The Family

Welcome to Friday Fiction! This week it is being hosted by Joanne Sher, so be sure to visit her at An Open Book for more great fiction.


THE FAMILY


“What’cha see?”

“Just the family. Baby’s taking a nap.” He doesn’t answer, but I know he’s thinking I should put the binoculars down and get on with my own business. He’s probably right, but it’s hard not to be fascinated.

At first it was just the two of them. They arrived on the scene several months ago, and they were such a delightful pair, this new couple. He seemed a bit independent, mind you, but if you ever wanted to know where he was, all you had to do was look at her. Her eyes were always on him like a compass needle pointing north. It seemed more than admiration, as though she could not bear to be without him for a moment. Not that you could blame her, he was quite the handsome sort.

The day did come, though, when he just disappeared, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he had gone for good. I also couldn’t help feeling badly for her as I watched her through the long, cold winter. I knew she had to be incredibly lonely.

Visitors were few. Once some children came with a few kind words, and I could tell she was grateful, but it didn’t change anything. Another time there was a scruffy loner who seemed somewhat interested in her, circling about as though she were prey. I admired her courage because she ignored him entirely, behaving as though he didn’t even exist. It was apparently the right thing to do, because he left after a short while. I was relieved, and yet sorry to see him go just because I rarely saw his sort hanging around here. Just a bit of morbid curiosity, I suppose.

“You know,” I had mentioned to my husband around that time, “I think she’s going to have a baby.”

He didn’t react much. Just a “Hmm,” and a shrug, that’s about it.

When the time came, I couldn’t help but gloat a bit. “I told you she was going to have a baby!” Earlier I had noticed that the object of her affection had returned, and was he ever racing about! Now I think it had to be because of all the excitement of the new baby, and he was a very proud papa.

All speculation, of course. I have never spoken to them nor they to me, and all these affairs are their own business. If I did speak to anyone, though, it would be to the rancher who owns them. I would ask him if he couldn’t move them to the closer pasture, so I wouldn’t have to use my binoculars so much. They are beautiful, and I fully intend to keep watching them, especially now that the baby is really gaining his legs. My, how that foal can run! Even if the rancher does move them to the closer pasture, I’ll still be using the binoculars, if only to keep an eye out for the scruffy coyotes that occasionally loiter about.

***

Psalm 147:10-11NASB He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.
11The LORD favors those who fear Him,
Those who wait for His lovingkindness.