RescueBuddy

ByS.Q.Eries

LettypouncesonmetheinstantIstepintohomeroom."Izzy,“shecries."Ineed

afavor/'Alarmsgooffinmyhead.Letty'smybestfriend.Ifshe'sintrouble,Iwon'

thesitatetolendahand.However;"favors“forheralwaysendupturninginto

more.LikethetimeIagreedtohelpbabysit"afewkids“duringherchurch7s

blooddrive,andwegotswarmedbytwentytoddlers.Orwhenwetookherelderly

neighbor'sbrokenTVoutfortrashpickupandwoundupstayingtwohoursextra

teachingoldMr.Habibhowtousehissmartphone.lt'snotthatIminddoingmore.

IjustpreferknowingexactlywhatFmgettinginto.SoIsay,“Whatkindoffavor?"

/ZCrestviewShelter'sgottoomanyanimals/'sheexplains."Theyaskedour

sheltertotaketheoverflow.”"Soyouneedhelppreparingforthem?//Volunteering

attheshelterdoesn1tsoundbad."Notexactly...Iwashopingyoucouldfoster

thematthestableforalittlewhile,untilwecanfindanothershelterspace/1〃No.〃

BeforeLettycanargue,Isay,“YouknowI'mteachingridinglessonsontopof

stablechoresnow.Idon'thavetimetocarefor—”"Youwon'thaveto.Iwill.Please,

Izzy,“shebegs.nIjustneedthespace/7WhenIhesitate,shesays,nOurshelter

andfosterpartnersarefull.Ifwedon'tplacethem,theygetputdown,andthere7

snooneelseIcanask."Myconsciencetwinges.Lettywouldtakethoseanimalsina

heartbeatbutherapartmentforbidspets.Myfamily1sstable,ontheotherhand,

hasplentyofroomforextracritters.Isigh.〃It'sreallyuptomyparents.No

promises,butFIItrytoconvincethem/7"Thanks!”Lettysays,huggingme."Iknew

Icouldcountonyou."THATAFTERNOON,Icallfromthetackroomphonetogive

Lettythegoodnews."Momsaysyoucanuseouremptystalls.Aslongastheydon'

tcausetrouble,theycanstay/7Lettysqueals."You'realifesaver!""Onemorething,“

Iadd."Catsonly.Nodogs."Shestopscheering."Why?""Tiger."Athername,our

orangemouserglancesfromtheharnessrackshezspatrolling.Tigerisqueenhere,

andsheconsidersthestable,itshorsesandhumansincluded,hers.She'IItolerate

othercatsaslongastheypayrespect,butdogs?”Aneighbor'sRottweiler

wanderedupthedrivewayonce,andTigernearlyrippedhisearsoff."〃Nodogs,“

agreesLetty."Gotit."Tomorrow'sSaturday,sowemakeplansforhertobringthe

rescueslateinthemorning.TmhangingupwhenMomstepsin."Izzy,thenew

boarder'sarrived.Gosayhello/1Excitementripplesup.Boardingisalargepartof

ourstable'sbusiness,andIlovemeetingnewhorses.Iscurryoutofthebarn,past

thewashrack,totheloadingareawhereahorsetrailerstands.Myjawdrops.Next

toDadandagray-hairedladyisagargantuanblackgelding.Ymusedtobig

animals,butthisone'sagiant.Icouldstandonmytiptoesandnotseeoverhis

back.Dadwavesmeover."Izzy,thisisMs.HeidtandherFriesian,Titan."Snapping

backtomysenses,IgreetMs.Heidt,thenTitan.〃Hey,boy,〃Isay,pattinghis

massiveneck.Hedoesn7trespond.Hisearsdon1tevenflick."Poorguymustbe

tired/'Isay,notinghisdulleyesanddroopingtail.Ms.Heidtshakesherhead.

“Actually,he'sbeenlikethisforweeks/1"Titan'shalfofacarriagepair/'explains

Dad."Orhewasuntilhispartnersuddenlydied.“"ItshockedusallzbutTitantook

itthehardest.HeandKerrickwereinseparable,andnow...”Ms.Heidtsniffles.

“He'sbeenmopingandoffhisfeed.Thevetsaysit'snotgoodforhimtobealone

inourbarn,sowedecidedtoboardhimhere."Myheartgoesouttothem."Don'

tworry,“ItellMs.Heidt.“We'vegotfortyhorseshere.Titan'ssuretomake

friendsandcheerup."Asshereturnsmysmile,Dadsays,〃Izzy,whydon'tyouwalk

TitantostretchhislegswhileMs.HeidtandIfinishherpaperwork?77"Sure!"Ms.

