The Creature

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VII

It was a cloudy day in the last week of October and I sat at the picnic table sipping a beer. The table was one of those low types with attached seats. It was under a medium sized tree near some low brush. Beside the table, about eight feet away was a pit and grill surrounded by log seats. Kong was to my left on the other side of the log seats scratching in the ground, probably for roots or grubs. I contemplated what to do about divulging Kong's existence and what was to be the future of the creature and our relationship. I couldn't keep him to myself very much longer and yet I hated to expose him to the world not of his own choosing. It was a feeling, as I recall, like I was about to double-cross an old and trusted friend although I had only been acquainted with him about six weeks up to that time.

As I remember the situation the air was warm even though the clouds cast an aura of gray over everything. A slight wind was blowing from Kong to me and I could detect his odor in the air. It was a mild form of damp dog and if I smelled it to this day I would be sure to recognize it again. There must be something primeval in the sense of smell since an odor once recognized is never forgotten. I guess that's what the perfume industry is based on. Well anyway, the perfume industry wouldn't have been interested in duplicating Kong's odor for it was a disgusting thing and I remember the fact that I was downwind from him on that particular day.

I heard a slight noise to my right and looked up to see an old gentleman approaching about ten feet away. He was dressed in a faded red shirt and what apparently once were dress trousers. He wore glasses, the rims of which seemed to hold up a straw hat. I shouted to Kong "STAY." Terror filled the eyes of the creature and he froze in his digging position. Kong was pretty good at freezing in place and he could hold a position for a long time almost without breathing.

The old man approached and put one foot on the table seat on the opposite side of the table. He made some familiar "how are yous" and the usual first friendly remarks. He stated that he was gathering mushrooms and that he didn't know that there was a cabin here. He displayed about half a chip basket of mushrooms, some of the edibility of which I doubted. He smoothed them over in front of me and picked up a few of the large ones and held them between us and made remarks about the ages of the mushrooms and how he cooked them and so forth along those lines. He stated that he and his dad had gathered berries and mushrooms on this property for years.

The old man went on to say that he had just suffered a long illness and was now allowed to go out alone and walk in the woods and gather berries and things. He had missed the berry season and about the only thing growing now was mushrooms. There were nuts but the butternut trees were all gone from this area and the hickory nut trees were all bitternut hickory and the walnuts were plentiful but they were more trouble than they were worth. Did I mind if he worked over my property and I assured him that it was all right. I worried that he might notice Kong and made plans for shifting my body around and would lead the old man down the road. He was so engrossed in looking into my face that I was certain that he wouldn't notice Kong.

The conversation went this way for about five minutes and then the old man spotted Kong, crouching and staring at him from his freeze position. The old man looked at Kong and then at me and laughed weakly, "heh, heh, heh." Then he shot his eyes from Kong to me and back again to Kong and then to me and gave a series of "heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh" which resembled a toned down woody woodpecker. I made no comment but looked at him while he continued this eye shifting from Kong to me and the nervous laughing. I really didn't know what to do, I didn't want to introduce Kong or tell the man anything at all and so I just pretended Kong wasn't there. Finally the old man removed his foot from the bench, picked up the mushroom basket which he had set on the table and started over to the road. His gait was halting and I expected him to fall down or something but he reached the road and moved down it swiftly without looking back.

I thought that this was the end of my secret Kong for the old man was sure to tell someone and they would come out to see the creature. Perhaps no one believes an old man's statements for no one ever came around to investigate. Then perhaps the old man never told anyone. He might have even had a heart attack before he had a chance to repeat his story. Maybe the mushrooms got him. I walked down to the property line to see if he made it all right and he wasn't anywhere around so I guess he got off okay. Then again maybe the old man's illness was mental and he did not wish to return to confinement. Anyway there was no evidence that the man had ever informed anyone about the encounter.

After I returned from the property line Kong was no where in sight. I assumed that he had moved away but after about ten minutes of my return to the table and well started on my second beer Kong came out through a tall stand of brush. He apparently was checking on the old man himself. I then went to the cabin and returned with two apples and handed them to Kong. He pushed them both into his mouth at once and chomped them around with the juices squirting out in all directions.

Had I not been there and told Kong to STAY I wonder if he would have been seen at all. The old man came from the same direction toward Kong as I was sitting and it was likely that Kong thought his footsteps were made by me. Kong was also upwind from us and if he was keen at detecting odors he would have had difficulty from his position. I had no knowledge of Kong's ability to detect odors except that he first came around when I was sweaty and unbathed. Also, we may have been taken by surprise for Kong's vigilance may have been relaxed with me around.

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