“Every kid, mainly during holidays, must have a kitty. And ‘pleasing mothers, not willing to put their foot down and say ‘no’ give in and allow the adoption. But what happens when they get older (kitten and child)? The child loses interest, and the parents no longer want the ‘thing’ around, preferring dogs to cats, taking the helpless ‘Thing,’ down to a local park, to make it on its own—subject to cruel treatment from more ‘established’ cats in the area.”
Allison glared at Pauline, who knew Rebekah would go off on this rant giving the opportunity and push. Allison had heard it over a dozen times by now.
“The poor thing, frightened and confused, asking What did I do wrong?" Rebekah pushed her hands under her big doe eyes for sympathy that didn't come. "Quickly becoming hungry, cold, and neglected by a world that it did not ask to be born in. It now becomes survival of the fittest. The horror stories that are told of these poor neglected creatures is legend. Perhaps a worse scenario, taking the unwanted thing to Animal Control: an assured death warrant.”
"We would never do such a thing here," Allison assured, desperate for it all to end. But Rebekah kept going.
“Animal shelters are so overcrowded with people’s discarded family pets and strays, simply have no alternative but euthanizing as adoption is often out of the question.” Rebekah threw up her hands. “There seems to be no end to this societal problem!”
"Well not all are abused, some are cared for in living shelters," Pauline offered.
“Those are the lucky ones,” Rebekah acknowledged. “When I get my own veterinary practice, I will devote my services fully and completely to only farm animals. Seems funny. Where a society has little use for domestic pets, farmers, however, will go to no end or expense to provide their farm animals with the best of medical care. There is always the exception. In the case of an owner, losing his income from drinking too much. Or losing his job. Bad debts, not feeding or caring for his charges; ending up with the animal starving to the point that local authorities must step in and take charge, to prevent the animal from starving to death.”
"Alright, alright, let us be done with that conversation, please," Pauline begged, rolling her eyes at Allison. Rebekah, exhausted from her rant, fell into the rocking chair beside them. Within a few minutes, she'd switched subjects, something she commonly did, declaring she wanted to be the first to develop a time capsule.
“We already have a time capsule”, piped in Pauline. "Time Capsules are the product of thoughtful people, deciding the storing up of goods and information known now, placing in a capsule, burying in the ground, undisturbed or opened for decades, hoping it might be helpful to future generations of archeologist, anthropologist, and historians. I think it’s a neat idea.”
“That is not the type of time capsule I had in mind,” said Rebekah. “I want to design a time capsule or time injection, capable of advancing rapid treatment of an animal and humans without the prolonged suffering that comes after surgery. For example, when Rover comes in for surgery its owner will typically asks: how long will the recovery time take? The vet responding, at the most, six weeks.”
“The client, in this hypothetical example, responds, that’s not an option! I have already scheduled to show Rover this weekend. So, the vet in turn says: We can give him a time injection, making him ready for the show this weekend, but it will be expensive.” She says, “Oh, by all means, give him the injection.” Rebekah's eyes glowed with excitement.
"Oh, and another example. A thoroughbred racehorse, predicted to win the prestigious Preakness Stakes, comes down with a sore shoulder. The vet says: Lazy Day (the name given the racehorse) must avoid any type of strenuous exercise for the next few days which includes not running in Saturday’s prestigious quarter-mile horse race.”
"To which, the owners say, that is unacceptable, we have too much money riding on this horse. The odd takers have declared he is a heavy favorite to win. Is there anything you can do?” Rebekah waited for Pauline or Allison to join in her fun game, but neither did.
"So then, the vet responds: I can provide the horse with a time injection shot which will make him ready to run the race by this weekend, but it is going to be expensive. The owners of the horse respond. Money is no object. Give him the shot.”
“But, on the negative side,” continues Rebekah, not missing a beat. “Suppose the winningest NFL football league team quarterback in recent history, is poised to win the National Football Championship the following weekend, but disaster strikes. The quarterback, Tom B is injured, placed on the injury list, not able to play in the national championship playoff game, the most crucial game of the entire season.”
“The one game they have all been looking forward to playing all season long. So, the football team owner, whom we will call ‘Joe Smith’ must decide, knowing they may lose the National Championship if they do not give Tom B the time injection shot. So, the team owner capitulates, deciding in favor of giving his star quarterback the shot.”
“Now here comes the tricky part. The opposing team who are dead certain, they can win the game if the opposing team quarterback, Tom B is taken out. Aware that Tom B is injured, they call the opposing team doctor requesting he not give Tom B the time capsule, or time injection shot, whatever it is called. If the doctor refuses to administer the shot, the opposing team owner will triple the price of the shot.”
“Then enter the pinhead journalist and social media types, jumping into the act. Turning the entire thing into a National Circus, demanding that Tom B not be given the injection. I mean think of the craziness of it all," Rebekah was now completely consumed with her fictional story.