Heidthandsmehislead."Hewon'tgiveyouanytrouble.Titan1sbig,buthezs

1

agentleman/She'sright.Titanmightnotbeinterestedinmezbuthefollows

obediently.Itakehimawayfromthedrivewaytocirclethepastureenclosuresinthe

rear.ThehorsestherenoticeTitanatonce,buttheyhangback,seemingly

intimidated.OurstableismostlystockyMorgans,quarterhorses,andafewponies;

they'veprobablyneverseenahorsethishugeeither.Finally,afriendlymare

venturesup.ShenickersatTitan,andIstop,holdingmybreath.Titan'ssadeyeslift

toregardher.Thenhedropshishead,lookingaway.Disappointmentrises,butI

pushitdown.ItzsOK,Itellmyselfasthemareleaves.Titanjustneedsalittletime.I

REPEATTHATthoughtasIwatchTitanthenextday.Becausehe'ssobig,weput

himinhisownpasture,adjacentanotherenclosureholdingseveralhorses.Thisway

hecansocialize,butnoonegetshurtifthingsgosour.However,there'sno

interactionacrosstherailing,goodorbad.TheherdclustersawayfromTitan.Asfor

Titan,he'snotevenlookingatthem.Isigh.Tdhopedhezdmakeafastfriend,the

wayIdidwithLetty.Firstdayinkindergarten,weweredrawingatthesametable.A

conversationsparkedaboutfavoriteanimals,andtherestishistory.rmwondering

whatmightbreakTitanoutofhislonelyshellwhenanSUVmarked/ZCrestview

AnimalShelter“drivesup.Itparksattheloadingarea,andLettyandayoung

womangetout.Ihurryover;callingahello."Letmehelp/7IsaytoLetty,who's

liftedthehatch.Aswestartunloadingthedozenbatteredcatcarriersfromthe

cargoarea,thewomanopensthebackseatdoor,andarangyspottedmutthops

out.Ifrown."Ma'am,"Isay,politebutfirm,“pleasekeepyourdoginthecar.”

“Oh,Buddy'snotmine,“shesays,gatheringhisleash.〃He'sstaying,too.”

“What?”IwhirlonLetty,andshecringes,guiltriddlingherface."Ymsorry,Izzy,“

sheblurts.〃WehadtotakeBuddy.Theywould'veputhimdownotherwise/7I

groan.ItsnotlikeIwanttoabandonthedogtohisdoom,but...”Youknowwhy

hecan'tstay.""We'vegotafix!MissDuffcanhelp/7Lettygesturestowardthe

woman,whogivesanelaboratebow."CertifiedAnimalPsychoanalystand

Mediatoratyourservice/'''Certifiedwhat?"Isay,confused."Iheardaboutyour

Tiger.There'snoreasonsheandBuddycan'tgetalong.Afterall,allourkitties

haveacceptedhim."MissDuffsweepsanarmtowardBuddy,who'stouching

noseswiththerescuecats.MInterspeciesreconciliationjusttakesalittlepersuasion,

andfacilitatingcaninefelinefriendshipsismyspecialty."AsMissDuffspeaks,Letty;

seyesshine.Clearlyshe'sbeenconvinced,butIhavereasontobeskeptical."Not

toberudezbutourcat'ssetinherways,“Isay,prayingTigerhasn'tnoticedBuddy.

"Shewon't—"MissDufftuts."It'sthatdefeatistattitudethat—"ROWR!An

orangeblurstreaksfromthebarn,andeighteenpoundsofangrycatslaminto

Buddy.Furfliesastheygodown,andLettyandIjumpbackasTiger'sclaws

unleashontheyelpingdog.MissDuff,though,reachestostopher."Tiger,benice

—"TigerspitsandchompsMissDuffshand.Abloodcurdlingshrieksplitstheair.

BuddyfleesasthecatleapsonMissDuff.Thisisbad!WhenTiger'slikethis,only

onethingwillstopher.Sprintingtothewashrack,Igrabthehose,turnthespigot,

andaim.Waterblasts.Tigerscreeches,hightailingforthebarn.Thespraysmacks

MissDuffintheface,andshefallsbackward,crashingontothecarriers.Istopthe

waterandsurveythedamage.Threecarriershavepoppedopen,theiroccupants

gone.Theremainingcatsaresoakedandyowling.AsforMissDuffshecradlesher

bleedinghandandmoans,//Why?//Shakingmyhead,Imutter;"Toldyou.Youcan'

tteachanoldcatnewtricks/'ANHOURLATERwe'vegottenthethreeescapedcats

outofatreeandsecuredourfelineguestsinthebarn.Mom'stakenMissDuffto

thedoctorwhileTigerglowersontheroof.Butwe'veseennosignofBuddy."He

might'veruntoaneighbor's"Isay,asLettyandIsearchthestablegrounds.〃If

so,he'ssaferthere/1Lettyhangsherhead."Ymsorry—"Iwaveawayherapology.

"Iunderstandwhyyoubroughthim.Hecan'tstay,butwe'IIfigureoutsomething/1

“Thanks."Shesmilesgratefully."I...Izzy,look!”ShepointstowardTitan's

pasture.Asbefore,hisneighborskeeptheirdistance.Titan,though,hoversovera

spottedform,silentandmotionlessinthetallgrass.Dreaddescends.〃Doyouthink

thatBuddy1s.."Letty'svoicehitches."Idon'tknow."Astrange,panickydog

wouldscareanyhorse,andifTitanspooked,hecouldbreakbones.Orworse.We

racetothepasture."YIIleadTitanout,thenyouhelpBuddy,“Isay,grabbingTitan'

shalterfromthegate.LettyregardsTitannervously."Areyousure?Ifhehurt

Buddy,hemighthurtyou.""Titan'scalmrightnow,"Isayzmountingthefence.

“Andhe'sgentle—"Apiercingneighblastsacrossthefield,andIfreezetosee

Titanglaringatus.Earspinned,hepawstheturf,threateningtocharge.Igulpand

slowlyclimbdown."thinkhe'smad,〃muttersLetty,e