Chapter 6 Two Wooden Crosses And Hearts Of Gold

 Kasper looked at Bandit and answered his question. "Did they have a dog? Everyone had a dog! It was the worst time of my life! We were sniffed and drug through the mud and the weeds. We got muddy and dirty, but most of all we were left to rot. Not one single person actually cared about us because we were so different. After a few years we lost all of the scent of humans on our clothes, so the critters didn't care to chew on what left of  our legs and arms. They left us alone, but there were others in the weeds and tall grasses that thought that the wood that we are made from was very tasty. There were ants and beetles that feasted on my neck. I can remember how they crawled up my sleeves to find the best part of the wood that the old man who lived by the sea made me from. The wood he chose was from a giant oak. It was hard wood that can withstand the weather. We ended up being two wooden crosses.

Isak said, "Yes, how I remember that too. The crickets and grasshoppers. They too nibbled on me. It didn't hurt me, but I figured that no human would ever want me again. My clothes were gone, but the one thing that we never lost was the heart that the old man carved into our chests, right, Kasper?"

"That's right. We never lost our heart, the love that he put in his work when he made us will last forever, no matter what clothes we wear. But remember the toad? Oh he was a noisy one, but in this case it was a good thing. He actually saved us with his noisy voice."

That toad had the longest stickiest tongue! He would sit still for what seemed like hours just staring at us. Then that tongue would flick out at us. I think he was scared of us. He made a sharp sound and puffed his belly all up. He probably was as scared of us as we were of him though, he chuckled.

Eleanor said, "Well, will you hurry up and finish your story? I'm the the one that should be feeling sorry for myself. I was so very beautiful in my day. Yes I was. I was well taken care of and was shown to the finest children of the very rich on board ship. No sticky hands on my beautiful lace booties. No rough housing either. Why I wouldn't have been caught anywhere looking like you two do. The very idea makes me sick. Then the disaster happened....

Sonja said, "Yes, disaster is the word that's for sure! I can remember like it was yesterday..."

Bandit said, "Like I said before, let the fellas finish their tale and then it's your turn. We really better get on with it before Grandma Lu comes back out to the porch. She will chase me out of here. So what happened, Kasper?"

Well there was this young fella out riding a horse. A horse that he had found grazing out in the field near where Isak and I were thrown. Well, that horse almost stepped on me! Me too, said Isak. That would have been the end of us, instead it was the beginning of a new and wonderful life for almost fifty years."