A Season of Hope

There he is, standing proudly in the field. A powerhouse with nothing to fear. He doesn’t have the same sense of vulnerability as the other animals around here… He dares anyone to contest him. But,there’s something else I’ve noticed too. He must be so lonely... As many times as I've watched the field from up here, in my favorite tree, perched in my own personal nest, I've never seen any other bull out there with him. Or anything else for that matter... Does he have any friends? Or does he just live in a world of strangers and would-be predators? What a lonely way to live...

“Amaya! Please, for the last time, could you get out of that tree? You’re too high up!”

Well, it wasn't the first time I'd heard my mother warn me about heights, but I wasn't finished checking in on my new friend!

"But mom, this is the only place from around here I can check in on..."

“What, Timon? Or is it Rodrigo this time? Ama, I told you to stay away from it. That thing is dangerous! It can be so violent! And I know you, my little moon lily… Naming it will only help you to forget that fact."

“Well, sure, he CAN be violent, when half of our village is trying to throw ropes around him and take him against his will as a trophy! Wouldn’t you be?” I know that what she was telling me was coming from a good place, but honestly, I can handle myself, and everyone has the wrong idea about Buttercup!

...Yes, today his name is Buttercup.

"Not now, Ama. Let’s just keep our focus on gathering up the rest of these herbs for dinner, eh?”

She was right, we were expected back soon. I reluctantly climbed down, landing a little roughly, patted off my clothes and skipped over to mom, who had already made some good progress by the look of it. She was still looking discriminately over the nearby herbs, her dirt-covered hands skillfully harvesting her top picks. We were only about 10 minutes away from the village,but aside from the two of us, there were no other people out here. It was a small opening in a small patch of forest, right next to the field where my people would go hunting and typically have great success in farming - in the good seasons, anyway. Lately, though, we haven’t been having much luck. The flowers and trees here swayed in unison with the breeze, a symphony of colors, sounds and smells. It was always one of my favorite places to be, so I plopped down next to mom and helped her finish gathering.

Afterwards, while she was still getting everything ready, I couldn't help but sneak over to the field one more time to see if my friend was out there. I peeked back at mother, and luckily, she was too distracted bundling everything up and getting prepared for the trip back to notice my slipping away. I kept quiet through the grass, hoping to get just a little bit closer to Buttercup. I saw him out there ahead of me just curiously looking my way, probably wondering why I was approaching alone. As I was getting closer though, I started to see his scars - the proof of his many battles. I saw old gashes... some matted fur in some places... and his right horn, though still clearly dangerous, was cracked nearly all the way down. I kept imagining everything he had been through, what could’ve caused all this damage, and felt a deep sadness for him. At this point, I just couldn’t help but reach out to him – if Mother knew, I’d never hear the end of it, but I couldn’t shake the compulsion to let him know that I wasn’t here to threaten him, to bring him any more scars. I just wanted him to not have to be alone for a moment. I got even closer, and I noticed him start to tense a little, and face me more directly, looking uncertain about my intent.

"Um... Hey there, Buttercup!" I mean, I've never greeted a bull before. How else was I supposed to do it?

"...Hmmmmph." He grunted back at me, surly and defiant. But he didn’t seem to be the monster that my mom and the other villagers made him out to be.

"Can I... can I come over to you?" I wanted to feel his fur, to lay my hand against him. In his world of strangers and would-be predators, I wanted to be a gentle friend for him. He was just standing there looking back at me, with caution in his eye... but he was letting me inch closer, so I continued to, one step at a time.

When I was finally within reach, I saw him tense up again, but he remained calmed and allowed himself to take his eyes off of me, returning to grazing. I extended my hand, gently laying my hand on his side. I felt a slight inhale and saw him look back at me one more time, and after another moment passed, I could feel the newfound trust he had for me. Or at the very least, tolerance. In his eyes, I saw a tenderness that contradicted everything I'd heard about him. I could feel that I was right. He had been very much alone and wasn't used to anything other than threats and challenges - this was new for him. I began petting Buttercup’s… No, Mateyo’s side, trying to avoid the old battle wounds and scars. And just then, I heard the swift footfalls from behind.

"AMAYA! Get away from that thing! Haven't you seen what it did to the other villagers? The wounds they carried back to the village?”

Despite the connection I just made with him, seeing my mother sprint at us from across the field, dagger in hand, screaming and flailing her arms around caused him to back up and take up a defensive posture again. I don’t blame him, she looked terrifying!

"Mother, stop! You're scaring Mateyo!"

"Good! Get away from him, Ama! Come with me!”

