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Novel Treatments / The Critters of Forest City

Chapter One

Rueben was the high-strung one of the two.  His brother Simeon was the more relaxed, reserved, and down-to-earth furry little creature.  When looking at them at the same time, one would not think that they were brothers at all.  They were quite opposites actually. They certainly were different from all of the other raccoons in the neighborhood.  Not to mention the ones that lived in the forest and outlining woods.  They were unique.  Rueben was quick on his feet and was well-known for being a persistent jabberjaw.  He loved to run the mouth and sometimes found himself ranting on without realizing that no one was listening to him anymore and he was left alone.  Nonetheless, he was always on his toes and ready to take on any situation (even the kind that would get him into trouble).  That was Rueben.  A real upbeat critter he was.  Some would even call him a challenge seeker.  He’d do anything to avoid the everyday humdrum routine that some find comfortable.  Simeon, on the other hand, was quite a couch potato at times.  He would be content to have no problems at all.  “Smooth as jazz” was his philosophy.  He just wanted to get through a day with complete ease.  This rarely ever happened.  He wasn’t much of a risk taker, but he did have a clever sense of humor.  Throughout their days on earth, they grew, they changed, they gained wisdom—but not without a few cuts and bruises along the way.  Their mother had high expectations for them.  While most of the animals would look at them and doubt that they would make it in the forest, time would prove them wrong (and Mother Raccoon knew they would beat the odds). The two brothers may have been the youngest in the family, but there was no question that they had more adventures, more experiences, more trials and tribulations, more laughter, more sorrow, more riches, and more rags than all of the raccoons in the forest.   A boring life theirs definitely was not.

Forest City was a small old-fashioned town in Shannontondon County, which was found in the northeastern part of North America.  The region was filled with many hills and trees, and some of the streets resembled the ones in San Francisco.  It was the kind of town that one visits when going to Grandma’s house for Christmas.  The town had only one bus because there was only one main road.  The center of town was full of all sorts of stores and shops for all of the grandmas to go to.  Woods and forest outlined a good part of the little city in the forest (hence, the name). There were also plenty of rivers and streams that traversed through the wooded areas.

Now, this story begins with a Mother Raccoon who lived in a neighborhood in the heart of Forest City. It was a bitter cold January winter in 1974. The town was laced with a good three feet of snow. Loud, dirty salt trucks pounding on the road was a normal sight. Old men bundled up to their noses shoveling their sidewalks was also a common sight. Below freezing, it was definitely not the proper weather even for people to go walking. Mother Raccoon had five little ones but had not a warm place to keep them. The forest was excessively crowed this year, and every burrow, nook, and cranny were occupied, which made finding shelter unusually difficult. She was so concerned for the newborns’ survival in the unforgiving temperatures that she decided to deliver them to warm and loving homes. Now this was most unheard of among forest critters, but seeing how there was no other way, Mother Raccoon was running out of options and needed to make her decisions quickly. The first three babies were easy. She would lay a child raccoon on a doorstep of a house with a family in it. Then she kept out of sight and watched to make sure the baby was taken in. For the last two of her raccoons, she could not find a suitable home in the neighborhood. Either the homes were too far away for her to travel, or she just did not have a good feeling about them. Her instincts had always led her in the right direction. Mother Raccoon was close to giving up hope until she came across old Mr. Riley’s Fish Market over on Fourth and Polk streets. She laid her last two babies, Rueben and Simeon, inside an old wooden crate just outside the back door, merely hoping that Mr. Riley would find them before they froze to death. Mother Raccoon looked down at her two boys as if it was the last time she would see them and said, “My sons, take care of each other while I’m gone, and always be watchful of predators.”

Just as she said that, she heard footsteps. She gave them both a kiss and vanished as the footsteps got closer. It just so happened that a kid named Jimmy, working for Mr. Riley, was returning from sweeping the snow in the alleyway and noticed the poor little youngsters crying for their mother. He took the crate inside where it was warm and went in to tell his boss what he had found. Mr. Riley stopped what he was doing and made quick steps to the back where the crate was thawing. Mr. Riley’s heart was filled with compassion when he saw these two little creatures with their noses in the air, sniffing about (as animals do when trying to figure out what new things are in the area). Mr. Riley picked up the first raccoon, smelled it, held it close to him, and said in a comforting voice, “It seems to me that you ought to be called Simeon.”

He then lifted Simeon up to his ear as if to get a response; however, there was none.

“Maybe someday you will talk to me, little one,” said Mr. Riley.

He set him down and picked up the other raccoon and did the same with him except Mr. Riley said, “I just can’t place what your name ought to be, but don’t worry. It’ll come to me.”

He then opened up a can of sardines and gave them some morsels to eat, which they wasted no time devouring, not leaving a single trace on the dish. At this point, the two brothers were in raccoon heaven. They had warmth, food, and someone to watch over them. Once they realized how comfortable they were, they started to think about their mother. Where did she go? they wondered. They discussed between themselves her possible whereabouts and how she may have been doing at the time. They wondered if she was ever coming back for them. They just didn’t seem to grasp what was going on. It was not normal for young raccoons such as these to be separated from their family at such a young age. They could only hope that one day they would see their mother and siblings again. And hope is what they surely did.

Mr. Riley left Jimmy to watch over the brothers as he went to go make a phone call. Five minutes later, he returned with a little girl and another big man. It was Amber Pendolin and her father, Mr. Pendolin, who were stopping by the market to pick up an order of tuna steaks. Amber went over to the wooden crate, looked inside, looked up at her father, and said, “So cute!”

“May I pick one up, Dad?” she asked.

“Go ahead. Be careful. They are very small and are probably scared of people,” replied Mr. Pendolin.

On the contrary, fear was the last thing on the raccoons’ minds. They were happy to meet Amber and the big man next to her. Amber reached inside, picked up the chubby one, and laid him in her arms like one of her baby dolls at home.

“That there in your arms is Simeon. He’s a mellow little bugger,” said Mr. Riley.

“I like him,” said Amber as she rocked him back and forth in her arms.

Right when Simeon was starting to fall asleep, Amber then handed him to her father to hold and to take a look at. She then reached inside and picked up the other little critter.

“Oh, I couldn’t think of anything to call that little guy,” said Mr. Riley.
“I shall call him Rueben. To me he resembles a Rueben,” said Amber.
“Yes, that’s a fitting name for such a furry little critter,” said Mr. Pendolin.
“Are we taking them home, Dad?” asked Amber.
“Yes, we will take care of them and help them grow up strong, and one day, when they are mature enough, they can go live out in the forest with all of the other raccoons and animals,” her father replied.

