Jennie smiled and leaned back in her chair. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. It's not exactly a diary, though. It's more like a journal."
The pencil dropped to the surface of his desk and rolled off onto the floor. He ignored it but picked up another. "That's good. Do you know what she writes in it? Mind you, I'm not asking for personal aspects of her life but I wonder if you could approach her and sort of... guide her, maybe."
"In what direction?"
"If she's not already doing it, I'd like you to see if you can steer her toward recording everything she feels and thinks when talking to animals, as well as how she feels and thinks when listening to them. I should have thought of this long ago but I didn't." He shrugged. "The reason I'm asking now is that I'm coming to believe the process is just as important, if not more so, than the results. I'm particularly interested in any differences she notices between her communication with mammals and that of birds."
"That shouldn't be all that hard since she already has a journal going. I think I can manage what you're after by just telling her it's important for her biography. So far as I know she's never talked to birds though, or if she has she hasn't mentioned it to me."
"Good. I'm glad to hear she's recording her experiences. Perhaps you could ask her to try to communicate with birds?" He raised his brow questioningly.
"I'm not real happy over having to mislead her, even if what she records does wind up in the book."
"It's not really telling her a lie, Jennie."
"It feels like it, knowing the book will probably never be published, or at least not anywhere near the schedule we've been talking about."
"Once we bring her inside she'll understand."
"Yes, I suppose she will. That's one way of looking at it and thinking she will understand why I asked it of her makes me feel a little better. Anton, you really need to meet Sammie to realize why I feel so strongly about any falsehood I have to tell her. The fact that she's an exceedingly honest young lady herself just makes it worse."
"I haven't met her but knowing as much about her, even second-hand, leads me to believe she'll never even question why she was asked to do these little chores for us."
"I agree, I think. There's one more consideration, though. I don't want to go any further into the subject of her journal until she's gotten moved and settled down. She deserves a little peace and quiet for a while, don't you think?"
He replaced the pencil in the catch-all holder on his desk. "I have no objection so long as you get to it sometime fairly soon."
"I will. Is that all?"
"That's all for now. Thank you for understanding."
"You're welcome, sir."
***
Out of somewhat morbid curiosity both Samantha and her mother checked the news periodically each day as they packed.
"That's much better than I expected," Elaine said the next day as she gestured at the television screen. It was showing another segment about Samantha but this time it was more favorable. Previously, the anchors doing the reporting from that particular station had told their stories about Samantha with a hint of disbelief in their presentations, with one of the co-anchors sometimes holding a supercilious smile while the other talked. This time the national daytime anchor spoke firmly, saying that it would be the last story they would be doing on "The Girl Who Talks To Animals."
Samantha and her parents have stated very emphatically that they do not, repeat, do
not
want any publicity. On the contrary, Samantha Douglas herself said, "I just want to be left alone. Sometimes I can help animals and they all like me. That shouldn't be such a big deal. I'm just a young girl and I want to live as normal a life as possible."
A CNN reporter spoke to the parents by phone yesterday evening after several unruly groups again began demonstrating outside their residence. This has been a daily occurrence now for almost two weeks. They said that their daughter received scrapes and bruises and scratches all over her body from an unruly mob of people who closed in on her as she was trying to gain entrance to her own home on the first day of the demonstrations. Mrs. Douglas stated, "It was only because her dog, Shufus, was with her that she wasn't seriously injured--or worse. She actually had to tell Shufus to use his teeth and I had to use the cane I carry when I go walking to help beat the lunatics away from her. That is not something a thirteen year old girl should have to put up with, especially one who has done the local zoo so much good."
A brief montage displayed footage of the delusional groups who had come so close to knocking Samantha off her feet when they closed in. It was followed by some more sedate recordings of her interacting with the tigers and the wolf at the Lufkin zoo.
