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It’s a normal thing to do. People get pets. Especially farmers. I was on my way to the community center at the northern end of the town square, in the pouring rain, to adopt a cat. As I was walking, I was also trying really hard to convince myself that I wasn’t weird to want to get a cat. This was a hard task as A: I hadn’t actually seen a lot of other town folk actively adopting animals from the shelter and B: those who had animals seemed to have brought them home from the wilder, foresty areas. Or said pets had just wandered into one of the shopping districts and were decidedly someone’s animal from then on. But all of that had happened before I had arrived on Coral Island at the beginning of the spring season.
They have a whole shelter full of animals in there. I’ve seen them. I know Mark said they’re looking for people who could adopt some of them. THIS ISN’T WEIRD. As I was lost in my thoughts, I felt an absence of rain joined by the pattering of raindrops on an umbrella. I glanced up quickly to see the umbrella being held over my head and then to my right to see its owner. Raj was standing next to me, giving me a quizzical expression which turned into a friendly smile as my eyes met their warm, brown ones.
“Hey! Why are you just standing out here? You’re soaked!”
“I um, uh well-”
Being snapped out of my reverie was enough of a shock that my brain was having trouble switching to normal conversation. They chuckled.
“Let’s get inside and see if you can find those words, yeah?”
I nodded and walked with them through the front doors of the building. After getting out of the rain into the warmer, dry environment I realized how sopping wet I actually was, and cold. Raj must’ve noticed my hands rubbing at my upper arms to get rid of the goosebumps.
“I think we have some towels over in the animal room if you want to dry off a little faster,” they informed me amicably. “Thanks. Um, how come you’re not at the coffee shop today?”
They pointedly looked over at the window, where the rain seemed to swell a bit in the strength of its pouring to help them make their point. They turned back to me with an ironic eyebrow as they patiently waited for me to get the explanation.
“Oh right. I forgot its more of a stand than a building.”
They smiled and shrugged.
“Maybe one day I could protect myself better from the elements but I’m happy with where it is now. And now I can help Mark at the shelter on the rainier days. Isn’t that right Mark?” he called out. We’d crossed the threshold to the Animal Shelter room by then and Mark, who was scooping kitty litter in one of the wall kennels, looked over at Raj’s comment and nodded with a grunt. Raj returned the greeting with a small hand raise and another smile while he bent behind the counter and grabbed me one of the rolled up towels they had.
As I toweled off my hair and clothes he asked, “So why were you just standing in front of the community center? You looked like you were thinking hard about something.”
“Oh, I was actually, well, thinking of adopting a pet.” I managed to get the words out.
“I wasn’t sure how to go about it since I don’t see a lot of people actually….coming in here…” I felt the awkwardness of my own trailing-off seep into my bones. Raj showed his agreement with a somber nod. “Well it’s good that you’ve come here then.” He moved to grab a broom and start cleaning around the shelter room.
”Hey Mark, maybe you can show our farmer to our little friends and help them with the process to take one home then?” “Sure.” Mark had just straightened from cleaning the last cat box in the wall shelters. He wheeled the big trashcan he was using to catch the refuse to the back wall. He turned and walked back to the wall, motioning me over. When I joined him I couldn’t help noticing how large his hands and arms were as he pointed out my options.
“Cats are over here. I’m surprised a farmer doesn’t want to go for a dog honestly.” “Well, I’m not a huge fan of dogs. They get kind of loud. And I can handle cleaning up cat litter.”
Mark narrowed his eyes with some impatience, and I could feel the panic raise in my stomach a bit. I hadn’t meant to irritate him.
“Not liking dogs is a strong stance to take in this town. Also don’t your cows and chickens make a bunch of noise?”
“It’s not really the same… I like other people’s dogs and my cows don’t live in my house.”
“Hmph. Well, let me know when you find a cat you want. I hope you know they’re not just some stuffed toy or whatever for your house.”
That stung. I knew what Mark thought of me. A farmer that moved into the land outside of the town with no previous experience aside from visiting my grandparents once in a while as a kid. And admittedly at the time I had thought how hard could this be. Turns out so much harder than I had imagined. Now I was here to take some animal home. And in his mind, I’d probably bring it right back within the week.
But before I could feel completely discouraged, a thought struck me. I’m still here aren’t I? I’ve found out how hard being a farmer is and I’m still here months later. And I love it. I looked up at him and saw him staring with some irritation still on his face.
“At this point I would hope I know how much work goes into taking care of an animal since it’s literally my job. And I know that to take home a pet is basically a decades-long commitment. Which I hope is true since I’m trying to find a new little friend, aren’t I?” That got me a bushy eyebrow raise with some surprise.