You see, raccoons were not meant to live with people in houses the way dogs and cats do. Mr. Pendolin understood that keeping raccoons in the house for too long could lead to many unwanted damages to property. After all, raccoons have a reputation to maintain. That was just the nature of the animal—getting into things, ripping stuff up, et cetera. The only rules they followed were the ones they made. Sure, the brothers did not know this at the time, but it wouldn’t take long for nature to reveal it to them. Amber was so excited about taking home Rueben and Simeon, her two new little raccoon friends. She kept thinking of all the fun things they would do. She wanted to teach them tricks, take them to school, show them to her friends, and tell everyone about her little critters. She had imagined the span of their whole lives and was already making plans as to how to take care of them once they got home.

Now Mr. Pendolin picked up the tuna steaks from Mr. Riley and loaded them into the bed of the pickup truck.

“To the house,” he said as they hopped inside the truck.

Amber left the wooden crate behind because it was too big and bulky. She decided to hold Rueben and Simeon in her arms the whole ride home. Now this is the happy part when one would expect to see the animals in the story get up and start to sing and dance while everyone else sang along. This did not happen. Nevertheless, they were very excited about going to a new home. They really did not know what to expect.

“What is a house?” asked Rueben.
“Not sure,” replied Simeon, “but I’ll bet you a sausage ’n’ biscuit sandwich that it doesn’t include being out in that snow and digging in people’s trash.”
“Only if you really want to,” said Rueben. “What’s the matter, Sim? Don’t you realize that’s what our kind do?” said Rueben.
“Get out and walk, Rue,” said Simeon teasingly.

They continued to ramble on about such things that young raccoons ramble about. Right under Amber’s nose, without her knowing it, they did this all the way home.

Chapter Two

The Pendolins lived about a ten-minute drive from town where Mr. Riley’s Fish Market was. From the main road, the country road was about three miles to their house. They lived in a moderately sized house on Route 108 in the outskirts of Forest City. To the raccoons, the ride felt like it took a couple of hours. Not because they were bored, but because it was their first time riding in a vehicle, and of course, they were very small. This is something most of the animals in the forest will never experience. From the raccoon’s point of view, all they saw were snow-covered trees moving by quickly, then more and more trees, and then no trees for a while, and then more trees. They were indeed fascinated by all of the trees they saw that was part of the forest. It was still snowing, so Mr. Pendolin was driving very careful but trying to make it home before the roads got too dangerous to drive on.

“What do you think their home will be like, Rueben?” asked Simeon.
“Who knows? I’m kind of nervous but excited about it. What about you?” replied Rueben
“I can’t wait to see what they have to eat. I’m starving,” said Simeon.
“Well, mind your manners around the people. We don’t want them to think they picked up a couple of hungry warthogs,” said Rueben.

That ten-minute drive that felt like a couple of hours finally passed. As Mr. Pendolin pulled into the long driveway that led to the house, Rueben and Simeon stretched out their necks to get a peek out of the window with no such luck. Before they realized they were home, Amber covered the boys up with a small blanket to take them outside. They felt the cold air for a brief moment, and then they felt the warmth of the house before they realized they were not inside the truck anymore. The house was warm and smelled like cinnamon rolls, people, and a couple of other strange scents they could not put their finger on. Amber brought them to the kitchen, poured some milk for them, and placed them in a little basket still wrapped in the blanket. A few minutes went by. They heard what sounded like a short four-legged beast getting louder and louder as it got closer. Whatever it was, it had stopped and was waiting anxiously to see what was inside the basket. Rueben and Simeon looked at each other as if to ask what is going on. They looked up and saw a silhouette of a big round head with batty-looking ears as it was sniffing and prodding, trying to get a peek inside the basket. Suddenly they saw a fat, wet black nose poke itself under the blanket, and before it could get out three good sniffs.

“Banjo! Get out of the basket. That’s not for you!” Amber’s mother blurted out.

Banjo was the family’s French bulldog. He was still just a puppy, about eight months old, full of energy and curiosity. The Pendolins also had a family of cats; Rosemary was the mother cat, Pablo was the father cat, and Kiwi, their daughter, was the kitten. All of the other kittens were given away to other families as what normally happens in a litter. Amber loved animals and was so thrilled to have two more additions to the family.

While most of the children in those days played with dolls and toys, Amber was content with playing with her pets. One of her favorite things to do was taking Banjo outside for his daily walks. Autumn was the perfect season for walking the dog in Forest City. Amber and Banjo could go outside and enjoy the fresh, crisp air with the orange-red and yellow leaves decorating the scenery. It was the best. Winter’s walks were out of the question. Summers were too hot and muggy. Spring had a lot to offer for a girl and her pup, but nothing quite sets off the moment like a good old-fashioned autumn. The cats were not as enthusiastic in playing with children. Kiwi, however, had always wanted to go with Amber and Banjo on their walks. Rosemary just would not allow it. Some would say she was just an overprotective mother. Perhaps young kittens do have a better chance indoors, growing and maturing with their parents until they are ready to go outside on their own. Rosemary was the first family pet. Pablo, at one time, was a stray cat and had been living on his own since a very young age. He had learned to hunt and fight off predators and was very skilled in the craft of forest survival. The Pendolin family took him in one year when he injured his leg and was looking for a safe place of refuge. He had been wounded in a dogfight; needless to say, the dog was worse off and never bothered Pablo again.

For Amber’s seventh birthday, her parents brought home a chinchilla from New Mexico; she named him Zink. His original name was Chopper, and he was born in Albuquerque. He was three months old when his original owner, Randy McPhee, took a trip to Portland and lost him when the port-a-pet was mistakenly placed on a plane to Boston, which then made its way to a small town in Vermont called Middlebury. Some time had passed, and Mr. McPhee did not have any way to claim his pet, so Chopper, now called Zink, was put up for adoption by the airline. Mr. Pendolin was at the right place and at the right time and managed to take the chinchilla home until Mr. McPhee could be tracked down. A year had passed since then, and there still had been no sign of the original owner. Zink’s memory ability was so limited that he forgot that he was ever in another state, in another house, and with another owner. The little fellow had such bad habits. He was persistent on chewing everything in his sight. The thing that was so bad about his chewing was how noisy it was. His favorite things to chew on were wood and crackers. To someone in another room, it sounded like a full-grown adult snacking away at some chips. One of the things that made him so lovable with the family was the different sounds he made. He had different sounds for when he was happy or hungry, sad or lonely, and even a distinct sound for when he was angry. Most of his language was composed of different variations of chirps at different volumes and tones.

