The Pond

The path is closed

My coworker and I take a walk every day after lunch; as long as it isn't raining too much. It helps keep our sanity and keeps us from strangling some people; who shall remain nameless. We had suffered through several days of heavy storms and the aftermath was prevalent everywhere. As we neared the place where the path thinned, we saw that the way was blocked. We looked at each other and then at the deep water expanse before us. Being creatures of habit, we searched desperately for a way to continue on to the bridge (red structure seen in the above picture) that would take us on our usual trek, through the parking lot of the condos, then onto the front of the golf club and then back to our own building.

“Do you think we could go around?” I asked hopefully; already knowing the answer.

“Not unless you have a raft in your back pocket.” She said, deadpanning it.

She looked at me and I smiled, “Darn it, wouldn’t you know it, I left it in my other pants.”

We looked at each other and cracked up.

“I guess we have to go back.” she said, still looking at all the water before us.

“I guess so.” I said, doing the same.

We stayed there, looking out and saw several geese swimming contentedly.

“At least somebody is happy about all this water.” I said, turning dejectedly back the way we came.

She followed, “You know, I've always wanted to live where I could have a pond in my back yard.”

“Oh really” I said, watching the same sights we saw on the way here, still wondering if there could have been a way to…

“Yeah, I always dreamt about getting swans;  a male and a female with little baby swans.”

“You mean cygnets.”

She looked at me, “Is that what they’re called?”

I nodded. We walked on.

“Did I ever tell you about my aunt’s swans?”

She looked at me, “Your aunt has swans?”

I nodded, “Well, not anymore, but she did.”

Her brow furrowed, “Oh, what happened?”

I smiled and recounted this story to her.

My aunt had also always dreamt of having a pond, and with the purchase of her new house that dream would be brought to fruition.  She couldn't wait to have picnics and go fishing with her family on their very own pond. So at last they moved in and the pond dream became a reality. But the pinnacle of this dream, what she kept in her heart of hearts was the desire; also like my coworker, to have a pair of mating swans swimming in this very pond. The week before, she and her family had gone to a breeder of swans and had picked out a mating pair that were hand-raised and would be delivered when she moved into the house. When it was all said and done an exorbitant amount of money had exchanged hands, but my aunt didn't care; her dreams were being fulfilled.

            She called the breeder the night before to schedule the delivery. My aunt was so excited; Vito and Rosie (the names she had given the birds) would be there early today. She set up a chair in the front of the garage and resigned herself to wait.

She had visions of waking up in the morning, looking out her kitchen window, watching as  Vito and Rosie intertwined their necks; making that cute heart shape when they were forehead to forehead. Then, she would mosey on down to the pond, where, when she called their names, they would rush out of the water, falling all over themselves to be first to wish her a good morning.

            She was brought out of her thoughts by the honk of a horn. She looked up to see the smiling face of the swan breeder. Together, they drove to the pond and released the birds onto the pond.

My aunt’s neighbor; Ray came up from his house to stand next to her.

“Those are gorgeous birds.”

My aunt beamed.

They stood there watching the birds float effortlessly upon the water. Ray broke the silence.

“Hey Soph? Did you remember to clip their wings?”

            My aunt looked at him and was about to answer when there was a flutter of wings.

         Looking out to the pond, they watched first Vito, then Rosie take off from the pond and become airborne.

            “I guess not” He said.

            My aunt was becoming hysterical; she grabbed onto his shirt, “Ray, do something.”

            “Do you want me to get my gun?”

            She looked at him horrified, but knew short of what he hinted at; there was nothing to be done.

            They never saw Vito or Rosie again.

            We walked into the building; our walk completed.