“The NFL should be ashamed! they would say. We are sick and tired of this glamour-boy dominating the game of football year after year. He is too old and should be retired.” Rebekah was now up from her chair and enacting the scene for her sisters.
“Then there is the weird example of a group of young teenage girls clustered together in the main high school hallway discussing, what else? boys. Becky says to the group, did you hear? Our team quarterback, Jason is a two-timer.”
“No! You can’t mean it, they decry." Rebekah was now fully immersed in her theatrical storytelling to Pauline and Allison, who laughed and smiled at their ridiculous sister.
“Yes, he was dating Peggy, a happy couple until Jason met Sue.”
“With Jason, deciding he wanted to break off his relationship with Peggy and make it with Sue. Jason, after taking two anti-time capsules, traveled back in time, meeting Sue first. Right away, they become an item, with Jason avoiding any future liaisons or romantic hook-ups with Peggy.” Rebekah raised both hands in victory. "See all the possibilities of this time capsule and how amazing it would be?"
“Rebekah, you have been out in the sun baking your brain far too long!" Pauline jeered. "You are aware there is no such thing as a ‘time’ capsule or some method of making time into something that can be injected into people. The expression used: ‘gaining time’ or losing time is just an expression; nothing more.”
“The reference to time we use in our daily lives is probably the only constant that never changes," Allison affirmed. She, more than anyone, was aware of how cruel time could be.
16
Devoted Brother
Charlie was considered by his mother and siblings as a serious and dedicated bird watcher, a loving member of the Dawkins family, not into girls, yet; but that was soon to change. Knowing early on in life he wanted to study geology and forest management—the two subjects he enjoyed most in high school. “When I begin college next year, I plan to major in both subjects,” he told his mother, Peggy.
Charlie’s high school geology teacher, Bosco Smoakes, made the subject exciting, encouraging Charlie and many of his students to learn more about the subject outside the classroom.
“We live on an earth that we know so little about it. Geology is like taking a knife and dissecting the earth, layer by layer. It is the only way to learn and understand how the earth functions,” explained his geology teacher, Professor Smoakes. “We understand through study the Earth has an inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust. How they all fit together is one of life’s mysteries.”
As a devoted bird watcher, Charlie was one of the youngest members of the American Ornithologist Society. Ornithology is a branch of zoology, the scientific study of the behavior, structure, physiology, classification, and distribution of animals. Each month he received a copy of the AUK, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, and an official publication of the AOS. Charlie hopes to someday be a forest manager, with the added opportunity to travel around the world, count birds, and study the forestry industry in other countries.
Peggy was the family glue that kept all the parts together. To her small family, she was the rock that remained the same, through good times as well as bad times. She never gave up or complained. Only to absentee husband Robert--for just cause. The shining Lighthouse, the beacon that all her children returned when the storm was at its worst. Often pinching herself, thanking God for giving back her little Allison, although not her biological daughter, but one she had grown to love more with each passing day.
Remembering the years of struggle, penniless, just barely making it from day to day. Living with a worthless husband whose wanderlust seemed to know no boundaries, never knowing where the next meal was coming from. The Dawkins story is surely an emblematic one; the telling of how one family managed to rise from rags to near-riches. Strangely, Allison was never aware of their social status. She was blinded by the love coming from her earth mother and adopted siblings. Rich or poor, she could not have been happier!
This was the family that Charlie always knew and loved. A family where he received his daily inspiration—the family he could rely on through thick or thin; come hell or high water. He was aware that siblings of many families throughout the world often have some type of disconnect—even going to the extreme of hating each other. Unlike the Dawkins family where every member loved and adored each other. Always supportive in a loving way: never begrudging, or criticizing, no matter how ridiculous some of Charlie’s plans may sound.
Every member of the family, no matter how busy, managed to come home for every holiday, especially at Christmas time. It was a family tradition that they looked forward to. One summer, when the family was all to gather, Uncle Bubba suggested going to a new state park, recently constructed on the banks of the Floyd River, for a picnic. With fishing gear and all the food, one could possibly eat, the family was off with Rebekah insisting on bringing Jessica along for the ride.
No one recalled if the park authorities allowed pets or not. A state Park Ranger, stationed at the front gate so instructed: “Family pets are allowed if they are on a leash and under the care of their owner.”
“Darn. I should have brought Billy with us,” said Allison.
“I don’t think ‘goats’ are considered as family pets,” spoke up Uncle Bubba.
Setting up for lunch, Uncle Bubba exclaimed: “Uh, oh, damn. We will not be fishing in the Floyd River today. Look how dry the river is. If we do not get some rain soon, this entire river will dry up. It’s been at least ten years since I’ve seen it this low. If we don’t get some rain soon, our crops will burn up in the field.”
Allison snapped to attention. “God, if that happens, what is to keep someone from observing the capsule we buried at the bottom of the river?” As it turned out, there was no need for fear. The very next week the rain came and came. Farmers recently worry about the drought, and now have a new concern: After a long drought, too much rain can spell disaster for the farmer’s crops. ****