The Pendolin household fared well with the various creatures living in it. Amber was eight years old when the raccoons came to join them in their abode. All of the animals slept in the den at night, except for Zink who slept in Amber’s room in a fifty-five-gallon glass aquarium. Certain measures had to be taken to keep the house in good order. Containing Zink’s chewing desire was a big deal to Mrs. Pendolin. The animals had a sense of family closeness with one another. Even Banjo considered Rosemary and Pablo to be his mother and father. The Pendolin family considered all of the animals as part of their family, and the animals’ sentiments were the same. Winter was such a cozy season. Everyone stayed indoors. The house was warm and full of people and critters. That real feeling of togetherness was abundant. If the family was watching television, the animals were in the same room, sitting on laps or napping on the floor or just staring out of the window. When the family ate, the animals ate too. If the family was out of the house, Pablo was in charge. One could say he was the head of the animal household.

When Rueben and Simeon arrived on the scene, things became very interesting. At first they did not interact with the animals because they spent most of their time sleeping, feeding, and growing. Amber loved feeding time. She used a special small bottle to feed them baby formula and held them in her arms one at a time. They had large appetites and appeared to be growing rather quickly. After about a month or so, the raccoons started crawling around on the floor in the den. They were still getting used to the environment and all of the unique smells that were always present. Halfway through March, most of the snow had melted, but it was still too cold for the small animals to go outside. By this time, Rueben and Simeon were climbing up couches, sitting on window ledges, horseplaying with Banjo and Kiwi, and getting into all sorts of trouble around the house. Rueben and Simeon were so anxious to go outside because of all the stories that Banjo had told them. Banjo was actually the only animal in the house that did go outside in the cold. He still needed to go on his walks with Amber. After every walk, he came back inside to give everyone the outdoor and weather report. Rueben was itching for his chance to explore the yard and its perimeter. Simeon was curious about what was playing on the television set, and as soon as his eyes caught a glimpse of one of Amber’s cartoon shows, he was committed to Amber’s lap on the couch. His favorite cartoons were the ones with cats chasing mice and those types of antics. Those were always the funniest.

Amber’s voice was always a comforting sound to the raccoons. They really could not make out what she was saying, but through her body language and tone of voice, they often knew what kind of mood she was in. They understood the times when they got caught diving in the trash receptacle because a harsh scold was soon to follow. They began to understand their limits in the house, and they respected them. Amber would often read her books out loud to them, and though they did not know what she was saying, they imagined what her words might have meant and made up their own versions of the stories inside their heads. Over time this process had developed their minds enough that they understood English. Many of the things that Amber did contributed to the molding of Rueben’s and Simeon’s personalities. For raccoons, they were smart and clever and developed a good sense of humor, which could be credited to many of Banjo’s bloopers and blunders. Spending many weeks indoors developing and growing, Pablo gave them many lessons on life outside of the house. He warned them of the various predators to watch out for. He realized the raccoons would not always live in the Pendolin household because a house is not a natural habitat for omnivores, such as Rueben and Simeon, to dwell in. Pablo and Rosemary believed it would be difficult for them to grow up like normal raccoons since they did not have their original family. Pablo did his best to groom them for the forest life. Oftentimes in the evening, when most of the household was asleep, Rueben and Simeon would lie awake in there beds, which consisted of blankets folded up on a couple of puppy mats, and discuss their feelings on finding their mother and other brothers and sisters. They knew that someday they wanted to make a journey to find them. One night, when Amber went down to get a drink of water from the kitchen, she heard them rustling around in the den and wanted to say good night to them and perhaps find out what they were doing still awake. She grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and sat down beside them.

“What are you boys still doing up?” Amber asked as she was yawning.

She obviously did not understand critter chatter, but she knew they were conversing in some form of language. She didn’t actually expect them to answer, but she sensed by their countenance that they were feeling sad about something. It occurred to her that they probably missed their family.

She comforted them and said, “Don’t worry. I’m sure when spring gets here, your mother will be looking for you, and you can go outside to look for her.”

She talked more, and they listened. They were always attentive to Amber, as if her words were breaths of life. She talked and talked for a while until her eyes started to get very heavy. She fell asleep talking to the raccoons, lying next to them in the den. Rueben and Simeon had drifted off right after she mentioned going outside to look for their mother. A peaceful sleep is what they all did have that night, and what a good night it was.

Chapter Three

“The house was full of small animals such as domestic pets. I saw what looked like a baby hedgehog. I picked it up, and it woke up and started growing into a full-grown hedgehog, and I put it down. Every animal had personalities that could be seen in their facial expressions and body movements. They were sensitive creatures. I noticed the cats to be more sensitive and very emotional. I kept looking for a skunk, and someone told me I’d be better off not finding it. I wanted to at least see one from far off. I checked in one room and found a cat all alone, and she ran to me clinching my hands with her paws. She had the funniest, widest grin on her face, and I could see she was starving for attention and begging me with her eyes to play with her. Then she tried to kiss me on the mouth, and I said, ‘No thanks,’ and then I woke up,” Amber explained as she was having breakfast with her mother the next morning.

“That was a strange dream. What do you think it means, Mom?” Amber asked with a concerned look.
“I don’t know, sweetheart. Maybe you were having a dream about Kiwi.  I noticed you haven’t been playing with her that much lately.  You have been so busy with those raccoons,” her mother answered as she was pouring a glass of orange juice.
“Do you think Kiwi is jealous?  Should I have played with her more?” asked Amber
“Yes, she probably has been feeling left out.  Go bring her favorite toy, the furry bouncy ball, to her.  She will like that,” replied her mother.

Amber finished her pancakes and started to look throughout the house to find Kiwi. She looked in her room, she looked in the bathrooms, she checked her parents’ room and under the bed and in the closets. She looked in the living room, the laundry room, and in the den. She couldn’t find Kiwi, but she found Rosemary meowing worriedly, looking for her also.

“Where could she be, Rosemary? She was here in the den last night when I fell asleep,” said Amber frantically, almost in tears.

Rosemary’s meowing got louder as she looked in every crevice. Amber went back to the kitchen and told her mother that Kiwi was nowhere to be seen. Pablo came up to the kitchen door that led to the backyard and waited to be let outside. Amber’s mother opened the door for him and followed him outside to the backyard. It was still cold, and some patches of snow were still on the ground. Pablo looked for paw prints and tried to pick up her scent to see where she might have gone. Amber, Rueben, and Simeon watched earnestly out of the window from the den. Amber was feeling bad for not giving her enough attention during the past several weeks. She did pet and hold her from time to time, but it just did not equal to the attention that the raccoons were getting.

