won her place on the mighty Porch Council of Elders.  And the day Hannibal Horrible the great Owl was forced from the ‘hood.  The day was ending like many others.  The old and weak wondered was this their last… the young excited to hit the nest for another day, but all ready to call it a  night and prepare for the next dawn. The great beastly owl was circling overhead.  His is a world so safe he forgets to worry.  Strong and big he fears nothing in the backyard, except lack of food.  He cares for none of them… they are his cafeteria, his food, his belly fillers, nothing more.  The sick and the weak are of course an easier meal than the occasional mouse running under the porch out of reach.  He is cruel and beautiful, dangerous and exotic and will even stare down the human in spite of her broom; playing with her until he has had enough. Then he slowly takes flight on those huge and mighty wings, and sails to other kingdoms where there are tastier morsels and no broom-wielding witch to interrupt his regal search for dinner.  Amy had been keeping an eye on him all afternoon.  Hannibal was of course suspected of grabbing the twenty-three little fish as they got too close to the top of the water… perhaps looking for tasty mosquitoes or ants half drowning, half swimming from their fall from Bill, the giant Chinquapin Oak that covers almost half of the back yard.  The whole yard had been privy to the mystery of the missing fish.  The losses in the pond had caused loud commotions from the house with the squeals and shrieks of the human… arms akimbo running after Hannibal Horrible when he got near.  

Today the swiftly moving shadow of the big bird overhead was frightful to behold with his big wings making ripples on the surface of the pond.  Amy knew Hannibal Horrible was about to attack… he was circling lower, toying, tormenting the three fish left in the little pond.  The human had chased him off several times the day before, but she was nowhere to be seen.  Amy was scared, hadn’t she known fear herself from that slow moving shadow.  Hannibal looked from pond to porch, the fish were going down and under pieces of broken marble, but it was no good; the big bird had perched on the upper section of the fountain, no shadow played on the water, no danger could be seen or sensed from underneath the bits of pink marble in the bottom of the pond.  The mosquitoes and small water spiders were still flitting and playing across the surface of the water and it would be seconds before one of the fish rose in false security to the top of the pond to feed.  Amy had to act fast.  She flew to the porch, flew to the window, flew helter skelter around the porch, yelling for Bull and Precious to come and help, but they had long since disappeared into nests in branches so close together the big bird couldn’t get them.  Bull felt a little ashamed, but had to calm the bosom heaving quakes and fears of Precious who was having a massive anxiety attack.  Amy was not giving up…

"View From the Porch" Part 3 By Nita Wilson

Bomber, The Nazi Fighting Hummingbird

Bomber adjusted her little flight jacket and secured the small peacock colored scarf around her neck.  She’d seen the human fill the Hummingbird feeder only this morning and by now the sun made the sweet nectar a perfect temperature for tiny stomachs.

“Die you Nazi cowards!” She screamed as she dove from above the big Crepe Myrtle down to the eave of the back porch and the red glass feeder shaped like a very fat tulip dripping sweet nectar.

“Good”, she fluttered. “I have out-smarted the Nazi ants yet once more.”  She began to drink the red syrup from the feeder keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding country side for the evil bee which could mean her death.  Her world in the backyards of the neighborhood is full of flight and fantasy, but also danger.  Her only weapon is her speed and the fierce look she can bestow on her adversary, looking mean and squinty eyed down her long beak, but that’s marginal.  She must not let her imagination run away while she’s eating.  Yep, it had happened once before as she drank from the glass feeder imagining terrible battles about to begin.  On one occasion she was pretending to drink from a large Amaryllis in a small cottage garden in a little French village just minutes ahead of the German army.  There were only a few moments to get the sustenance that could keep her strong for her mission… when out of the blue and to her surprise, the tip of a huge wing knocked her out of her reverie and onto the porch into a large fern which softly broke her fall.  It was the great scary owl, Hannibal whose snack she was to become but she was saved by the human sitting on the porch swing, with her broom, daring him to enter the porch.  Since then, Bomber’s been cautious with all her feeding places.  Her best friend in the yard is Amy Birdheart.  There’s a strong connection between the two.  She and Amy are both very brave.  There was talk for weeks that Bomber had gone under the porch and pooped on Justin Bubbles’ big shell.  Rumor has it that she accomplished this wild act of defiance in return for his saying very negative things about Amy’s landing methods. 

