9 ROCKETTE…& BARNEY
But I tell you, this was nowhere near boring. There was one warm day in Dec. of 2018, when the carp came out of their winter hibernation to play in the pond.
June couldn’t believe it, when she saw a turtle too! One big problem: it was the only turtle to come out of hibernation, and until the others woke, she was all alone in the icy pond!
In the icy waters of Deeper Pond all winter, one turtle swam!
“Come on, Rockette, you can do it,” June cheered her on. Finally, spring came.
See Rockette? She’s the one on the left, in the water.
Of course, before they went to be with Rockette, they had to dry their shells. Before they were through basking, it got cold again, and turtles had to hibernate. Would they all go back and leave Rockette alone?
No! One turtle stayed with Rockette. June called him Barney. She loved Rockette for her courage, but liked Barney just as much now.
10 JUNE & THREE CARP
Even carp, when they are children, like to play action games. For Slit, a red carp in the pond, a favorite was: “Run!”
June remembers Slit swam real slow towards a human being. Because Slit has a beautiful outline, the person would be happy to see the carp coming closer…
But all of a sudden, Slit would act like she saw the person for the first time and run away as if to say, “Oh no; she’s going to catch me!”
The first few times Slit did this, June didn’t know it was just play, and she worried about what she did to scare Slit. Now she knows it was all in fun.
In fact, today Slit can’t shoot around like that and moves everywhere gracefully.
June remembers another day she saw a black carp that listened to her voice, even from far away.
“What a friendly, smart carp!” June thought. “Maybe I’ll give it a name.” But when she asked the carp if she could name it, it acted almost upset!
“I already have a name,” it seemed to say, and after a pause, it swam closer. June saw right away it was the bronze-gold carp Copper!
“SORRY, COPPER!” June said; “I didn’t forget you; I really couldn’t see that far!”
It seemed like Copper said, “That’s OK!”
Then there was dear Winnie. The sweet carp who looked like she wore a long, hooded pretty black lace gown over shining orange.
It seemed the others around her, even the crow, loved Winnie. When a person at the park teased Winnie, not realizing it was weak, that crow left his branch to protect her.
Sadly, the damage had been done, and Winnie’s corpse was found in the reeds the next day.
Rest now, Winnie.
11 QUASI’S ROCK
Serra fin jumped out, trying to distract them.
One day June she saw two little girls with twigs poking where Serra Fin and his family’s home was, play-fighting “sea monsters”. After a few minutes, Serra Fin jumped out in the open, trying to distract them.
The girls stopped what they were doing only when their mother called them to go home. When they left, Serra Fin rushed back to check on his family’s safety. One of the sisters ran back and threw her twig at the carp. What a mean thing to do!
June was so upset at the girls, she didn’t know what to do. She told Quasi, who gave her a flat, orange rock.
“What’s this?” June asked.
“I’ll tell you later,” was all Quasi said.
June thought, “Where did Quasi get this?”
After a good long time, Quasi told June she got the rock from Monty.
“Monty told me a long time ago,” Quasi said, “Some things that happen, you can’t do a thing about. Can’t fret about it. Leave it.”
Monty said, “Now if you have to, think about a…rock.” That’s when I stopped thinking about what happened to me and started learning to swim again.
--COMMERCIAL #2--
FOUR PARK NAMES & PHOTOS:
Also called Zig Zag Bridge Quasi was swimming here!
12 GLAD SERRA FIN KNEW
One day, June saw some mothers and children smiling at a white carp dancing in the pond. Sometimes it jumped out of the water, and the children clapped and cheered.
June was glad she told Serra Fin she loved him that morning when Serra Fin made her really happy about an e-mail—they had these talks every day.
The park decided to clean Duck Pond, and took out most of the carp. June never saw Serra Fin again.
Words of love, thanks—things that need to be said, should be said today; June decided. I don’t ever want to think, “If only I had said this or that!” after it’s too late.
13 RAINBOW & BUTTERFLY
The water was clear, and you could see the rocks at the bottom…but no Serra Fin was swimming in it! June was so lonely.
But the water seemed to shout, “Yes, there’s been a little rainstorm in the park. But look June; here’s a rainbow to promise good things are coming!” And the fountain bent its spray.
“the water was shouting, here’s a rainbow to promise good things”
Almost as if to say, “I think so too,” a white summer butterfly—it was very, very early—came and landed on the grass on the side of the pond, then flew away.
June didn’t know that Rockette the turtle was going to die, leaving Barney by himself, but he would then see Anna—Mrs. Monty—by herself; and the two would end up together!
“a white summer butterfly landed on the grass”
June didn’t know that on a rainy day, 27 carp would swim up from Deeper Pond to Duck Pond and replace Serra Fin and the carp who June thought she would never see again!
June didn’t know that the crow Coffee, because he knew how she talked with Serra Fin every day, would become a precious listener himself first, then have his crow friends watch over June too!
There are lots of things June doesn’t know, just looks forward to.
Quasi likes to look forward to things too.
With a shy smile, she asked, “I was just wondering: June, will you own a park someday?”
She smiled too, dreaming, “Oh Quasi, that would be so nice.”
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