Who: Calvin and Casey What: Remembrances of talking ducks, among other things Where: Fyre Island Animal Shelter When: Saturday afternoon, March 20th Rating: PG, probably
Calvin had always had a soft spot for cats, particularly kittens. It wasn't a very manly trait, but he didn't care. Kittens made him happy. And for that reason, Calvin found himself walking to the animal shelter on a warm Saturday afternoon after a brief workout at the rockclimbing gym. The mewls and barks of the animals met his ears as he stepped out from the sunny street, and Calvin couldn't help but smile. He felt a little bad for not calling Jac to have her come with him, but he was sure that if she'd come they'd be looking at puppies most of the time, and heaven help him if they found a bulldog, in which case there was no guarantee that even his reasoned arguments would stop her from trying to bring it home with them.
Following the sounds of meows, Calvin quickly found the kitten room, and immediately began smiling into the little crates, watching the tiny balls of fur sleep or play and sticking his fingers between the little slots to stroke their soft coats. Within a few minutes, though, just looking became impossible, and he cast about looking for a volunteer to open one of the cages. He'd do it himself, but he was pretty sure he was supposed to ask first, and Calvin had always been all about following rules. He didn't have to look very far to find Casey, his old babysitter, who was positioned at the main desk. He approached her, smiling broadly.
"Casey!" His eyes were bright with the prospect of holding a kitten. "Can I hold a kitten please?" Tilting his head slightly, he added, "and any talking ducks you might have." It was a joke he'd been making for years. When Casey took Calvin and his sister to the park to feed the ducks, she'd always told them what they were saying, complete with funny voices. Calvin had loved the game, and still hadn't forgotten, so he almost always mentioned it when he saw her at the animal shelter.