January 24

immediately, dozens of finches, chickadees, cardinals, sparrows, woodpeckers and blue jays dropped their living color onto the bright snow. The black cat watched the arrival of the birds with no other reaction than a tightening of her seven-toed paws on the woman’s shoulder.

It wasn’t that Audetta Faye denied the dilapidated condition of her surroundings or her own bizarre appearance or the unkind remarks of the Shenangotowners who referred to her as the “Looney Lady of Long View Road”.  She was totally unaware of these things.  It had been Jasper, her deceased husband, who’d turned their attractive cottage into a scrap pile despite Audetta’s best efforts to keep a clean house.  Over the tiring years, Jasper’s junk had grown to such massive proportions that at some preservational point, his wife had stopped fighting against it.  And then Audetta’s eyes no longer saw relentless ruin washing over her; instead her mind knew only fresh yellow buttercups, the valiant green of summer grass, crystalline frosts, soaring azure skies, whispering winds and raindrops beating in time with her own heart.

A human like Audetta Faye is beloved by animals.  She became “Lovey” to the neighbors who saw dozens of strays seeking a home with the old widow.  Women who spent hours making grocery lists, buying cosmetics and tending ungrateful children; men who worried about money, fought traffic and sweated over their shrubs and lawns—they all pitied Lovey and shook their heads over her appalling plight.  On them was lost the irony that if Audetta Faye had cast her lusterless eyes their way, she would have shuddered with dread.

Soon after her encounter with Lovey, Anne spent a restless night.  She was concerned about the eccentric old lady’s welfare. So it was that she and John, Patrick, and a phalanx of rowdy Nerdites mobilized the next day down Long View Road in Jake Cullin’s pickup and a couple other vehicles.

“No, thank you,” Lovey declined their offer of snow removal.  “It will melt into lovely tunnels for the chipmunks and voles, and we don’t want to miss that.”

Patrick, who’d been doubtful of even finding a driveway to shovel under all the trash, now wondered about Lovey’s lack of transportation.  “Do you need food or anything?  I mean, for the cats and all….” he trailed off, not wanting to offend.  Lovey watched the young people play around on the porch with some of her animals.

“Mr. Ottoson comes once a week to visit.  He always brings Reuben to see my friend, Gen.  Have you noticed his delightful glow?”

“Uh….not really,” Pat answered, not sure if she meant old Ottoson or his droopy hound.  He gave his brother a slightly alarmed look.

John had been surveying the rickety porch and awry front door.  “Do you have enough heat?”

“The Princess says ‘Underground heat rumbles’,” Lovey replied enigmatically. The seven-toed Princess, sitting regally at the old lady’s feet, allowed Anne to pet her silky head.