There is no question that the Douglas girl does indeed have a special affinity with animals, as she put it at the only press conference she has ever held. It was organized spontaneously at the Lufkin zoo, shortly after the Lufkin Branch of the CPS, the Child Protective Services, attempted to remove her from her home. While the local CPS Director, Ms. Jesha Meriweather, was at the Douglas home accusing Samantha's parents of placing her in danger by allowing her to be in contact with dangerous animals, Samantha went out the back way and ran to the zoo with her German Shepherd dog, Shufus in order to escape. This was after Meriweather implied that she would be removed from her parents' custody. At the zoo, she gained access to the tiger compound and called her mother to tell her where she was. At that point various officials converged on the zoo and convinced her that she would not be taken away from her parents. Samantha, and Mr. and Mrs. Douglas then agreed to fifteen minutes of questions.
Again, some of the recordings were shown first. The one where she slapped the tiger on the head for misbehaving was repeated several times. Samantha's statement about wanting to be left alone was emphasized, along with the same words from her parents.
The veterinarian at the Lufkin zoo, Dr. Dorothy Summers, stated that Samantha's help has been invaluable in treating a number of ill animals simply because she communicates so well with them. While there have been numerous reports that Samantha can actually talk to animals and be understood and that she can interpret the sounds they make accurately, Samantha herself will only admit to having an "affinity" with animals.
Unless something extremely unusual occurs to void our decision to abide by Samantha's wishes to be let alone and enjoy her privacy, this will be the last report on her life by this network. We urge other networks and media groups, as well as the internet, to support our decision.
And now, in other news... .
"Mom, he's being real nice to us, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is. The news director and some of the others in charge must have stepped up for us. This time. I only hope others will follow their example, but Sammie... "
"Yes ma'am?"
"Please don't be too disappointed if they don't. Especially the internet social media groups and on line news magazines. Once they latch on to something they have problems letting go more often than not."
"Okay. I still hope it lasts."
"I do, too. In the meantime, we still have a lot of packing to do so let's get back to it."
***
By Wednesday afternoon they were pretty well finished with the preparations and ready to go. While Sammie was upstairs talking to Betty on her computer, Ronald and Elaine were downstairs tending to last minute business. They were drinking coffee at the kitchen table and marking items off the checklist they had prepared.
"When is Gene supposed to be here?" Elaine asked.
"About six. I'm sorry I wasn't able to get him here until now but it's been hectic at school, trying to close my office and doing finals and so on. He seems to be pretty capable and he's a likable fellow."
"If he can protect us from the loonies on the way I'll be satisfied. I'm just scared someone will recognize Sammie while we're traveling. Or even me, for that matter."
Ronald shrugged but he still looked worried. "We've done what we can. Sammie looks quite a big different with her hair a different color and in braids and wearing those big glasses. I hardly recognized her myself when I came home yesterday."
Elaine chuckled. "It really did change her looks. She wasn't very happy about it, though, until I told her it was just for the trip. Marie assures me that if we follow the directions on the hair color she gave me, it will change her hair back to its normal shade so well that no one will be able to tell it was ever dyed."
He gazed at his wife for a moment. "You didn't do a bad job on yourself. It's going to seem like I'm going to bed with someone else tonight. And a blonde at that!"
She laughed. "That ought to liven things up a little. I'm sorry I haven't been very receptive lately, what with all the trouble."
"Same here. I've been so worried I haven't been able to concentrate on much else either."
"We'll try to make up for some of it tonight. In the meantime, shall we order out for supper? Or rather I should ask, what kind of take out do you want to order because I'm not cooking?"
"Give the decision to Sammie. She needs something to perk her up. Even if she won't admit it, at her age it's kind of traumatic to be leaving her friends and her regular school and hangouts and starting all over."
"Then I won't even have to ask. She'll want pizza."
***
"This is good!" Gene Rawlings said around a mouthful of piping hot pepperoni, sausage and mushroom pizza.
"Sammie and I kind of doctor the takeout with our own spices and ingredients," Elaine said.