If you knew Justin Bubbles, you’d know that NO ONE, BUT NO ONE touches his shell.  One finger print on that brightly polished house he calls home and you’ll face dyer consequences.  Well, Bomber left a lot more than a finger print.

Anyway, Bomber is a wonderful friend to many in the back yard and they love her spark and joy.  They come from all over the neighborhoods on warm summer nights and gather round the big bird bath to listen to her colorful stories and tall tales.  Even Jake the Pine Snake coils around Bill’s roots and secretly listens to yarns about places he can never visit and creatures he’ll never see.

                                    Honey and Moon, A Married Couple

There are many animals and birds that make their living and live in the back yard.  To know them all, one would have to sit and watch, quietly, softly with no malice of heart or soul and with no thought of harm to these lovely beings.  Two of the most dear are a couple of morning doves named Honey and Moon.  They are a funny couple and act more like old married folk than honeymooners.   You can hear their soft “whooing” from backyard to backyard through the neighborhood when they’re on their way to feed from the seeds dropped on the ground by the big feeder.  Honey lands first and begins his foraging with Moon directly behind him finding seed he’s missed.  Moon feeding on his leftovers makes Honey angry and she knows it but does it anyway.  She’s always bragged of being the best forager and likes to prove it daily.  Once he let her go first thinking she’d leave some, but she harvested that seed from the ground as close as a big combine gathering a load of wheat.  So, the others in the yard give them room for their games and try not to come between them.  Moon has often been heard to say…

“That bird’ll be the death of me with his stubborn ways and self importance.  How can he walk right over all this seed and not see it?  I declare he is blind as a bat.”

At which Honey answers…

“There’s a bat around alright and her name should be ‘crazy as’ and she’s going to be the death of me with her competitive spirit and refusal to give me the respect I deserve.”

You can hear them muttering around the yard all day.  Eating and muttering, eating and muttering.  Amy asked Zelda the goldfish one day…

“How do those two find time to eat their seed with all the jabbering going on?”

Zelda came to the service of the pond, her answer sounding from a fluorescent bubble…

“They have the disgusting habit of talking with their mouths full.  Try not to watch, it could make you lose your lunch.”

Amy agreed and flew away with a last smile at Zelda’s tail as it splashed back down into the water.

Honey and Moon are a part of the whole that makes up this world and as such, are loved and respected and considered part of a family. 

Part 2 View From the Back Porch By Nita Wilson

JAKE THE PINE SNAKE                   Part 2 of View From the Backporch

Jake the Pine Snake assumes he rules this universe; his presence scares the wind out of the squirrels, especially the young families.  This gives him power and keeps him amused.  Knowing you’re not the most popular guy on the block tends to be a lonely business… unless you’re above that sort of thing.  Jake remembers the first time he looked up and saw feet and paws running helter skelter in all directions.  His mama told him it was because of his low slithering snake self and he should use their fear for his own protection.  From that moment on, he feared nothing and has grown used to being despised and ignored.  He gets a kick out of watching the sadistic play between Bull and Precious and sees them as the parents of his future food.  He has no respect for either squirrel.  How Bull could be led so easily into danger, and how Precious would encourage it is a mystery to Jake.  In the future he will make them bond together instead of fighting.  If they were smart enough to do that; fight as a team, they may save their babies one day.  Jake isn’t really worried about that, when that day comes he will either make or break them.  For now there are plenty of little field mice and frogs that satisfy and fill an empty belly.