“Please, God, please bring Kiwi back home. I won’t ignore her anymore. I’m sorry!”
Amber prayed as tears started to roll down her face.

Before she even had a chance to wipe her tears away, Amber’s mother walked back in from outside with Kiwi in her hands.

“She was stuck in a tree, meowing, and Pablo went up and brought her back down.  She’s okay now,” said Amber’s mother.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, God!” said Amber with a big smile as she was drying her tears.
Amber took Kiwi and wrapped her in her woolen sweater and held her tight.  Kiwi purred loudly and rubbed her face against Amber’s as if to say, “I love you too.”  Rosemary walked up and rubbed her face on Kiwi and then reached up to lightly bite Amber on the cheek.  That was Rosemary’s way of showing her love.  It was her “kiss.”

“You had us worried, little one. How did you get outside?” asked Amber.

Apparently, when Amber’s father took Banjo for his early morning walk, she had the chance to go outside to satisfy her curiosity. While the door was open, she was able to slip outside without being noticed. She was a quick one.

“I’m sorry I haven’t played with you as much as I have with Rueben and Simeon. From now on, we will all play together and do things and go places together,” said Amber.

By then, Kiwi was warmed up enough that she did not need to be wrapped up in Amber’s sweater and started to squirm and push away to get loose. Amber let go of her embrace and let her jump on the floor. Kiwi felt energized and started to dart quickly around the den in an excited frenzy. The kind of running around that does not make any sense to the average observer. There was no logical pattern or direction she was running to. It was just a kitten’s way of releasing the happy energy she had cooped up while being wrapped up in a warm sweater. Now Kiwi was very acrobatic around the Pendolin house. One of the funniest things she did was climb up the curtains in the living room, get to the top, and jump off. For about three seconds, she was the world’s first flying kitten. This act was sure to include a squirt from the water bottle if she was seen by one of the adults in the house. Amber’s mother had a squirt bottle labeled Bad Kitty Spray to be used as a learning aid when Kiwi did something that was not allowed, such as jumping on the dinning table or climbing up the curtains. Kiwi was feeling extra playful and feisty that morning and decided to go find Rueben and Simeon. She spotted Simeon walking toward the kitchen without a clue in the world what was about to happen. She ran up the couch in the living room, jumped off and onto the curtain, got to the top, jumped off the curtain, and assumed the diving position. The whole thing happened very fast, but to the ones involved, it seemed to happen in slow motion. Simeon looked up and was immediately hit in the face with Kiwi’s weight as they both tumbled and rolled into the kitchen. Simeon was so dizzy he stood up and fell right back down. He did not fully understand what had just happened. Kiwi shook it off and was laughing like a hyena, rolling around on the floor. Rueben ran over to Simeon, who was talking gibberish at this point and said to Simeon, “Simeon! Snap out of it. You were just hit by a falling torpedo! How do you feel?” as he smacked him up the side of the head, trying to bring him back to his senses.

“Um, who, uh, what just happened?” asked Simeon.
“You were just mauled by a ferocious lioness looking for her dinner,” replied Rueben.
“Oh, is that what that was? Who are you? Um, actually, who am I?” asked Simeon.
“You are a young zoologist searching the jungle for the Ursus arctos, the brown bear, to study his habitat, his eating habits, and his way of life,” replied Rueben.
“Sure, bro, let’s get some cereal,” said Simeon.

Amber witnessed the whole event and thought it was hilarious. As Rueben, Simeon, and Kiwi hovered about in the kitchen, Amber knew it was time for their morning meal. The boys had a special diet of tuna, cheese chunks, cherry tomatoes, and kid’s cereal. It was their favorite. At times they would eat the leftovers from the Pendolin family meal. It did not take much time to figure out what the raccoons liked and what they didn’t like. They liked the mashed potatoes, but not the gravy. They liked the bacon, but not the eggs (unless they were scrambled). They liked the rice, but not the beans. They even sampled some of Mr. Pendolin’s coffee when no one was looking. They didn’t like the coffee. They did like the sugar and cream that was on the table.

Amber poured everyone their food, and they all ate and were stuffed. Simeon was still wiped out from his experience. He fell asleep on the kitchen floor. Banjo walked up to him and licked his face to say hello while the rest of the animals followed Amber into the den to watch some television. It was Saturday, and her favorite cartoons were on. Rueben caught up on his favorite episodes. Amber was holding both Rueben and Kiwi in her lap as they both fell asleep. She wanted to get up to change the channel, but she didn’t do so to avoid waking them. Banjo sat in front of Amber, looking at her with his eyelids getting heavy until he curled up and fell asleep as well. Amber was getting drowsy just watching everyone else fall asleep that she ended up going to sleep too. Later she woke up and was inspired to write something down. She wanted to write it down before she forgot it. Without waking up the critters, she stood up and went to the kitchen for a paper and pen and wrote a little poem.

Hey, kitty, I see you
Running to me
With those big eyes and wide grin,
Smiling ear to ear at me
Clinging on to my hands
As if it’s been decades
Starving for attention,
I’m here for you

I believe the time apart
Made it sweeter to see you
But I feel so wanted
When you greet me
Your sensitivity is pleasing,
For I want you to be happy
Because your emotions
I can always see, they’re not hidden

Don’t think for a second
That I don’t notice you
I’m usually the one that is
Always looking for you

Through it all, the raccoons, the kitten, and the puppy were growing closer together as they were growing older. These were the days that would be etched in their memories for the rest of their lives. Amber will grow up to be a sensitive, loving person. Though she had no brothers and sisters, an only child is far from how she saw herself. Her animals, though not human, were like siblings to her. She loved them, and they loved her. Throughout her life, she realized how animals played an important role for her. They taught her the simple things in life that people tend to forget as they get older: how to love, how to obey, and how to be humble as a child. These days would go down in history.

