The Owoo and the Owt

Greetings. I’m Pellish. No, that’s not some rare skin condition or color, but what my under-schooled father who lived in a barn thought to call me the day after. I’m at a summer camp and I’m not complaining. Just a short trip from our farm keeps me from the chores. It’s day 2 and I’m next for the bobber cast competition. Simple enough, it’s a dry cast of a fishing bobber trying to sink a hole about 40 feet away. No need to fear the inevitable, I’m going to screw this up no doubt. I’m getting better but my eye hand coordination are still work in progress. If it wasn’t for my brother pushing me, I wouldn’t have let them shove me into the line. Jeremy is next, and I’m right behind him. He is just 5 years older but the smartest friend I feel I have. He’s as they say, I good kid. Constantly watching over me, finding reasons, (making excuses) for my bold ineptness, I’d like to think he takes after my mother. The only thing I can validate what my father passed on to me, is one leg is shorter than the other. It kept my father out of the military service and keeps me tripping as if my shoelaces were tied together in the most opportunist of moments to lead to ridicule.

“PEL, now pay attention”. Jeremy is trying to teach me something today…again. “All you gotta do is reach back and then just reach forward with a little flick of the wrist for the bobber to fly. Just watch how I do it. Don’t forget to extend your arm like this see. It’s all in the flick of the wrist or the bobber ain’t going nowhere.”

Jeremy always gave it to me straight. He was a total - do as I do, do as I say - kinda guy. Luckily no one really pulled either leg while Jeremy was around.

“PEL, wake up bud! Hold the reel like this. Don’t worry about it. Everyone is kinda messin’ this up anyways”. Pel whispers in my ear. “Just breathe you can close your eyes if you have ta.”

I’m a little anxious and all goes quiet. I gotta do this quick-sie-like. I reach back and then fling my arm forward. Yeah, umm…. no….what? Great! I find myself on the ground. What the heck happened?

Ok, now I hear people laughing. I look up and I see Jeremy’s hand reach out slowly and I almost hear what he’s saying,

“Pel you ok?”

“Yeah, I guess so”, I mumble out.

“Your hook got stuck on the branch above you when you pulled back. When you shot your hand forwards like, the branch pulled you back and you fell”.

“Of course it did. Figures.”

Jeremy dusts me off as the whistle blows for lunch.

That’s what happens to us cripplies that hobble around. No one is expecting me to get it right, but at least he tried they say. “Good job Pel”, Camp Director Mr. Meck blurts out.

“Seriously” as I turn and share with Jeremy.

“No biggie Pel. I’m starving…let’s go get some chocolate pudding.”

I remember the nights were nice. Peace and quiet, no one to talk to even though I could hear a few kids in the other tents. Some wood still cracking on a few fires that were dying out. Soon after it would be just the wind and the trees swaying back and forth. Just the night sky, slow whooshes and a distant hoot I just noticed.

Next morning. “COFFEE!” Camp instructors would yell out to their 5-man units for breakfast and the daily itinerary check.

I turn on my side in my cot. “Hey Jer” Did you hear that ow-oo last night. I don’t remember us having him last year”?

“The what? Or for Pete’s sake…. OW-WALL” Jeremy responds. Try to say it slowly Pel”. I respond. “OW-WOO”. Darn it OWWWW-WOOOO!

I guess this would be a good time to mention my speech impediment along with my shorty foot flaw.

“OW-WALLLLL”. “OW-WOOOOO”. “OW-WALLLLL”. “OW-OOOO”

“Oh just forget it,” Jeremy sighs. I know what you mean. It will all work itself out as you get older.”

Yes, Jeremy is my best friend.

The day moved on with more silly games by the crik. Oops, I mean creek, and boy, that water was cold.

“Pel, you can sit this one out. We’re just looking for slimy snails by the rocks. You can have my pail. I think I might do a team pairing up if. You know what I mean”, Jeremy motions to girl behind him.

“Got it buddy, I’m just going to walk down the bank a ways and collect some rocks”, as I replied with a thumbs up. Yep, I was that kid fascinated with rocks, bottle caps, matchboxes, whatever. I think I get this from my mother. Or so my father says.

“That woman would scream at a new stamp. Why that silly woman would get a thrill over a few pennies spent on squares of paper, I will never know.”

Walking down the path, I wish I had met my mother. It was her or me those 10 years ago and my momma was always known as the giving kind. She might have given a little too much for Jeremy to have company. This was something my Father would get stuck on, but it didn’t bug me too much anymore. Jeremy insisted it would all work itself out as I get older.

I can still hear kids laughing and whistles blowing as I walk down the bank and turn into the forest. I should collect some dry twigs for our campfire. Maybe this will redeem my value for my team from the bobber fiasco yesterday. I remember walking stepping on old pine needles when I come up to dark heavy tree. Picking rocks, I reach for a smooth rock but discover it is half an eggshell. This is pretty big and as I crawl around closer, I see the other half under some leaves with a few shards scattered close. The dirt is dark underneath the pieces and I can tell these spots are wet. I think this egg must have just fallen! Oh no. I look at the thick branches and can only imagine it must have fallen from ways above.

“HEY PEL” Wha’ cha got there”?

It’s Jeremy, and like a good brother, he comes to check on me.