He especially loves his power over the guests of the human.  His very presence sends them screaming into the house.  He loves to wait in the places they like to visit.  He lies in wait as they saunter off the big porch, drinks in hand and admire the Caladium leaves around the big Chinquapin Oak or coils himself just under the edge of the porch so he can still be seen from the big swing as the humans toss their heads in laughter.  Unsuspecting humans coming to the little fish pond to admire and feed the two gold fish, Zelda and Scott will trip over each other getting out of his way as he moves silently through the leaves and into the pond, giving a last prissy swish of his tale as he disappears to the sound of their screams.  But his most favorite of all tricks is playing garden hose curled up under the water spigot in the back yard.  It is Jakes greatest joy, and is mostly reserved for the men with their loud mowing machines lowering the grass above his head.  Oh what mahem… oh what havoc would take place in the back yard, until the day the big mower blades were lowered and Jake looked up to see the two eyes of the man on the mower staring at him with malice… within seconds Jake was spared from being spaghetti as he slithered under the porch and stayed for two days.

Jake the Pine Snake is not unaware that he is allowed this universe only by the kindness of the human who sits on the porch each morning.  She is not frightened, and has saved him many times from the wrath of those who were.  He has developed a respect and some kindness for her.  Their mutual respect is delicate though and he avoids direct contact as he saw her once wield a hoe at a water moccasin who wandered into the yard from the little creek.  Jake likes his home by the creek in the little town in MisStepisi.  He has plenty to eat, and he is safe as long as he stays close to the house of the human and doesn’t go across the creek to other neighborhoods where terrible barking beasts and shovels wait to pounce and destroy.  If he has a friend at all, it would be Amy, the one legged Robin, who isn’t afraid of him and will often sit a spell with Jake and discuss events of the world outside the yard. 

                                     Amy Birdheart, The One Legged Robin

Amy, the one legged Robin, had no clue why the “Great spirit that flies on white wings covering the sun” had chosen to give her one leg.  It had been hard on her mama, she hadn’t wanted to let Amy leave home, even after her brothers, Red and Speed had taken flight and were living lives of their own.   Mama would bring worms and wiggly bugs to Amy and coax her to be patient, but Amy knew she would rather die than stay  helpless in this nest and watch the world of the backyard pass her by.  Mustering courage in heart and soul, she began to hop and fall around the nest while her mama and brothers were away gathering food and love for her.  In a few days time she could stand without falling on the uneven straw and string that made their home.  A few days more and she could hop up to the rim of the nest and look down on the world she coveted.  The inevitable was happening and her mama knew it… Amy was preparing to leave the nest.  Amy had been keeping the nest too clean, and she was eating twice what she was given.  Mama began to stay away longer allowing her beautiful broken girl to find the life that would be hers or not.  Either way she didn’t want to be there when her daughter tried to fly.  But if her broken child was to fly, who else could teach her, it was a mama’s job and she would have to do it.  One morning in early summer she returned to find her sweet brave girl perched and ready.  There would be no safety net for falling or for landing, how to teach her to land. 

There were hidden tears in her little dark eyes as she gave her daughter the gift of flight.  Suddenly before her mama was ready, Amy was off and sailing into her destiny.  She couldn’t watch, she was going to have to land, but Amy didn’t land, she flew and flew and couldn’t get enough. She sailed under the roof of the big porch, and she sailed over the creek that flowed behind the strange wire lattice that circled the yard.  Her joy was greater than she had ever imagined, flying meant she could be a part of this world, become a part of the whole, one with the “great spirit with white wings covering the sun”, sister to Red and Speed, lover of rain and sun, scavenger of her own worms and wiggly bugs, she had seen and become a part of this world just by taking flight.  Fatigue was calling and she must head back home, she wanted to tell mama all she had seen, but fear began to cloud the euphoria.  What if she couldn’t manage the landing; what if she had been given all of this for the moment and was going to have to give it all back in death?  Her wings were growing heavy, she felt the emptiness where a leg should have been, the space, covered by small useless feathers, grew big and heavy, her one leg began to feel small, light, spindly and unusable.  She was beginning to believe her family was right, she was on a useless and dangerous path and she was surely doomed.  But then she saw home, and mama with a pride she had never seen in her eyes and she knew she couldn’t let her down.  Mama’s soul and song were calling Amy in, and letting her know she would be there waiting, helping and ready to listen to tales of her first flight and the glory and adventure of it.  Amy began her landing, the one good strong leg was down and ready to balance.  She felt muscle where there was no leg begin to tighten and stretch guiding a leg that had never been.  She was strong and young and she had a world waiting for her and a mama who was proud of her.  It didn’t get any better than this. “Ooof “ said her mama as Amy made the final landing and knocked her mama over and onto the other side of the nest. They both lay laughing and making strange whistling sounds trying to catch their breaths.  No sir, it didn’t get any better than this.  So Amy began her life in the world of the backyard. 