Chapter Four

The month of April had finally presented Forest City with springtime weather. While Amber and all of the animals were busy playing, watching television, and keeping themselves occupied indoors, winter was slowly packing up its bags and leaving. The snow and cold was gone, and in its place was vibrant green grass, new leaves on the trees, and all sorts of colorful flowers. All of the animals in the house, including Zink in his aquarium, were excited about running free in the luscious yard and garden. Now Rosemary was concerned for Rueben and Simeon going outside for the first time because of the woods that was right behind the backyard. She didn’t want them to wander off and get lost or get into trouble. Pablo assured Rosemary that the raccoon boys would be fine. He would just have to teach them about what to be aware of. Pablo had a long talk with Rueben and Simeon and explained the outline of the surrounding forest and told them about the predators that lurked deep in the woods. Pablo realized that the raccoons would not always be living with the humans in the house and would eventually be living on their own in the forest. He had been training the raccoons ever since the first week they arrived at the Pendolin house—on survival, evading predators, and those sorts of things.
The Outer Woods, as it was well-known by all of the animals in Shannontondon County, has a dangerous reputation. The foxes had dominion of the Outer Woods and controlled who went in and who went out. It has been noticed that most small critters that went in never made it out. Pablo had also explained to the raccoon brothers about the infamous bobcat named Pompergidden. Of all the animals in the forest and woods, he was the craftiest, full of greed and malice. Pablo had crossed his path a few times when he was younger and managed to escape the vicious bobcat’s claws.

The coyotes were in competition with the foxes for power over the woods, but the foxes were smarter and more cunning and were always able to prevail. Pompergidden was in cahoots with the coyotes because they depended on his hunting skills and keen senses and needed his strategy to use against the foxes. At least that was his excuse—the real reason why he joined sides with the coyotes was because no other bobcat trusted him. He had been banished as an outcast for stealing the pack’s spoils while his fellow bobcats slept. Pompergidden promised the coyotes he would help them defeat the foxes and take over the Outer Woods. This animal warfare had been going on for years, and no one actually knew when it started. The archenemy of the coyotes and leader of the foxes was Corduroy. He was the eldest and smartest of the foxes. He had seen and survived many battles amongst the animals and was talented in the art of stealth. Even the most brutal creatures feared his subtle attacks. Over time, he had become overly confident in himself and began to take his abilities for granted. He was becoming so preoccupied with power and self-gain that, eventually, he forgot his roots and started to make compromises that seemed harmless at the time.

About three acres of the forest surrounding the Pendolin’s property was a safe zone for any critter to travel, but they needed to have a significant reason to go into the Outer Woods. Corduroy had deemed the territory “off-limits” to strangers. Within the forest, there was a main road that looped around to four different houses so that each residence had its own area of land. The Outer Woods surrounded the forest the way a wall surrounds a castle. The Outer Woods was about fives miles thick on each side. Just outside of the southwest corner of the Outer Woods was the town hall, shops, Mr. Riley’s Fish Market, and so on. Of the four houses within the forest, the Pendolin house was the second farthest from town and was closest to the north.

Amber led the way outside. She brought Zink with her in her arms, and the others followed. She put Zink on the ground, and everyone, at the same time, took in a deep breath and said, “Ahh!” as they inhaled. It felt so good for them to breathe in the fresh spring air that they had been waiting for months. By this time, Rueben and Simeon had grown four times the size they were when they first arrived at the house. They were big and strong and slightly chubby from eating so well during the winter. Rueben’s fur was black and gray while Simeon’s fur was more brownish and gray. Outside of their appearance, it was obvious that they were brothers when considering the way that they spoke to each other. Rueben loved adventure and exploration as much as any other raccoon. He was full of curiosity and was eager to check everything in the yard out. He started his way through the garden and smelled all of the plants and flowers and was tempted to pick a tomato but knew he would have to answer to Mrs. Pendolin if one of them were missing. Simeon, on the other hand, was not so curious. He did enjoy breathing in the fresh air, but he was happy enough rolling around in the grass like a dog. He happened to pick up a lot of Banjo’s habits. Simeon and Banjo chased each other around in circles until they both ran out of breath and plopped back to the ground on their backs, staring at the beautiful cotton-filled blue sky.

The animals were having the time of their lives. Pablo and Rosemary were having a good time just watching all the excitement from the rocking chair they were relaxing on. Amber was playing with Zink, putting him in different spots in the yard to see where he’d go, watching him and picking him up to do it all over again. Kiwi was following Rueben around as he was explaining all of the things he had already examined. The yard was a fairly sized yard, about the size of two backyard swimming pools lined up next to each other lengthwise. At both sides was a fence, and at the end of the yard was where the forest started. Rueben and Kiwi had been walking along the right side of the yard along the fence to see what was at the end. As they got closer, they heard some footsteps just past the yard where the forest began. Rueben and Kiwi quietly went to investigate what was making that noise. They took a peek into the forest and saw nothing unusual. They moved forward into the forest, looking and sniffing. They knew someone had just been there. Rueben discovered a different scent he never smelled before and asked Kiwi, “Do you smell that funny scent?”
“Whatever it is, it smells furry,” answered Kiwi as she scanned the area.

They paused and froze silently in their spot to hear if the thing would move again.
They waited for a few minutes and heard nothing and decided to turn back toward the yard when they heard a voice ask, “Excuse me, whose residence is this here?”

They freaked out for a second and were about to make a mad dash back to the house when they realized a little woodchuck was asking them a question. It appears the woodchuck had recently awakened from hibernation and was traveling through the area looking for buds and twigs to satisfy his long-awaited hunger. He had overslept this winter and was running behind schedule.

“This is the Pendolin residence, and we are part of the Pendolin family. This is Kiwi, and my name is Rueben,” answered the raccoon.

“Oh, I see,” said the woodchuck, looking puzzled. This was his first time seeing a raccoon and a cat hanging out together in the woods. He thought it to be quite out of the ordinary.

“What is your name?” asked Rueben.
“Oh, my apologies, my name is Phife,” replied the woodchuck as he broke away from gawking at the two.
“I’m from Brook Creek.  It’s a half hour’s hike from here,” continued Phife.
“Wow, this is our first time in the forest.  We’ve been inside the house throughout the winter months, and we went outside to see what spring has sprung on us,” said Rueben.
“Well, you’re going to have to learn your way around these parts, or you will get lost quick,” said Phife.  “Come with me, and I will show you some of the basic paths.”
“Sure thing, but we cannot stay gone long or our guardian, Amber, will start to worry about us,” said Rueben
“Don’t worry, this won’t take long.  There are three common paths that take you throughout the forest, and I will show them to you.  Come over this way,” said Phife.

