by L. Dalton

Created on: March 30, 2009

Turtles

I have always been thankful for the years I spent with my grandparents. They were some of the happiest times of my life. And, so it was one summer when I was about seven years old.

It was hot back in the hollar, where my grandparents lived. The road came out of the hollar and ran down between the fields of corn and tobacco, my grandfather had planted. The spring was near the head of the head of the hollar and ran down between the fields and in front of the house. There were so many places to play and hide, but sometimes it isn't any fun, if you don't have a playmate. Looking out at the fields and creek, the heat seemed to radiate into visible little creatures, beaming up out of the ground. Looking back toward the main road, into the woods, I decided that was going to be the direction I would venture.

I walked down the road a little ways, looking for something to make my day more interesting. It was cool under the trees, so it became a must to be entertained here. Just as I was turning a slight curve, I came upon a little turtle. It was slow moving, making its way across rocks and clumps of stray weeds, striving to get to the cool water of the branch. Suddenly, it occurred to me I could have a new pet! I had everything I needed to take care of a little turtle and it really wasn't such a big job. Then I remembered an old dishpan of Mamaw's, on the back porch. I quickly ran home and got the dishpan and ran back as fast as possible, before the turtle got to the creek.

I put the dish pan down and picked up my new friend and placed it in its new home. Before I had a chance to get underway to the house, I had spied another turtle. Wow! How lucky was I to find two? So, I put him in the dishpan along with the first. I was almost home with my new friends, when I came across yet another one. I had a little family now. In he went, into the dishpan and we all were headed home.

I found a place on the front porch to sit my new found friends, while I went to get some water from the creek and a few rocks for them to climb on. I was so proud to have my own pets and I hadn't had to ask anyone for them. Feeding them was now, my priority. The one person I knew, that could give me the best advice was, Mamaw. So off to find her, I went. Dragging her by the hand, I led her to my new found turtles. "Look, at what I found! I'll take care of them, but I don't know what to feed turtles?" The next few minutes, my world crumbled around me. Mamaw took one look into the dishpan and asked me what I thought I was doing, picking up snapping turtles? "You take those turtles and put them back where you got them. They'll bite your fingers off!" Well, the turtles were probably very happy, but I was disappointed and confused. I had been sentenced to returning them to the woods. But, how was I to do that, when they would bite me if I picked them up? They hadn't bit me earlier. This was something to be figured out on the way. Mamaw stood there, watching me, until I was out of the gate and headed down the road. I arrived at the spot where I had found them. Now, afraid to touch them, all I could do was turn the pan over as they slide out onto the ground. I felt a responsibility for them now, thinking a car might come and run over them. So, I watched until they had crept onto the grass, headed for the water.

I didn't go back to the woods for awhile. The only friends I had found, couldn't play with me either.

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