Soon she was flying into neighboring yards and down the street going longer and farther, gathering adventures and tales to please her mama and brothers at night snuggled in their nest. Even her brothers, Speed and Red had not gone as far as she and loved being regaled by her stories. Her reputation had become one of fierce determination and strong will and was highly respected by all the members of her world.  Even Jake the Pine Snake had backed away from this little bird.  He knew when she hatched she couldn’t be good eating with the prickly gristle of bad karma he would surely have to digest with Amy in his belly.  But her Mama was cautious, always so cautious.  Sometimes mamas are not as brave as their daughters.  But life went on in the back yard.  Next…

                        Bomber the Warrior Hummingbird

View From The Back Porch www.fjwilson.net

                            View From the Back Porch

                             A Play of Many Characters

                                                    By Nita Wilson

                         Dedicated to the memory of my friend Amelia Stebly

In the town of Hattiesgulch, in the State of MisStepisi, in the very southern section of the Untangled Escapes of Americals there dwells a small group of animals, birds, reptiles and fish who live out their lives with the same drama and passion as any human in any of the largest cities in the world.  They fear Hurricanes and wild beast. They fear being eaten by the large owl that visits nightly and they fear the humans who live around and among them.  Maybe fear is too strong a word for these creatures as they don’t dwell on fears as we humans, not at all.  They go about their daily lives in their relationships and friendships as happily as can be, but they are cautious, yes that’s the word, cautious… these creatures are cautious.  They know when ‘Big O’ the old battle scarred yellow cat comes into the yard it’s time to visit themselves elsewhere.  At night when the “whoo, whoo” of the big owl comes from the neighboring yards it’s time to run up the tree and pull the big magnolia leaves over the  nests and… when the big winds bend the trees in half, it’s time to hide under the eaves of the back porch and wait it out.  The players in this story are real and at this writing are busy preparing for fall.  The squirrels are sitting in the big yard on their little hind legs, tails curling up and over their backs looking all the world like little brown teapots as they gather the acorns given freely and generously by ‘Bill’, the big Chinquapin Oak.  The corn and sunflower seeds I threw to them this morning have already been stored in nests so far up in the trees only the wind knows the hidden places. 

I consider these beings my friends; they consider me a nuisance.  I respect them; they tolerate me.  I would be lying if I said I didn’t buy their friendships, I do.  I buy their affection with seeds and nuts they can’t find in my back yard and they provide me with hours of entertainment and a random stare on a bright sunny day.   This is a story of an event I witnessed.

                                                THE CAST OF CHARACTERS

The Squirrels:              

Bull, Precious and Lil’ Bit

Precious would be the death of Bull one day, he knew it, he hated it, but he couldn’t help it.  He was smitten with her, crazy about her, he thought she was about the cutest thing in the whole yard and the danger she invoked kept him on his mettle and he liked that.    Bull hoped she was watching. Did she see him, one foot closer to the human?  He stopped and stared at the tall figure holding the plate of seed. His heart might explode if he didn’t get a sunflower seed soon, not that he could eat it, the fear tied his soul in knots and his stomach was tangled somewhere inside those knots and would be for some time to come. He intended to get a seed, offer it to Precious and enjoy watching her take it.  Even if he didn’t offer, he knew from many seeds before, she would badger him until she got it, but this time he would offer it without the nagging.

Precious was the devil in a little fur coat and Bull’s forever torment.  She had something that compelled him to play her silly games and stick around for the good times. Maybe it was knowing she could never be tamed, maybe it was her prowess in the nest or maybe it was just old fashioned chemistry between them.  Whatever it was, he was powerless against the awesome feelings that kept him in her nest doing her bidding.