“Fair enough, Garden Rake.” I tried to give my best copy of one of Raj’s easy-going smiles and walked along the wall looking in at each of the kennels. Naturally all the kitties were pretty cute. I found myself wanting to take them all home but I knew that I wouldn’t have the capacity to take care of all of them. Also in complete honesty Mark would probably ban me from the shelter for trying.
I searched for who I knew was going to be a lifelong friend. The one that caught my eye was a sweet little tortoiseshell calico, who was actually missing her own eye. I read the description for her said she was about six, and her name was Melly. I looked back to the cat after reading her description and saw her headbutting the door of the kennel towards me. I felt a smile break out over my face.
“Hi little one. You look like you want some scritches.” I looked back at Mark, who was still watching me.
“Can I hold her for a bit?” He walked over to see who I was pointing at.
“Melly huh?”
He opened the kennel and stepped aside to let me and Melly get to know each other. I carefully offered a fist near her face to let her sniff, which she did. She then immediately rubbed the side of her face on my knuckles. I impulsively let out a giggle and scratched her ears. Mark commented, “Melly here is a really sweet girl. But she’s also missing an eye. You’d have to make sure to, well, keep an eye on her healthy one. Make sure it stays healthy.”
“I’ll add it to my daily morning chores. And evening ones if I have to.” Miraculously he graced that comment with a snort. I gave him a genuine smile this time as Melly shoved her furry head into the cup of my hand.
“I’ll find you a carrier then.”
A few minutes later I was following him past the other kennels with cat carrier full of Melly in hand. I sneaked a glance at the dogs as well. I still liked dogs, they’re cute too. My sight fell on an older pup, who was snoozing off the rest of the morning. Looked like some sort of shepherd dog. His description said he was twelve.
“Who’s this?”
“Oh that’s Parker. Got him from overfill from a shelter in Pokyo.”
At hearing his name Parker slowly lifted his head, and his gaze met mine. I felt a pang suddenly, for this old boy stuck in a kennel. Waiting for a home. I knelt down before realizing what I was doing to let him sniff at my knuckles through the gate’s bars. He huffed on my closed hands, and offered a small lick. The pang turned more into an ache for him. I didn’t noticed Mark moving closer.
“It’s funny you picked him out. He’s a retired vet dog. Well-trained, and honestly pretty quiet. Plus we know he gets along with the cats.” I looked up from my squat position to see Mark looking with a tenderness at Parker before his eyes met mine. It felt like the tenderness lingered a bit longer as he looked at me.
“I wouldn’t mind taking him home too if that’s ok,” I said quietly. Mark rubbed the back of his neck.
“That’s not usually protocol…” I turned back to Parker feeling disheartened.
“But,” Mark started, “I would like to see this old guy find a home. It gets harder the older they get. I don’t mind an exception for this case.”
“I certainly won’t tell anyone,” Raj said from the window he was spraying with glass cleaner. I smiled over to him and carried the smile back to Mark.
“I promise I’ll make sure he’s well taken care of. And you won’t even have to lie when you tell everyone he went to the farm.” Mark mentally lost the battle to a chuckle.
“Fair point Garden Rake.” It was hard not to see the small glimmer in his eyes. I saw a kindness shyly sneak through.
Back at the counter, he rang me up for the small shelter fees for both Melly and Parker as well as some food bowls I’d picked out. He threw in some collars and a leash for free.
“It’s still pouring buckets outside, and these food bags will be heavy as hell. I’m gonna go grab the truck and we’ll ride in that.” “
Oh, ok yeah.” I replied. I was glad he’d thought of that because I sure hadn’t. He rode the truck from the garage attached to the community center to its front and we quickly got the animals into the back seats with the food bags and bowls into the truck bed. He covered the bed to keep from water gathering.
When we were seated in the front seat, him starting up the car, I turned, saying “Sorry for getting your seats wet.” “Couldn’t really avoid it. Plus I did too.” I smiled at him. I couldn’t tell if he’d caught it from his peripheral while he was driving. But I was happy to look at him for a bit, to see the freckles and the concentrated look on his face. His shirt was now drenched and clung to the large forms of his arms and chest. The water had slicked his hair back. He gave me side glance and I snapped back to looking ahead just as we crossed the bridge near my home.
The rain was starting to clear up with some sunlight peaking through as he parked in front of my porch step.
“That really figures doesn’t it,” he said, looking up at the sky with his hand shading his eyes.
“Well, I appreciate the ride anyway,” I said. “Thank you.” I gave him another genuine smile. It was funny how many I had for him today. He grunted, seeming a bit uncomfortable at the gratitude. We got the animals inside along with their things and returned back outside, him getting into the truck. I stood outside the car door until he rolled the window down.
“Yeah?”
“Um, you’re welcome to come over to see them whenever you like.” His face crinkled into the first smile I’d ever seen from him. “Might take you up on that, farmer.” I watched him drive off then, back to the shelter. With a big sigh of content, I walked back into the house to help my new little friends become familiar with their new home.