The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

Author:Deb Caletti
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-03-06T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

Beavers make specific mate choices. They may completely ignore members of the opposite sex until they see "the one." Then the pair will go off, play, mate, build a home. They stay bonded though life, though if a partner dies, the beaver may eventually "remarry" . . . --Dr. Jerome R.

Clade, The Fundamentals of Animal Behavior

"He's pretty cute," Delores says on Saturday when I come for work.

"You noticed," I say.

"I noticed he had a baby, too. Is it his?" Delores circles a word in her seek-and-find book. "Yes."

"Where's the mother?" "I'm not sure yet," I say.

"I'd make that a priority to find out," she says. "Okay."

"It could be complicated."

"I know," I say. I did know.

"You're young, and a child . . . whew."

"Okay."

"He's young. And a child . . . You know?" 1 know.

"But he sure is cute," Delores says.

142

The early morning jobs at the elephant house are cleaning stalls, laying new hay, washing elephants, and feeding them. On weekends we try to do this before the zoo opens, since we get the most visitors then, and it's best to have the animals out where people can see them.

Enrichment tasks, like hiding fruit and adding new toys, are best done in the afternoon, so zoo goers can watch. That morning, I find Damian (who only takes Sundays off and is on call even then) scrubbing Onyx.

"Damian, I think you must spend half your life soaking wet," I say.

"Oh, I don't mind. I could give this job to one of you, but then I'd be miserable."

"Hey, Onyx," I say. "You big old girl. You old softie." Onyx is smiling, her lips curled up.

"Washing these beasts, it relaxes me. You, too, right, Onyx?" He pats her side. "Thinking time. I remember my home, the river, and my Jum and family."

"Your poor hands. Permanently wrinkled."

He stops, looks at his hands. Onyx lifts her big head and nudges him, same as Milo when you're done petting him. "Maybe so. And what of you? I'm surprised you are here today. I thought you would be on a date with that responsible boy."

"Tonight."

"Ah. Falling in love is such a magical time." "We just met, Damian. I'm not in love." Damian laughs. "I am going to have you clean the stables today, since you are already so full of shit."

"Great," I say. "Thanks a lot."

"Every job will be a pleasure today," Damian promises.

143

When I get home, I tell Mom I am going to a party at Alex Orlando's house. She knows who Alex Orlando is, of course. She looks so excited, I worry for a minute she'll want to come along.

Suddenly, she's overly interested in my clothes, and she's suggesting this really short skirt I bought when I was in one of those stores with the loud, pumping music--the kind of store that makes you think you're brave enough to wear anything, until the music is no longer and reality hits. It's weird she's acting this way, because this is the woman who's been telling me

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