Bull had once courted, Lil Bit, the dainty pretty thing with large soft eyes and slim flanks, demure in his presence and always ready to be led and loved.  He would’ve been a lot better off had he chosen her, but his life would have lacked the sauce and spice of the chase that Precious offered. 

Once, a long time ago, Lil Bit tried and worked for days building a courage that wasn’t in her.  She had approached, soft eyes half closed and wanting, trembling in fear and excitement, but Bull took one look at her flirting eyes thought she’d gone crazy and ran away across the roof and into Cyril, the tall cypress tree on the other side of the house.  This as it turned out was a good thing for Lil Bit, seeing as how Precious was waiting to kill both parties of this silly tete-a-tete, and would have… easily. Instead Precious used it for days, to goad and make fun of Bull.  “Bull and Lil Bit sitten’ in a tree, Kiss-ing.” Precious barked from the nest as all in the backyard laughed. Bull got angry and kept all of his sunflower seeds to himself.  Precious, seeing her free meal ticket in jeopardy smugly stopped the torment and things went back to normal.  Lil Bit would wait, her day would come, she could be patient.  She was good at being patient.  Her mother told her... “Patience means waiting gracefully.”   That was Lil Bits true talent.

Norma www.fjwilson.net

                                                                  Norma

                               By Nita Wilson

Norma sat on the ground next to the fresh grave and spoke to her dead husband as if he was sitting across the kitchen table.

“The washing’s done and I hung your work shirts in the closet; I’ll iron them when I get back this afternoon.  Supper will be on the table at five and the tomatoes have been weeded.  I hope that pleases you.  I’ve done my best today.”

She sat picking at blades of grass holding in her smile as she didn’t want to appear ‘uppity’ as her husband used to yell at her.  But she was always happy when she could tell him she had finished all the tasks he’d given her to do.   She had to admit, the daily tasks were a lot easier to complete since he was dead and out of her way.  Just knowing there would be no more beatings and no more yelling made her smile in spite of herself.  She was finally catching on; he wasn’t coming home to yell and spit his fire at her.  The first week she couldn’t believe he was really dead.  No way in hell was he going to leave and let her go without killing her first, but in the last couple of weeks he hadn’t returned from the grave, he hadn’t appeared in her sleep and he hadn’t surprised her in the tub as he had so many times in their many years together.  He was gone and he wasn’t coming back.  She could stop washing the clean work shirts and having supper ready every day at five o’clock on the dot.  She didn’t like eating that early, but her likes were never an issue with him.  He wanted to eat at five and by damn she would either eat at five or wear her food in her lap. 

          Suddenly she was afraid. She was alone and she was lost.  Without him to tell her what would to do how would she get by?  She believed him all the years he told her she would be lost without him.  Her stupidity would be her downfall, she had believed it for so long, she had to stop and think.  Deep down, deep, deep down in her soul she knew he was right.  She was a stupid woman who wouldn’t be able to make it without someone as all knowing as her husband.  She was glad they had no children to witness her down fall, her destruction, her falling into some abyss of ignorance and ending destitute and lonely.

She got her checkbook out of her purse and opened it.  The insurance money had been doubled with the help of Ms. Brian at the bank.  Her mortgage was paid off at the death of her husband and her bills were set to be paid from the bank each month, from the interest of her money.  She had to think about this.  According to Ms. Brian, she’d never have to pay another bill and would have more than enough money to live comfortably the rest of her life and travel if she so desired.  Travel, where would she go?  She was sure she wasn’t smart enough to travel on her own, maybe she could take someone with her, but who?  She had no friends, they weren’t allowed in her life.  Her family long stopped having anything to do with her, her husband made sure of that.  When she was young and first married she packed her things and moved home when he gave her the first black eye.  She remembered the day well, walking up on the big porch with such joy at being free from him and home again.  She couldn’t wait to feel her mama’s arms around her telling her everything would be alright.  She would help her mama put up jams and plant tomatoes… but it hadn’t worked out like that. 

“Frank called us, Norma.  Why you running back here with your tail between your legs; you have a husband who loves and needs you. He’s worried to death.”  Her mama met her at the front door.

“What’d you do gal, to make your husband mad enough to slug you?”  Her father asked pushing past her mama.

