Page 67 of Big Island Neighbors
“I don’t know. Seems like Uncle John and his girlfriend gave it over to the feral cats a few years back.”
“Maybe, but I think the rats won out in the end. A whole family of them fled when I picked up the mattress.”
“Oh no.”
“Oh yes.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged and smiled. “I never minded rats. I even had a pet rat once when I was a kid.”
“Really?” She climbed down from the truck to stand beside him on the lawn.
“Yeah, got him for my ninth birthday. He used to ride around on my shoulder.”
“I’m hoping if I can just get rid of everything they’ve been nesting in, they’ll go away.”
“I admire your relocation policy.”
“I refuse to kill them. There’s a gorgeous owl that flies through here at dusk sometimes, and I couldn’t bear it if I poisoned her by accident. And I can’t stand the killing traps either. Some people use bigger traps, like the ones for mongooses, but I’d rather not have to deal with them. I’m afraid I’m not quite as fond of rats as you are.”
“Well I certainly wouldn’t want them nesting in my mattress. Don’t you have a cat?”
“We do, but he only recently grew bigger than rat size himself. Some of these buggas probably still outweigh him, so I’m not sure who would win out in a fight. Dio’s killed a few, so I could let him in to make sure there are none left.”
“What next?” Tenn asked. He turned to look at the house. “The couch?”
Lani put her hands on her hips and studied him. “Is this really what you want to do with your day off?”
He turned back to her with a bemused look in his eyes. After a moment, he said, “Maybe if I hang around on enough rats-nestkind of days, you’ll finally believe me when I tell you that there is nowhere I’d rather be than with you.”
“Even if I’m hauling moldy couches to the dump?”
Tenn grinned and kissed her temple. “Especiallyif you’re hauling moldy couches to the dump.
20
Tara
Tara rose at first light, like always. But today, instead of starting with the goats or the cows, she grabbed a bag of bird food and headed for the aviary.
It was still drizzling, and her farm boots squelched on the wet ground.
Muscovy ducks splashed happily in the puddles left behind by the heavy rain the night before. Dogs and chickens and goats crowded around her, and she relished the abundance of life on the small piece of land that she stewarded. Everywhere she looked, lush plants and healthy animals crowded her view.
Thetithonia diversifoliashe’d planted everywhere added color to the dark morning landscape. Thousands of yellow flowers shone against the deep green foliage.
Cody had cut them almost to the ground in the weeks that they couldn’t afford fodder, but they had bounced right back.
“Hi mom!” Lucy called out as she approached. Ricky squawked in excitement and flapped his sapphire wings.
Tara squeezed through the door to the aviary without letting any of her entourage through. The parrots already had their pet chickens pecking around the base of the guava tree, and she couldn’t let more in without the ground of the aviary being scratched to bare dirt.
Lucy flew over and landed on her shoulder. When Tara stroked the little patch of emerald green plumage at the top of her head, the macaw clicked her beak contentedly.
She gently nibbled Tara’s ear as she refilled the pellet dispenser.
Ricky climbed down to the lower branches of the guava tree and bobbed his head impatiently. Once the pellet bag was empty, Tara walked to the tree and pet his beak.