"You've done a great job." He set his empty paper plate down on the coffee table. He pushed himself back in his chair and sipped at the glass of Heineken beer. "And this really tops it off. I haven't had one of these since I came back from Germany."
"That's where I first ran across it. Shall we get to business now?"
"May as well. Mrs. Douglas, Samantha, are you both satisfied with me tagging along with you and watching out for boogers?"
"I certainly am," Elaine said, eyeing his muscular form and face that might have been chiseled from hard to work granite. He was well over six feet tall and had a mannerism about him that she thought could inhibit strangers just by looking at them.
"Me, too," Samantha agreed. He had hit it off with her almost immediately by mentioning a couple of dollar rock artists he said he liked while asking what type of music they preferred for traveling.
"I guess that settles it then, Gene," Ronald said. "They'll be ready to leave about seven tomorrow. The trailer is pretty well packed so there's just what they'll need while traveling in the car."
"Good deal. It shouldn't take more than three days, max. I don't want to get in a hurry while towing. A trailer can fool you in the kind of territory we'll be traversing the last part of the trip."
"What's it like out there, Gene?" Samantha asked. The travel companion Ronald had hired to guard them on the journey was from the Mogollon Rim area originally and had lived there until joining the army. His job as a security specialist carried him to many different places in the United States. By purest chance one assignment had taken him back to the area of his birth. Right from the start he had insisted they call him by his first name.
"It's beautiful country if you like it wild. The roads aren't that great because there's not much traffic in the area where we're going. I think the foundation discourages visitors just so the state won't make the roads any better."
"Are there many kids my age there?"
"You're what? Fifteen? Sixteen?"
He couldn't have said anything more to enhance Samantha's liking of him if he had tried.
"No, I'm not quite fourteen yet."
Gene raised his brows. "Really? You look older."
"This isn't my normal appearance," she told him.
"So I heard. Still, I imagine that wouldn't change my opinion much. I'm sorry, Sammie, I don't know how many teens your age live in the area now. It's been a while since I've passed through." He stood up. "Folks, thanks for a really satisfying meal but I've got to be going. There are a number of things I still have to take care of before bed time and I imagine y'all do, too." He held out his hand. "It's been great meeting you and I'm looking forward to the trip."
Elaine and Samantha shook hands then Ronald walked him to the door.
"You made a good impression, Gene. Thanks."
"Not necessary. You have a really nice wife and a neat daughter. It's a shame you have to move because of a few kooks and whacks."
"You do what you have to do. We're just trying our best to protect Sammie until she's grown." he grinned wryly. "I suspect the job won't stop even then, not completely. There's just too much interest in her talent."
"I'll bet she manages fairly well, considering her age. She seems to have a pretty good head on her shoulders."
"She does but sometimes... well, you know what we've been through. It's not always easy having a daughter who talks to other species almost as well as she does to humans, either for her or for us."
"I'll bet she's worth it, though. There's something about her that makes me think she'll go a long way in her life and do a lot of wonderful things."
"Thanks, Gene."
"I meant every word. And now, good night. See you in the morning."
***
The first day went fine. Gene did most of the driving, taking it slow and easy. Samantha enjoyed the ride. She used her notebook to write in her journal and sent it to be saved. She read some on a book describing the social habits of the higher mammals and when she tired of that, she pulled up a novel she was halfway through already. She was a very fast reader and advanced for her age. Most of the fiction she read was the adult variety of science fiction, mystery/thrillers, biographies and historical fiction and non-fiction. Both Elaine and Ronald encouraged her to sample a wide variety of books. They had lived in such an isolated area so many years of her life that books had been a way of learning about the world at large. She had to be guided on occasion by her parents, since at first when she began reading past her age level she had a tendency to believe all fiction depicted humans and social systems pretty much as they were. Now, though, she could read a novel and simply enjoy the story without attributing the characters' actions to how adults really acted, or not necessarily how they acted. When she tired of reading she watched the scenery or talked with the adults.