That was the day her heart broke into a million pieces; not from the black eye and the bad words from a husband she thought loved her, but her mama and daddy blaming her for her husband’s outrageous behavior.  She felt a deep betrayal, a betrayal so deep and sorrow filled, she knew she would never get over it.  She turned and walked back down the front steps and took the first bus back to her husband.  From that day on she knew she must have done something horrible to warrant her husband’s disappointment in her and through the years worked to right the many wrongs she did on a daily basis.

Gerry looked across the cemetery at a woman sitting next to a grave, stood up from his wife’s grave and took his hat from off her tombstone.  Just that day the police told him he was no longer a suspect in his wife’s death.  The coroner declared her death an accident after being shot in the head while Gerry was cleaning his gun.  Gerry would be lying if he said he wasn’t happy about the report.  He felt bad enough that things had gotten that out of hand the night he killed his wife.  He’d aimed the gun at her before when she did something so stupid he lost his temper, but this time he went that extra step and pulled the trigger.  It was her fault, damn it.  She knew he hated biting into a piece of fried chicken and finding blood.  She knew not to rile him when he was tired from working all day; would it have killed her to make sure the damned chicken was done?  He’d told her so many times he was sick of telling her, but she was just too stupid and needy to listen.  He was sorry now though.  He missed her.  He could have been kinder to her.  She did try as best she could, but she just didn’t get him.  She had never understood him at all.  He just picked the wrong woman.  He missed her though.  Her heart was in the right place and he missed having clean clothes and supper on the table when he got home and God knows he missed her in his bed. 

He was hungry; maybe he’d stop by the diner and eat a hamburger before going home to watch “Wheel of Fortune”.  Besides, without Beth, the game show wasn’t fun anymore.  She was real good at guessing the words two seconds before the contestants.  He turned in the direction of the parking lot and noticed the woman lamenting a flat tire.

“Need some help, Mam?”  He asked in his best man-to-the-rescue voice. 

Norma turned to the man walking up to her car and gave him a nice smile.

“I’ve never had to do this before.  Frank took care of things like this.  I’m helpless when it comes to car fixin’s.”  She laughed nervously.

“We’ll have you fixed up in no time.  You got the key to the trunk?”  He asked and walked around to the back of the car.  He wondered if her husband was in the cemetery with Beth.  Why else would she be out here at supper time.

          Beth wondered if he was as nice as he seemed.  Frank would have been yelling and cursing at her for getting the nail in the tire.  This man was gentle and helpful.  She’d bet he’d never  yelled at a woman.

          Once the tire was fixed he wiped his hands on the towel she kept in the trunk and cleaned between his fingers while glancing at her standing next to the back door.

          “You from around here?”  He asked as he put the towel back in the trunk and closed it.

“Yes.  My husband and I live over by Potter’s Creek.  Well, at least, I live over by Potter’s Creek, my husband’s buried over there under the big willow.  He just died a month ago.”  She clutched the neck of her blouse with one hand and smoothed the strands of hair from her forehead.

“My wife’s buried over there by the fence.  Just two weeks ago.  I miss her somethin’ terrible.”  He took his hat off and held it in both hands… it seemed like the proper thing to do talking about his dead wife and all.

“My name’s Norma Hatten.”  She said and extended her hand.

“I’m Gerry Potter.  How you do, Mam.”  He took her hand and shook it gently.

“Well I better go, I left supper on the stove.”  She turned to get in the car and turned back.  “You want some supper?  I got plenty.”  She blanched; what the hell had she just done?

“You a good cook?”  Great, open with an insult, Gerry thought to himself.

“I’m told I am.”  Please let him say no, she prayed to herself.

“I’d love some Mam, or we could go to the diner and get a burger.”  This was more like it.  He was getting a second chance with a nice woman.  This time would be different.  This time he’d watch his anger and be nice.

“Whichever you’d like, Mr. Potter, either one is fine with me.  It’s up to you.”  She was getting a second chance and this time with a nice man.  She would be so nice and accommodating, there’d be no need for him to yell.  He seemed like a nice gentle fellow and she would love the company.

The End