They walked along the path that led downhill toward Brook Creek. Rueben and Kiwi were in constant awe of the “new world” they were encountering for the first time. Rueben was keeping track of the different trees they were passing by to ensure getting back would be easy. Along the way, Phife had shown them the different minor paths that branched out to different parts of the forest. He went on to explain about the different creatures that lived in the forest and whose areas belonged to whom. The forest was a collage of vibrant green colors—so lush, moist, and alive with beauty that Rueben and Kiwi did not want to leave. They had talked long and shared each other’s experiences. Rueben had explained how he and his brother, Simeon, had been dropped off at Mr. Riley’s Fish Market by their mother and how they grew up with Amber and her family and hoped to someday meet up with their original raccoon family. Phife was intrigued by his whole story and was glad to have met them.

“Do you know how to get to the Outer Woods?” asked Rueben.
“Why would you want to go there?” Phife asked with shifting eyes.
“I don’t. I just want to make sure I don’t ever accidentally run into it,” replied Rueben.
“Well, you have to crossover the North Hill and keep on going, start heading west once you get to the hollow oak tree, and once you see the purple wild flowers, you will almost be in the Outer Woods. The robins will let you know you are there too. They are your last warning before you go in. Trust me, you don’t want to go in,” Phife explained.
Just as he finished saying that, they had made it to Brook Creek. Right next to the creek was an old tree trunk that had fallen years before. Over time, chipmunks and squirrels had hallowed the tree trunk out to make a home out of it. Phife had been living in it for some time now with his wife, who would be expecting young ones in the near future.

“Come and see my home,” said Phife
He brought them inside and introduced them to his wife. She was a pleasant lady woodchuck and was happy to meet them.
“This is my wife Dawn,” said Phife
“This is Rueben and Kiwi. They come from one of the human boroughs up the hill,” Phife said to his wife.

Phife and Dawn normally lived underground until they had been banished from the Outer Woods and made a new home in Brook Creek. In normal circumstances, they would have dug a new home underground but found the tree trunk to be especially comfortable. The tree home had been hallowed out to about five feet from the entrance. The floor was covered with soft moss, and there was a spot in the corner where all of their buds and twigs were kept. From the tree’s entrance was a view of the creek, and the forest could be seen for a great distance. Phife had chewed out about a foot of the insides since they moved in and was working on getting it a few more feet deeper to make more room for the babies that would be making their arrival someday. Now on this trip, Phife had brought back enough shrubs for them to all sit down and eat. They ate and talked for a while, and soon Rueben felt it was time to head back to the yard.

“It was nice to visit your lovely home, but we do need to get back home before they start to worry about us,” said Rueben.
“Well, you are welcome any time. Let me know if you need any more directions in the forest,” said Phife.
Rueben remembered all of the trees they had passed by, and his sense of direction was sharp. They had made it back to the yard with no problem. Simeon was waiting for them at the edge of the yard and met them as they were leaving the forest.
“Pablo was looking for you. I told him you were checking something out in the woods and would be back soon,” said Simeon.
“As long as Amber’s not worrying, that’s good,” said Rueben.
“What did you see in there?” asked Simeon.
“We made some new friends, a woodchuck and his wife, down by Brook Creek. They showed us their home, and they fed us,” explained Rueben.

At this point, all of the animals had their fill of the outdoors and was ready to head back inside the house for some nap. Rueben had shared with Pablo and Rosemary everything they did in the forest and the paths they had seen and about the woodchucks.

“The woodchucks are very smart creatures. They are dependable and great for navigating in the forest. Be sure to bring them a gift next time for all of the help they gave,” said Pablo.

The day was coming to a close, and all of the crickets seemed to be chirping at the same time. The noise was peaceful and relaxing to the raccoons as they drifted off to sleep, fulfilling their first day outside in the spring.

Chapter Five

As the weeks went by, the older and smarter Rueben and Simeon grew, the more mischievous they became around the house. Amber was out of school for summer vacation, and Mr. Pendolin knew it was time for them to live on their own. What gave him that idea was when he started to find things broken or ripped around the family’s home. The raccoons were found breaking the same house rules they faithfully obeyed when they were small. They were actually becoming independent, to say the least, and quite destructive. The raccoon in them was finally coming out. They were wild animals that belonged in, well, the wild. Rueben was getting restless, bound by the house walls, the house rules, what to get into, what not to get into. He was at his wit’s end. Simeon, on the other hand, normally did not seem to mind. If he had it his way, he would just eat and sleep all day and watch cartoons. Rueben just had too much energy to be contained in a human environment. Eventually, eating, sleeping, and cartoons were getting old, and even Simeon was starting to tear up stuff around the house. Usually, he was digging in the trash or looking for food scraps. One day, Mr. Pendolin found some of the furniture in the living room scratched up and shreds of trash all over the floor. Parts of a pillow were scattered around the room, with feathers floating in the air like bubbles—it was at that point he knew what needed to be done. He picked up Rueben and Simeon, looked at them in their big beady dark eyes and said aloud, “You boys are just wonderful little fur balls, but the time has come for you to go back to where you came from!”
Right on, thought Simeon.

One could say their recent destructive actions were nature’s way of saying it was time to go.
“I know how much you two like to wander around in the forest every time we take you outside. Well, this time I’ll take you to the end of the yard and you can begin the raccoon lives that you were destined to live,” explained Mr. Pendolin as he was beginning to develop a lump in his throat.
“Let’s do it,” said Rueben with a grin.

Amber went with her dad to the edge of the yard that connects to the forest and placed the raccoons on the ground.

“You will always have a safe place here if you ever need it, and you will always have a place in my heart,” said Amber as her eyes started to water.

She gave them one last rub on the head and said good-bye.  Giving them up for their own good was nothing but a bittersweet moment.  She walked back to the house crying, and Mr. Pendolin gave his daughter a hug and told her that the raccoons would be fine and everything would be all right.  Just then, Banjo ran outside to greet Amber and her father by the door with his leash in his mouth and wagging his tail.  Immediately, she was feeling better and took Banjo for a long walk.  She realized how much Banjo needed her love and support and attention, and she realized how blessed she was to have all of her animals.

By the time Banjo was running up to meet Amber back at the house, Rueben and Simeon had hiked their way down the hill and were getting closer to Phife’s tree trunk.  The raccoons decided to find each member of their family, one by one, no matter how long it took them.  They really did not know where to start. All they knew was that they had to find their way back to Mr. Riley’s neighborhood, which, apparently, was a ten-minute human drive away.  They estimated that, traveling on foot, it would probably take a few weeks or even months.  First, they made it their goal to explore the forest and find out how to get through the Outer Woods.  It was evident that in order to get to the main town, traveling through the dangerous territory would be unavoidable.

