The Little Girl: Part VII-VIII

(And the story continues. Parts I-VI are two posts down!)


VII.
Jo the turtle herded did not need much prompting. He immediately started into the history of the turtle herders and how it all began on the very sands they now stood upon.

“The great turtle herders were formed out of necessity. It did not take long for the people of these shores to find that there was something curiously wrong with our native turtles. We began to notice that when the young turtles hatched from their eggs it was with a general sense of stupor. At first we figured it was just the shock of being born. I mean if you think about, it really must be frightening to open your eyes the first time to something completely brand new and unfamiliar. But these poor baby turtles were utterly and completely lost. They would start out crawling in one direction and then the next, and then the next until they were just spinning in circles. Eventually, they would just freeze and remain still where they were. They wouldn’t budge. The sad little things eventually…they eventually…”

The turtle herder had paused with a sad look on his face. The little girl encouraged him, “What happened Mr. Jo?”

“…they eventually died” he dropped his voice barely whispering the word,” they died on the sand in the very places they were born. Our beautiful sands were littered with the lost lives of these helpless little turtles.”

“We had to do something. Eventually we discovered that these turtles were born missing something: they had no sense of smell. They could not smell the crisp seawater to direct them. That mixed with the fact that they were being laid too far in on the sands to see the water left them in complete confusion. We began to keep watch over them, posting ourselves near the eggs and waiting for them to the hatch. Then slowly, patiently we guide them to the waters where they begin their lives. We know they will return to leave their eggs and every season we wait for them, ready to guide them back to their home.” The turtle herder paused in reverent silence at the end of his account.

“Mr. Jo,” the little girl broke the silence, “Mr. Jo, what will happen to the turtles after your little brother takes over? There’s no one after him, to take the job! How will they find their way home?” The little girl was concerned. The image of dozens of baby turtles frozen in confusion was haunting her mind. “How will they survive!?”
The turtle herder was silent. Then quietly he began, “They will be fine.”

“But how?” she asked.

The turtle herder was hesitant, “They don’t need us anymore. You see long ago, one of my relatives realized that the way to prevent this tragedy was to retrain the returning turtles. You see if the mothers would leave their eggs within in sight of the shore. The young hatchling could use their vision to guide them home. It took years, but eventually they learned.” He paused, “So you see I’m not needed anymore, I need the turtles more than the turtles need me.”

VIII.

The strange orange man stood in somber silence. The little girl could tell he was on the brink of tears again, but she wasn’t sure how to comfort him.
“Mr Jo. How long have you lived here?”
He sniffed, “All my life.”
“Then you’ve never left these sandy beaches? Ever?”
“No. No this is my home. I don’t want to leave here. Why would I even want to?”
“Mr. Jo maybe the turtles are giving you a gift.” She started gently, “Maybe they are thanking for you for guarding them for so long and now they are releasing you to leave…Maybe…Maybe they want you to go find somewhere new.”
“No, no, no” the turtle herder moaned silently.
“But Mr. Jo, the world is so big! Why this morning I discovered a different side of my bed, it’s really quite amazing!”
The turtle herder appeared confused by this statement, so she continued on.
“You have so many places yet to see. You can’t know if you’ll like them until you go. And it’s not like you won’t be coming home…the best part is that no matter where you go, you can always come home. These beaches aren’t going to move, but you can!”
The turtle herder sniffed and wiped at his eyes.
The little girl continued, “You need a vacation.” She said this in her best mom voice possible, “You help these turtles to the sea every year. Each year they get to start off on a new adventure when they reach the water and you just go home. Maybe, it’s your turn?”

The turtle herder looked down at the turtles and then far across the sandy dunes. His eyes were dry now.
“I’ve always wanted to see what’s on the other side of the water.” He started slowly. “I supposed it wouldn’t hurt to take a little trip. I mean who knows what’s on the other side out there!”
He was starting to speak rapidly. “I could ride on a ship, I could swim in the sea, I could…I could..” He fell silent again.
“What’s the matter Mr. Jo?” asked the little girl.
“How can I go, where I’ve never been before. How would I know where to go or how to get there? No, no it’s best for me to just stay home.”
He paused, “And the sea, the sea is dangerous, I wouldn’t want to do anything foolish. No, it is better for me here where it is safe.”

The little girl smiled up at the turtle herder. “It’s okay to be afraid,” she whispered gently to him. She stopped for a moment considering the turtle herder’s predicament. Then she found it. She found the solution to his anxiety.

“Mr. Jo, I’m moving on. I was planning on heading toward the sea. What if I went first? What if I went to the sea and sailed across? What if I sent you back word when I reach the other side? Would you feel better than? Would it help to know someone else has gone ahead of you?”

The turtle herder considered this. He looked across the sand toward the sea. He looked up at the sky. At last he looked down at the 8 turtles.

The little girl waited for him to speak, but he remained silent.

At last he turned to her, “But you’ll go first?”