I looked at her, and then back at Mateyo – I think I’ve finally settled on his name, this one has a special ring to it! – and noticed that he was definitely ready to fight back if he needed to... and I didn't want that, I didn't want mother to get hurt either.

"...Fine, but leave him alone. I'm coming." I slowly turned and began walking toward her. She held her arm out and waited for me to get within her reach before wrapping me up, as if I needed protection, and started walking out of the field with me.

"You really didn't have to react like that mom, I was fine! He just needed a friend is all..."

At this point, though, she stopped listening, and was instead trying to hastily retreat back through the field. "Why are you always like this, Amaya?? The other children of the village, they know better - they don’t climb the trees, they don't run out of sight into little-known areas, and they definitely don't walk up to dangerous creatures! Ama... please. I just want you to be safe."

"Mother, I'm not trying to worry you. And I DO listen to rules, if they make sense, but sometimes, you and the other villagers are so afraid of things you don't understand or of places you've never been that you avoid it and label it as bad or dangerous, when if you could just stop assuming the worst, maybe you’d have less enemies! Even Mateyo was starting to figure that out! The whole village is struggling right now with food - maybe if you could just be brave enough to trust, to see things from more than just one perspective…"

"Stop giving it names, Ama! You’re just too young and naïve to understand what could happen if…"

Then, we both heard a terrifying sound. A fierce snarl that made the hairs on the back of our necks stand up... a guttural, hungry, merciless growl. And following the first, two more, each more desperate than the last. I could hear that they were very, very close, and started turning around slowly. Staring back at me were three pairs of cold, yellow eyes, steadily closing in. A trio of huge wolves, fangs bared, drool dripping from their muzzles at their potential meals.

"Ama... stay behind me.” I could feel my mother gripping me tightly. “We're too far from the village to get help. I don't know why wolves have been hunting so close to the village, but stay close, and we'll move backward toward your usual tree and try to get some height. One step after the other now, and don't give them your back. Stay with me, my little moon lily," mother tried to say calmly, but her quick, shallow breaths betrayed her panic. I was terrified, shaking badly, but staying right by her side all the same - I had no idea what else to do.

The wolves started splitting up... one kept approaching us from the front, the biggest of the three, pushing us back and keeping our attention, while the other two began circling behind us on each side. Mother had her dagger out in front of her, a fragile line of defense, but without fangs of our own, it was all we had to hold on to. Adrenaline started coursing through me. The impulse to start running was just about to take over, but I could feel mom clutching my arm and keeping me close to her, and I was clutching back with everything I had.

After a few more moments, we were fully surrounded and still a good 30 feet away from the tree. I kept my eyes on the two wolves behind us, while mother was trying to face down the bigger one in front. Everything tensed, they were ready to pounce, and I thought this was the end... until he arrived.

I saw, over one of the wolves in front of me, the grass shifting quickly. A massive, powerful shape emerged. I could hear the stampede of heavy hooves and saw a cracked horn emerge through the brush - it was Mateyo!

The wolf had just enough time to turn around and see it coming before the bull rammed into it, knocking it several feet back and causing it to yelp out in pain. The remaining wolves immediately shifted their focus onto this massive, angry bull, now pacing slowly toward them, horns level with them, with a fiery, protective look in his eye. I grabbed mother's arm and pulled her back with me, away from the wolves, behind Mateyo, who was now purposefully stepping in front of us, protecting us from the rush of hungry fangs. After a brief stare down, Mateyo took one last lunging step toward them and that was enough - they began scattering and yelping away, running back into the forest.

"Oh, thank you!" I ran up and hugged him as best I could, given that he was easily 10 times my size. He flinched a little before embracing the hug, resting his head on my arm for a moment. Then he began walking back toward the field, glancing back over his shoulder one more time to make sure mother and myself were safe. "I told you, mom!"

"I've never been happier to be wrong in my whole life, moon lily," she said, still breathing rapidly and trying to calm down. "When we get back, I think we have some changes to make. You’re wiser than you know, Ama."

I couldn’t help but smile and hold her hand a little tighter.

“But don’t let it get to your head! Now pick up those herbs, and don’t even THINK about climbing that tree again to see Mateyo!” Obviously, the only thing I got out of that statement was that she remembered his name this time, and I just grinned at her in recognition.

“Oh, you remembered this time, huh?”

“Yes, so he better keep it this time,” she said, smiling right back at me.

"And maybe we can bring a present out here for him??"

"Sure, little one. I think Mateyo deserves one," she responded proudly. I was just happy that she was also able to see the good in him too, which gave me more hope for the village too. I smiled, grabbed her hand, and began the journey back to the village, the wind carrying our steps. It was going to be a good season after all.