“We need Phife’s help on getting out of the forest, through the woods, and to Mr. Riley’s Fish Market.  The squirrels in that area might know something about our family members. Maybe they’ve seen them,” said Rueben.
“Wouldn’t it be great if we could leave the same way we came in?  Inside of Amber’s dad’s truck?” asked Simeon.
“Not likely,” answered Rueben
“We have to look out for ourselves. We aren’t babies anymore. We have to behave like grown-up raccoons now.  Looking for Mother and the rest will keep us going,” continued Rueben.

They arrived at the tree trunk, and Phife poked his head out as if he was eagerly waiting for them. They went inside and had a long talk with one another, sharing ideas, working out plans, and discussing making a trip through the Outer Woods. By this time, Phife didn’t actually think he was part of their plan. Through the conversations, it did not take him long to realize that the raccoons wanted him to go with them.
“Say no more. I’m going with you. You won’t make it alive without a good navigator. I’m in this for the long haul. I’ve wanted to go to a fish market for a long time anyway. I finally get a chance to do something good for someone else,” said Phife.

“What about your wife Dawn who’s expecting a litter of young?” asked Simeon.
“If everything works out well, we should be back in plenty of time for that,” replied Rueben.
Phife grabbed a stick and started making marks on the mossy trunk floor and was figuring out the path they would take through the forest and working out all the details.
“We have to make our preparations tonight so we can leave tomorrow morning,” said Phife.

They all worked together to grab all of the food they would need and get themselves ready for a trip to the main town by way of the forest and the Outer Woods.  They had practiced some techniques in case they came across a predator and rehearsed different scenarios with each other.  Some time ago, Phife had befriended a blue jay named Jarrod, who would be helping them along their travels.  Jarrod would scout out different areas and report back to warn them of situations that were ahead of them. Phife also asked Jarrod to spread the word to the rest of the blue jays and robins that two raccoons and a woodchuck would be hiking through the Outer Woods.  They would need every eye and ear to look and listen to give them the advantage.  Rueben and Simeon were impressed at how in tune Phife was with the animals and the forest.  Rueben felt he wanted to learn those same abilities and knew it would take time.  By the end of the day, they were tired and worn out and decided it was time to get a good night’s sleep to be ready for the next day.  They slept peacefully, and the next morning, Phife was the first to wake up.  He was too excited to sleep any longer.  He kept hoping that his memory had not failed him since it had been ages ago since he had been in the Outer Woods.  The last time he was there, the foxes were not a threat, and every animal had the freedom to roam wherever they wished.  For a long time, it had been Phife’s dream to relive those days again.  Over time, he had forgotten about that dream and figured the foxes would always be in charge of the woods.  There was something about Rueben’s feisty attitude of making it through the Outer Woods (regardless of the danger) that sparked a new fire within Phife.  He did not actually see it yet, but eventually it would hit him like a coconut falling out of a palm tree.  To Phife and Rueben, it was sort of a personal challenge to get through the woods.  They saw it merely as an obstacle to try to stop them and a reason to get animalistic on anyone that threatened them.

“Would you like some bugs for breakfast?” asked Phife as he was waking up Rueben and Simeon.
“Um, never ate bugs before. How is it?” asked Simeon as he was grabbing a grasshopper from Phife.
“Pretty crunchy,” replied Phife.
“And tasty!” added Rueben as he was stretching.
“We have a long day ahead of us. Finish what you’re eating and we’ll be out of here,” said Phife in an anxious manner.
“How long do you think it will take to get through the forest?” asked Rueben.
“I’m guessing about four or five days.  Jarrod will be helping us and guiding us along the way,” answered Phife.
“I thought you knew your way through the forest,” said Simeon.
“I do, but I’ve never had a reason to go to the Outer Woods.  Don’t worry. The blue jays and robins are the guardians for traveling critters.  The blue jays are great messengers while the robins are good for sounding warnings when danger is near,” explained Phife.
“Pablo, the cat we got to know at the Pendolin’s house, taught me some moves to do if I ever have to get into a scuffle,” said Rueben.
“Yeah, he also taught you how to dig for dinner scraps in the trash can, didn’t he?” asked Simeon jokingly.
“Ha ha ha, zip the lip, fur ball. Let’s get going now,” replied Rueben with a haughty smirk.

Phife had the tendency of underestimating his talents when, in reality, he was the best one for the job of navigating. He knew the forest inside and out, knew almost every animal, and had the most reliable sense of direction. Starting off, the three critters headed east toward the sunrise and were making good time and distance. Jarrod flew ahead of them a few miles and would return to them on occasion just to tell them that everything was good and clear. To make conversation, Phife asked the raccoons about life with the humans and other similar things. Rueben told him stories of horsing around with Banjo and playing sneak ’n’ attack with Kiwi. Rueben shared about the fun they had in the house and also how they felt too cooped up sometimes living with people. They knew they belonged in the forest and were thankful to finally get there. Phife found their stories very intriguing and wished he could tell an interesting story but had not any at the time, at least none that he could remember.
By this time, Rueben and Simeon were admiring the beauty of the forest. It was such a peaceful journey. Every so often, they would see a doe or a buck off in the distance, running carefree or drinking water from a stream. The sunlight shining through the green leaves and lighting up the ground with its distinct rays was an incredible sight.

Now, one may wonder what exactly is the difference between the forest and the Outer Woods, not counting the animals, of course. The Outer Woods has been standing in its natural state for several hundreds of years and had little, if any, human tampering. The trees in the Outer Woods were more cram-packed together and were old and mature. The massive thick branches almost overlapped one another, causing very little light to shine through, just enough to walk and see the ground. The forest, however, was much younger and had been touched by humans and nurtured to allow wildlife to flourish.
The forest was very much alive with squirrels, chipmunks, muskrats, shrews, kangaroo mice, jack rabbits, cottontails, possums, beavers, weasels, raccoons, gophers, woodchucks, mongooses, deer, bears, doves, blue jays, robins, sparrows, cardinals, owls, and many other types of critters. Everyone practically was on good terms with one another, and they all looked out for one another. Just north of Forest City was a ridge of small mountains, which caused various sizes of boulders to settle down in the forest. The forest was filled with all sorts of terrain, dips, and hills. Fallen trees made a good home for most small animals. Pompergidden thought Corduroy to be foolish to forbid the forest animals from living in the Outer Woods (because they would become easy prey for hungry wild cats and wild dogs). The critters in the forest worked together to protect themselves from the vicious predators. Ever so often, a fox, coyote, or a bobcat would sneak in undetected and catch a small animal. The robins had different signals for different situations going on. They made a special sound if there was a bobcat or dog on the prowl. There was a certain sound they made if a critter was in trouble and needed some help. There were also good signals for when someone friendly was entering the forest.

