#11

All week Ms. Kathy Bigfoot and her husband, Burt, have been expecting a visit from her brother, Max. They have cleaned the house, tidied the spare bedroom and worked out a menu for a very special late evening supper. Max’s visit, however, had caused big trouble between Kathy and Burt. Why? Well, for some reason that even Burt could not explain, he didn’t like Max very much.

     The whole week long, the married pair discussed Max. Kathy’s brother seldom was a topic of conversation around this happy bigfoot family home. As far as Burt was concerned the topic was becoming stale. He enjoyed talking to his wife. Max just ruined that enjoyment.

     Oh, Max was a good looking bigfoot all right. Perhaps that was it, Burt often told himself, and maybe he was simply jealous of Max. But, Burt felt he, himself, was no slouch; so, how could jealousy be the reason he didn’t like Max.

      A raven had been delivering messages to Kathy and Burt from Max. Each time the raven came with a message, Max’s visit was becoming shorter and shorter. He wouldn’t be staying long. He would not be staying overnight in the just cleaned spare bedroom. Kathy groaned over all the work she’d put into the room getting it ready. But still her sister’s heart yearned to see her brother, and so she quickly forgot about the hard work.

     And now the raven was saying Max may not even stay for a meal. Kathy cried a few tears as she thought of all the time she’d spent planning a meal that her brother would love. And not to mention the time Burt had spent searching several paved roads for road kill. “Oh my, Oh my,” Kathy said out loud. Her husband heard and lumbered to his wife’s side.

     “What is it Red?” (Red is Burt’s pet name for his wife, because her hair is a beautiful auburn color.)

    
     She sniffed hard and raised her hairy bigfoot chin to look into her husband’s big black bigfoot eyes. “I’m worn out for all the planning and work I’ve done. And you’ve done,” she quickly added.

    
     “I know. I know,” he said while patting her shoulder. He was finding himself even more upset  with his brother-in-law.

     The raven again delivered a message from Max. He could only stop for a few minutes. And he wouldn’t do that if he didn’t have in his possession a squirrel he’d found on Route 4. And he’d hollowed out the squirrel and filled it with fat plump blackberries. He had to drop them off or they’d go to waste.

     When Burt heard this news he snorted and said to himself very naughty words that he never said aloud when his wife was near.

    

     The raven couldn’t tell the couple exactly when they could expect Max. He could tell them only where he was when the raven last spoke to him. So the couple tried to forget about the visit and go about their everyday affairs with as much joy as they could work up.

     Since the spare bedroom was spic and span and the fixings for a great bigfoot meal were at hand, Kathy decided to invite bubbly Ms. Sparkles to spend the night and enjoy a small feast. Ms. Sparkles accepted the invitation, and happily so.

     Just as the three were enjoying their fine supper on the back deck, Max announced himself by bellowing long and loud on the front steps of the little forest home. This had always been Max’s way of beginning a visit.

     Ms. Kathy Bigfoot’s hand flew to her heart and she raced through the house to greet her brother. Indeed, Max simply handed the round blackberry stuffed squirrel to his sister and whispered into her ear the explanation for his not being able to spend the night and enjoy a meal with his sister.  He whispered because peering now over Kathy’s shoulder was his brother-in-law, straining to hear what the brother and sister were saying. Max liked Burt, but was a little embarrassed for him to hear what he had to say to Kathy.

     Kathy, hand to heart, walked with her husband back to where Ms. Sparkles sipped daintily, blackberry tea. Once settled at the table, she related why her brother couldn’t stay for a visit.  “Burt, Ms. Sparkles, my brother is on his way as fast as he can go because his wife in north county at Baker Creek has just given birth to three babes, two boys and a girl. And, as you could easily guess, his wife is feeling weakly, but so very much wants him at her side to name the new children.”

     Burt pursed his bigfoot lips and nodded approval. Ms. Sparkles clapped her hands excitedly. And the remainder of Ms. Sparkles visit was spent talking about the new bigfoot family. Disappointment had turned to happiness. And now Burt and Kathy Bigfoot were planning a visit of their own to see the two nephews and niece. 

The End