A Boy, A Pony and A Chinese Goose

Little Boys, a Pony and a Chinese Goose make quite a splash together.

Swim days with my four year old nephew, Aydan, are one of Life’s Little-Big Perks.

 

“Lela, watch me dive into the Pool !” Aydan exclaimed with joy atop the makeshift cinderblock and wooden plank diving board.

 

“You got it, Aydan ! Thank you for remembering to ask Permission to dive. Show me your special feet-first dive !”

 

Smiling from ear to ear, Aydan bent his knees and dramatically jumped feet first into his outdoor pool. He came up sputtering with eyes wide as dvd discs. “See, Lela, I did it ! I did it ! I did my Permission Dive feet-first. !”

 

I clapped loudly and declared, You sure did. You are such a Brave and Polite Young Man.”

Daniel, Aydan’s father, sat in one of the lounging chairs beneath the cool, shadowy shade of a large oak tree near the pool. “Hey, Lela, if you run in and make us all some iced tea, I’ll keep an eye on Aydan.”

 

“Alright, Aydan, I’ll be back out in a sec. Remember, only dive into your pool feet first, okay ? And ask your Daddy for Permission before you dive, alright ?”

 

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t break his neck while you’re gone, Lela. I swear, you women coddle that boy.”

 

“Daniel, if we were coddlers we’d never let him into the pool to begin with. There is a difference between coddling and prudent safety measures.”

 

Daniel grinned at me, “You’ve got me there. I promise not to take my eyes off of him, and to remind him to get Permission before he dives off of the board, while you make the tea.”

 

“Thanks,” I said as I opened up the screen door of mom’s front porch and disappeared into her cool house. “”Whew ! It’s sure hot outside. I’m drenched in sweat. Mom, are you coming out to watch Aydan swim ? He’s gotten pretty good about diving into his little pool feet first. He actually gets his head under water now.”

 

Mom looked up from her book. “Why, yes, I’d love to watch Aydan play in his swimming pool. Is Daniel with him ?”

 

“Yes ma’am. Daniel asked me to make some iced tea for everyone. It’s pretty hot out there, even under the shade.”

 

“Well, this is Texas, dear.”

 

I smiled mischievously at her, and said in my best exaggerated Southern drawl, “Yes Mama, and we all know that Southern Women don’t sweat, they just get politely dewy.”

 

“Lela ! Lela ! Aydan screamed. I could hear him through Mama’s kitchen window.

 

Mama and I both ran through the door of the front porch, and out toward the swimming pool, and Aydan’s screams.

 

Aydan was standing on his tippy toes atop his makeshift diving board with his hands and arms clenched tightly to his sides, staring and pointing down at his pool.

 

There in the middle of Aydan’s pool stood his pony, Rango, and Mama’s large Chinese Goose, Gussie. Rango was nonchalantly slurping up water from Aydan’s pool, while Gussie swam in circles around the pony, and under and through the pony’s short legs, flapping his wings occasionally and hollering challengingly, “Wheet ! Wheet !

 

“Lela ! Get them out ! Get them out !” Aydan yelled pointing at Slurping Rango and Wheeting Gussie. “I don’t want them in my pool. They did not ask Permission to get in.”

 

Daniel stood up and joined Mom and I. “I started to pick up that fallen tree limb, and chase them out of the pool, but I know how y’all spoil all of these animals. So, I decided to wait for y’all to come running out of the front door. And sure enough, you didn’t disappoint me. In fact, y’all got out here faster than I thought you would once Aydan stared yelling his head off.  Ha, ha !" 

 

“A tree limb !” I exclaimed in disbelief. “Now, that’s just a little bit of overkill, don’t you think, Daniel ? Let me handle this, please.”

 

I strode over to Aydan’s pool, and helped Aydan get down from his makeshift diving board. I smiled down at Aydan. “So, you don’t want to Share your pool with Rango and Gussie ?”

 

“No ! No ! They are too big ! Gussie will bite me ! Rango will kick me !

I want them out, Lela ! Get the stick, and make them get out !”

 

“Aydan, listen to me, Young Man. We do not need to use that ‘ole tree limb to get Rango and Gussie out of your pool. All we need are Our Voices. Now, please, do everything you see me do, Aydan.”

 

Alright now, hold your hands up high, and wave them up and down, up and down, just like aunt Lela’s doing. That’s good ! Now, I want you to use your Voice and yell as loud as you can while you’re waving your arms up and down. Now, follow me !”

 

With those directions already put into action, Aydan and I walked steadily toward the pool holding Rango and Gussie, yelling incomprehensible syllables as loudly as we could. Immediately Rango jumped out of the pool and bolted away. Gussie, with wings spread, awkwardly and stumblingly crawled out, and flew low across the field close behind the galloping and snorting pony, Rango.

 

We were all laughing at the frantic and cavorting antics of Rango and Gussie.

 

“Now see, Aydan. You didn’t need that ‘ole Stick to get Gussie and Rango out of your pool, did you ?”

 

“No, Lela.”

 

“What did you need, Aydan ?”

 

“My Boice ! (translation from Aydan Speak is - My Voice !)”

 

“That’s right, Young Man. You’re Boice ! (translation from Aydan speak

is - You’re Voice !)”

 

“I don’t know about y’all, but I’m ready for a stiff glass of iced tea,” I announced as I took Aydan’s small damp Hand into mine and headed for Mama’s House singing, “Zippety doo-dah, Zippety-Aye. My oh my, what a Wonderful Day…..”