The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary

Ever since Bessie got caught in that thunderstorm two years ago she’s been able not only to understand what her bovine family is communicating but also the humans. It was a terrible night. Her family had spent all day grazing on the human’s 10-acre farm. But they never strayed too far from the homestead, and besides, the humans would ride out on horseback to lead them back to the barn, especially if the weather looked bad.

Bessie’s mother had disappeared, or so they thought, just like so many others had throughout her life. She’d had a very deep bond with her mother who was extremely nurturing and devoted, and Bessie was lost for a while after her mother was gone. But since then, Bessie had developed some close friendships within her herd, and they had grown and developed over time. So, they tended to stay close together under the shade trees on the farm or near the lake where they drank each day.

But that day Bessie had strayed farther than usual, and the thunderstorm hit so suddenly that the humans were struggling to get all of them back to the barn. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot from the sky and hit Bessie right between her eyes! Everything went black.

Bessie woke up to the sun just coming up over the horizon. Then she noticed something. Bessie could not only hear her family in the distance, but she actually understood what they were saying. She saw a human boy about five years old with his dad opening up the barn and letting the other cows out. As they gathered she could hear the cows talking about her. They were sad because they thought she had died in the storm. Bessie was so grateful that they cared about her so much, and she headed in their direction to express her love and appreciation.

As she approached she noticed the human boy referring to some of her family members by name. He called one of them, Molly, and another, Angus. There was a third one he called Daisy and a fourth he called Duke. The boy was saying, “Let’s go, Molly! Come on Angus! Hurry Daisy and Duke!”

He was a kind little boy, and he always visited them in the barn and fed them hay, and he got so excited when a new calf was born. But Bessie didn’t ever recall really knowing the names of her bovine family before, so she was happy to know them now. Then suddenly, Bessie realized that she knew their names because she also understood what the human boy was saying as well!

Bessie was in shock! What happened? How was this possible? She was never able to understand human communication before yesterday.

Then it hit her ... just like that bolt of lightning. She could understand everything! Bessie realized that getting hit by that bolt of lightning must have had something to do with her being able to understand bovine and human communication ... and plus she knew that she was in the "bovine" family! Wow! Bessie also knew that cows are emotional and intelligent creatures with unique personalities, but none of them could understand human communication! Not until today. But she could!!

Suddenly, the cows noticed her in the distance, and they started running toward her. Then they crowded around her, rubbing their heads along her coat and mooing loudly. Bessie actually heard them saying how happy they were to see that she was alright. But she was in such shock she couldn’t focus enough to return their affection. Then the boy ran up behind the other cows and hugged Bessie around the neck. He was actually crying a little, saying that he was so scared that she had died. Bessie was so surprised by the human boy’s love and concern that she woke from her shock as she nuzzled his head and allowed him to hold on to her.

Then the human dad walked up and said, “OK Billy, you can let Bessie go. We need to walk her back to the barn and let Doc Bailey take a look at her. “Alright daddy,” the boy replied, “but I was so worried about Bessie I couldn’t sleep at all last night.” Billy walked close beside Bessie back to the barn, rubbing his coat all the way, saying, “Everything’s gonna’ be OK, girl. Doc Bailey will make sure you’re alright.”

Billy sat with Bessie in her stall while they waited for his dad to call Doc Bailey. He talked some more about how scared he was when he ran to the barn the night before and saw that she wasn’t there. Bessie’s heart began to melt.

Doc Bailey’s house wasn’t far away, so it took him only about thirty minutes to get to them. While they waited, Billy also kept rubbing her coat and hugging her and cooing and saying, “It’s gonna’ be alright, Bessie.” At that moment Bessie’s heart opened up completely to Billy. She had a human that she truly loved!

When Billy’s dad, John, as she heard Doc Bailey call him, came back into the barn, he said, “Billy, come over here by me so Doc Bailey can check Bessie out.” But Billy stayed close to Bessie.

Doc Bailey approached them and said, “It’s alright, John. I can see that Billy loves that animal. Besides, he’s not bothering me.” Then Billy said, to Bessie’s amazement, “Bessie is not just an animal! She’s my friend!” Bessie realized that something had happened between her and Billy that she couldn’t explain any more than she could explain how she now understood human language.

After his examination, Doc Bailey said that Bessie’s coat was singed around her forehead, but otherwise, everything seemed OK. In fact, he said Bessie seemed more alert than he’d ever seen any animal, and that she responded to his examination as if she knew what he was saying and doing. If only Doc Bailey knew how true that was!

As time went by Billy continued to spend time with Bessie, more than her other family. Bessie would hear the other cows grumble about it sometimes, but she didn’t pay it any mind. Sometimes, Billie would sneak out to the barn at night and fall asleep against her side. His dad would come and get him, shaking his head and laughing to himself as he carried the sleeping boy back to his bed.

Billy even started bringing books to read to Bessie. Her favorites were books about other animals like dogs and horses. Bessie began to respond when Billy brought her favorite books or when he got to a favorite part of a story. Sometimes Bessie would stop him from turning the page by leaning her head on Billy’s arm or mooing loudly, or she would moo loudly again when he got to the end. Billie soon learned that Bessie wanted him to read that page again or start the book over from the beginning.

One day, Bessie heard Billy tell his dad, “Bessie can talk, and she can read too!” John started laughing out loud saying, “You’re such a silly Billy!” That made Bessie smile, and as John turned toward her he looked startled. She heard him mutter as he headed to the house, “I swear! That cow does seem human sometimes!” It was such a funny day!

But then, one day, Bessie heard Billy crying and saying, “But dad! Why do you have to kill them? Can we eat vegetables and potatoes?” His dad responded, “It’s the circle of life, Billy. We raise animals, as well as vegetables for food, for us to eat and to sell to others so they can eat.”

Billy cried, “But I’m NOT gonna’ eat Bessie!!” Bessie jerked upright in shock. Then suddenly she knew what had happened to her mother and all the other cows who had “disappeared.” Bessie felt sick! For days after, she refused to leave her stall or eat. Billy came to the barn every day begging her to eat, but she couldn’t. Then one day Billy said, “You know, don’t you, Bessie?” As she turned to look at him, Billy said, “I’m SO sorry, Bessie, that this is how life is for you and your family. But I want you to know that I’m your family too, and I won’t let them kill you!”

That made Bessie feel better, but she was still sad for her bovine family. However, Billy kept his word, and they grew closer year after year. In fact, Billy had grown up and started telling folks to call him Will. During those years Bessie was able to let go of her grief over her bovine family because she realized that they had no clue what would happen to them, anyway. Besides, Billy (or Will, now) was her family, and he had told his dad long ago that he would never participate in animal slaughter. Billy worked with the crops and planned to go to college and major in Agriculture.

Bessie was so proud of him. They were still reading books together, too, everything from his English Literature books for school to books about planting crops. Will even introduced Bessie to his girlfriend, Amy. She was so sweet. She laughed when Will told her that he and Bessie communicate, but she didn’t think he was crazy. All she said was, “Nice to meet you, Bessie!,” and gave me a hug. That young lady is a keeper!

Guess what? Bessie was at their wedding with a yellow ribbon tied around her neck and a daisy behind her ear. Will was with Bessie when she closed her eyes for the last time. He also built a barn for Bessie’s kids. He took care of all of Bessie’s family to the end of their lives. He called his barn the Sanctuary.