“I don’t know”, I answer. “You think it a snake egg or a bird‘s?” I ask.

Jeremy kneels down, “Yeah, could be a snake, but usually there are more and buried. I think it’s bird-- maybe a hawk or owl.”

“Maybe it belongs to the lady ow-woo I hear at night.” I reply.

“OW-WALL”, Jeremy shouts back and laughs. “Come-on, that could be nasty germy, just leave it alone. It belongs to the big forest now. Time for lunch.”

I get up and look back, “Yeah, I’m sure momma ow-woo laid some more eggs up there.” I hope.

That night I just look up at the stars from our campfire. Everyone was talking but I could hear the owl hooting from the forest. Others noticed too, but I am bothered a bit with my earlier discovery.

The following day was the last day. It was 3-day camp and a plan for a big pow-wow dinner that evening, but I was stuck on this ow-woo for some reason. During the day I sneaked away to check on the scene of the crime. The two eggshells were still there. I couldn’t leave it alone in a grimy disarray, so I ran back to my tent and grabbed my backpack with my weak rock collection. Running back, I also had this short shovel in our kit, and this might have been the first time I was going to use it. I knelt down and started to dig up a short spot. I picked up the shell really slowly as not to break the shell anymore. It was a thick shell and could understand why some of these ow-woos were so big. I placed all the shells I could find into the ground, I covered them up and then I took my rocks out to build a circle around the dirt mound.

At this moment, Jeremy surprises me as he walks up.

‘Hey Pel”, wha’ cha up to?” He asks. I dunno, I think I should maybe do something special. Do you think I’m being stupid again?”

Jeremy pauses and continues, “Pel, you always gotta do what’s in your heart. Momma always told me that. Let’s finish it up.

I have an idea. You got your canteen in your pack?”

I reply, “Yep, filled with water too!”

“Perfect” as he kneels down next to me. Let’s pour some water over this mound of dirt and then we can say a few words.

We poured some water on the dirt to make it a bit muddy. He then placed his open hand on top and pushed down to make an impression, then he asked me to do it too.

Pel continues, “Now you have to say something when your push your hand down too. You found your Ow-woo and now you have to say good-bye.”

I looked at him and once again, got a little nervous while I figured out a special good-bye.

Suddenly before I said anything I hear, “Hey Jeremy’ Come on, we got ourselves some firecrackers!”

Jeremy looks at me. “You ok Pel? I don’t have to hear what you want to say. Just speak from your heart. You will come up with something if you’re honest.”

“Thanks Jer, I’ll catch up to you for dinner.”

Jeremy turns and thanks me. Something about someone he met called Milly.

Dinner was great and afterward the leaders put on the camp play. This time it’s about a bear and her cubs baking cupcakes. So silly, but it put everyone in a good mood before lights out.

Late night and unable to sleep, I was still thinking about my little tribute circle. I got out of my cot and started to crawl out when Jeremy asks where I was going.

“Shhh. I was just going to make sure my ow-woo spot looked okay. I won’t have a chance tomorrow to check.”

Jeremy sighed, “Hold on, I’ll come with you, don’t need any bear chasing you down for a midnight snack”.

“Ha”, I had to cover my mouth while I giggled.

We walked into the forest for about a minute with our little flashlight. “I’m feeling kinda cold out here Pel. You okay? I’ll give you some space to finish your business but I’ll leave the flashlight with you so you can find your way back. I can see the camp from here with the one camp light by the flag. Don’t take too long.”

I can see him walking away, crunching his way on dead leaves toward camp as I turn back to my spot. It didn’t seem that cold to me and with the flashlight off, the blue tint of the moon offered me the dramatic illumination. I take a deep breath as I placed my hand down over Jeremy’s handprint. In the silence, I suddenly hear the ow-woos’s hoot loud from behind. Slowly I turned my head around and I searched the trees until I saw the dark silhouette of the massive ow-woo perched on a large branch. I don’t know what I did to make the ow-woo spread its huge wings and launched itself forward. I was terrified as I can see momma ow-woo getting closer. I freeze and close my eyes. I felt my hair move as she passes overhead. I open my eyes and I see her fly away to the other side and u-turn ‘round a tree. Here she comes again, and I remain frozen with my hands on my head. I hear the heavy wing flap. Once, twice and I feel the rough knuckles on his feet barely touch the back of my hands on my head. I open my eyes and see her fly away. I didn’t do anything, please don’t hurt me. But now she starts to fly in a huge circle around my ground. She’s in perfect flight with wings outstretched perpendicular to the ground as her black silhouette glides through the trees. Flying as if she was on the outer rail of a merry-go-round. She cuts through the forest without touching anything-once, twice, three times and on the fourth she turned upward into the night and disappeared. I just put my head down with the silence and began to cry. Honestly, I am confused but seems this is the only thing to do. I smelled the air, felt the breeze and looked down on my tribute. As I rubbed my eyes and tears. I life my head and once again I see these dark black silhouettes moving slower and milling about. I need to accept this moment was over, I have to stand up and leave. In end, my ow-woo had transformed into my owt. Jeremy would have laughed and that one for sure. It always works itself out Pel. He would’ve laughed and accepted that for what it was from me. I’m sure of it. But he was gone. He had become my owt. Thank you for everything Jer, my best friend, the service seems to be ending soon, and I miss you already.