The afternoon hours had come and gone, and Rueben suggested they made a camp for the night. The darker it became, the riskier it was to travel through the forest. The three critters found a snug spot to get a good night’s rest. It was under a dead, fallen old tree that was partly lying on top of a boulder. After conversing with Jarrod, the blue jay, Phife estimated they have traveled about three miles that day.

“Jarrod says at the rate that we are going, we should be there in about two more days,” said Phife.
“That’s good to know,” said Simeon as he was pulling out some marshmallows.

“Where’d you get those from?” asked Rueben with envy in his voice.

“From the Pendolin’s kitchen, while no one was looking,” replied Simeon as he began to share his sweets.

All three of them were very tired at this point and laid themselves down and fell asleep instantly. Rueben was a light sleeper and was confident that anything so much as a mouse sneezing would wake him up.

Chapter Six

The sun woke up the forest with its brightness. The light rushed in like a broken dam pouring water into a dry valley. Rueben woke up as he heard a small animal scurry near by and something larger following right behind it in a rapid manner. He rose up to see what all the commotion was about and noticed there was a possum on the run. I’ve never seen a critter move so fast, Rueben thought. There was a rather husky bobcat, slightly larger and more ferocious than a house cat, chasing this poor little possum for a meal. Rueben acted quickly and yelled at Simeon and Phife to wake up.

“Hurry, we gotta help that possum out now!” Rueben shouted.

The possum was running in circles around the dead tree trunk, and the bobcat was getting closer and closer each second. The possum had come around and was running toward the boulder when Phife yelled, “In here!” as he pointed to a small crevice under the tree trunk.
The possum darted inside, and as the bobcat was catching up, he was caught by surprise to see an angry woodchuck staring him in the face, drooling and ready to fight. Just as the bobcat was rearing back to pounce on him, Rueben smacked him in the tail to distract him from Phife. As the bobcat turned around to claw whoever was behind him, Simeon leaped off of the boulder and dove his teeth into the back of his neck, biting as hard as he could. The bobcat shook him off and threw him a few feet away, then jumped up to pounce on him when he received another smack in the tail by Phife. Simeon then smacked the bobcat in the face as Rueben was distracting him. The three had the bobcat surrounded, taking turns on smacking him, causing the bobcat to constantly turn back and forth until he became dizzy. Phife turned to Rueben and Simeon and yelled, “Let’s beat it!”
Rueben pulled the possum out of the crevice, and the four darted away as the bobcat gave up and plopped to the ground in confusion.

“That was Pompergidden, the bobcat and so called leader of the coyotes,” said Phife.
“The coyotes are letting a bobcat boss them around?” asked Simeon.
“Yeah, I guess that’s because they are so dumb,” replied Rueben.
“Thanks for rescuing me back at the tree, you guys,” said Mullybean, the possum who now accompanied them.
“Say, you’re a girl possum. I have never seen you before. Pleased to meet you,” said Phife.
“I’m glad we were at the right place and at the right time,” said Rueben.
“So what exactly are you doing in these parts of the forest by yourself? Do you have a family around here or what?” asked Simeon.
“Well, yes, my brother Deebug was out here with me, but we got separated when that wild cat came after us. I have to find him before he gets lost,” replied Mullybean.
“All right, no problem, we’ll go back and look for him. We’ll find him,” said Rueben assuredly.

The two raccoons, the woodchuck, and the possum made their way back to the old tree trunk where they had last seen the bobcat, which had been long gone by then. They sniffed and snooped at the area, looking for any trace of Deebug, looking high and low, but finally did not see him anywhere.
“I have a bad feeling that Pompergidden may have taken Deebug with him into the woods,” said Mullybean.
“Don’t say that,” said Rueben. “We’ll track him down and probably find him sleeping in a tree.”
“I do hope a tree is the only thing that has caught him,” said Mullybean.

They continued to search the forest, and soon they began to pick up his scent here and there. It appeared to be heading south toward the Outer Woods. The four critters followed Deebug’s scent throughout the forest. They constantly felt like they were about to see him around the corner—that’s how strong his smell was.

“We are on a journey to find our family, but now the matter at hand is finding your family and ensuring that Deebug is safe and out of the bobcat and coyotes’ grasp,” said Rueben.
“Tell us about your brother, if you would please,” requested Phife.
She went on to give a very brief description of Deebug.

“Well, he looks kind of like me, except he’s a guy. He’s slightly bigger of course, and his hair is always messy as if he was constantly rolling around on the ground. We are originally city critters. We just recently moved into the forest to get away from all of the hustle and bustle of the cars and trucks. Deebug was always a brave possum. Him and I were born under a house over on Scripps Drive and Fifth Street downtown Forest City. When the homeowners discovered our possum family sharing their house, they quickly removed us and placed us behind the house in the alley. Our family grew up, and everyone went their way. Deebug was on his own for a while. He was going through a period where he just wanted to be alone. Just like the life of a possum—looking for scraps, looking for somewhere dry and warm to sleep, always confronting other possums and animals just to get the things he needs. Before he found a home, he was getting fed daily over at Mrs. Magi’s house. She was an elderly lady who couldn’t see too well. Plus the fact her porch light was broke ever since her grandson went into the service didn’t help matters. After dark was the only time Deebug found it feasible to come by and get fed without stirring up a scare. Just like clockwork, every evening after dark, Deebug came by Mrs. Magi’s porch to be greeted with a little fat bowl of Moist ’n’ Crispys, a popular cat food and a friendly petting. ‘Here kitty, kitty, kitty, Grandma has some food for you,’ she would say every night. This went on for months, and Deebug was living well, and then one day, Mrs. Magi’s grandson came home on leave and fixed her porch light. Then the next evening, Deebug came by, and Mrs. Magi brought out the bowl of cat food on schedule and was shocked to find out that she had befriended a possum all of this time. Granted her vision was something to be desired. Deebug froze, fearing the worst, thinking she would freak out, scream and ban him from coming to the house ever again. On the contrary, Mrs. Magi accepted that Deebug was a possum and continued to pet him and feed him. Talk about living high on the hog. ‘Now all I have to do is get this nice little old lady to let me come inside the warm house and get comfortable, get settled, and I got it made,’ according to his confession later on.”

“That’s quite a story,” said Simeon
“Funny how you’re from downtown Forest City. That’s where we’re from too. It’s also the last place we’ve seen our mother and other siblings. That’s the place we are making this trip to also,” said Rueben.

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