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The Truce

Reba's final stand

By MichellePublished about a year ago 4 min read
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The Truce
Photo by Önder Örtel on Unsplash

"Mom, are you serious? We have to do something about him?" Reba whined. "Why can't we poop in his bowl outside? I do not see that as an issue and how will they know what squirrel made that happen?"

Reba's mom only wanted to keep her babies safe, but every time Bruno came bounding out the door, it was terror for the whole eco system in the Garner's backyard. Bruno, one of the family dogs, although a vivacious and loving hound, he was also a hunter. Many of the squirrel families had already suffered losses from his unwavering ability to capture and "play" with any animal in the yard.

Today was the day that Reba was ready to confront Bruno. She practiced all night in her hollowed out area high in the tree. As she was older, she had her own space in the family area.

"Bruno, you are a bad dog.... No, that sounds childish and cliche.. I need to be firm and scary." Reba continued, "Bruno, you have made some bad choices, oh good golly Reba, I am not his mother." She monologued to herself. She was up all night working on what to say, how to get close enough to say it and what she wanted from the direct contact. This would be dangerous and she could not tell anyone. She finally fell asleep at dawn with a solid plan, she thought.

Bruno, Bella and Buddy had played all day outside and finally went inside later that day. Reba knew she had to get Bruno alone, so she stood in front of the glass window in the living room and tried to get Bruno's attention. First she tried to knock on the window, and realized she was a squirrel and no one would be able to hear it. Then she raced back to her tree and grabbed a nut from their family's storage area and tried to knock on the glass with the nut.

Knock, Knock, Knock. Reba felt like she was putting all her small body weight in to the force of pounding the nut on the window, but still Bruno did not hear or even look up. Finally, she realized, she would have to go inside to really get his attention. After pacing for about 20 minutes, she climbed up the spout to the roof and then through the seam of the covered panels and slid into the attic. Under the door and lightly tiptoed through the corner of the kitchen to the living room.

"Bruno," she whispered. "Bruno, hey, Bruno." "I have a problem with you." She felt assertive and strong. Bruno finally looked up. He was stunned to see a squirrel in his house. He jumps up and bounds to her. She screams, "NO Bruno," and screams again, "Bruno, stop. You are acting like a silly cat. Pouncing on everything that moves, and you are hurting us."

Bruno stops abruptly and looks at Reba. He tilts his head to the left and then to the right. "You heard me?" Said Reba. "You can hear me, right? Then stop Bruno."

Bruno sits on the wood floor in front of Reba. "You can talk, like me? I only wanted others to talk to me to? Bella and Buddy do not talk to me and I have no friends. I only wanted a friend to play with."

"I am sure they were just scared. But I, I am not scared of you anymore and I am telling you to stop playing with all the small animals, because you are hurting us." Bruno lays down and covers his eyes with his paws.

He then looks up, "I need a friend. I know you don't look like me, but I need a friend." Reba agrees to be friends and talks to Bruno about the conditions of their friendship. Reba then asks Bruno, "can you do that Bruno? Can you be careful and play gently, and protect our backyard?" Bruno rises from the floor with slobber dripping, "Yes, Yes, I will. I can, I want to." Reba says that is good and starts to leave.

Bruno calls to her about one more thing. "Reba, " say Bruno. "One more condition." Reba says, "what could possibly be on your mind Bruno now?"

"Please don't call me a silly cat."

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About the Creator

Michelle

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