Angie
Part 8
Story by Mr. K aka ‘delphinic’
I stared straight ahead, even though “Mary” had long gone out of my eyesight. The color drained from my face and I began to feel woozy. The sight of the dolphin’s underside was burned into my retinas.
“Cameron, are you okay?” My mom tried in vain to rouse me from my spell. Things got grey and I fell forward, headfirst into the person ahead of me.
I woke up with worried faces surrounding me. My mom pushed them back. I think I just fainted for a few seconds.
“Give him some space, he’s diabetic! This could be serious!” Then she leaned back down to me. “Cameron, are you okay? Did you check your blood sugar before you came?”
Of course I had, and it was fine, but I acted as that was it, to avoid suspicion to why I fainted after “Mary” appeared. “It was a little low. I think we moved to fast.”
“Here, you can have my soda.” Mom grabbed her coke and shoved the straw into my mouth. I drank, not feeling at all better.
I sat up and had to face the tank again. The trainer, realizing that the scene was over and she had to move on, transited the audience back into the show.
“Well, sir, I see that you seem to be enjoying yourself!” The crowd laughed heartily. I just stared forward, at “Mary” as she swam back and forth through her tiny pool, waiting for the show to end.
Suddenly, I saw the dolphin catch my gaze, and I felt an echolocation hit me. The people around me looked at each other, wondering what the odd sensation was, but they kept their brains toward the action. The dolphin squealed low, sad, yet somewhat welcoming. The crowd ignored this, since all the dolphins were chatty today, but I could only hear Angie’s squeal out of all the sounds.
The show dragged on, Angie keeping her gaze on me (sometimes having the trainer shout for her when she wasn’t paying attention) and I kept my eye on her. She performed the tricks but didn’t bother to beg for fish. With each jump, I could feel her die a little inside. That may sound dramatic, but it was a bad time for both of us.
Eventually, the show ended, and the crowd scattered.
“Cam, are you sure you’re okay? Do you want me to drive you home?”
Still looking toward the tank, I answered, “No thanks, I have my car. I’ll see you soon.”
Without another word, my mother left.
I sat there, my jaw gaping on my pale face. Angie swam back and forth, watching me.
I broke out of my awe and stood up. Angie, seeing I was moving, stopped and waited, facing the glass wall. I stumbled down the steps and up to where she was floating. Still we kept our gaze.
“How’d you get in here, girl?” I asked, not wanting to know the answer.
Angie whistled lowly, her eyes no longer shimmering.
“I’ve got to get you out. This is torture…” The dolphin and I kissed the glass, separated by 4 inches that felt like a light-year.
We held the pose until I was suddenly tapped on the shoulder. I spun around and saw a security guard.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you not to tease the dolphins.”
I almost socked him, but merely nodded. “I’ll show you the exit. If you want to stay for the next show, you’ll have to purchase another ticket.” His massive hand grabbed my arm and he led me out. Angie followed us, trying in vain to coax me back to her. Close to the door, I saw a Help Wanted sign. Something sparked.
“Excuse me,” I said to the security guard, “I’d like to apply for a position here.”
The guard gave a smug smile. “Work here so you can tease those poor dolphins without getting kicked out? Yeah right…”
‘Poor dolphins’ me? They were the ones who put them in a pool and made them perform every day.
“I’m serious!” I insisted, as he pushed me past, “I wanted to work here. I just wanted to get to know some of the dolphins first. Just let me apply, please?”
The guard hesitantly dropped his hand from my shoulder. With a sigh, he pointed toward a door, most likely leading to the office. He followed me inside.
The room was small, with a single desk and a few file cabinets. On one side of the wall were pool supplies, and a freezer. Behind the desk sat a large man, slightly balding at the top.
“Who is this?” He inquired, in a northern accent.
“I caught this sleaze outside, teasing one of the dolphins. He said he wanted to apply for a job here.”
The man turned to me and raised an eyebrow. “Why were you teasing the dolphins, son?”
“I wasn’t. I was walking by and one swam up to me. I was just getting a closer look. I was thinking about applying here and wanted to get to know at least one dolphin before I applied.”
A door to the pool opened, and the trainer stepped in. She looked from the man, then the security guard, and then to me.
“Hey, weren’t you that guy who fainted during the show?” She asked me.
I nodded, and saw her eyes grow a little wider. She couldn’t have been any older than I was.
“What happened? I thought you were going to have a seizure.”
“I’m diabetic,” that was my only true statement up until then. “I didn’t have anything sweet.”
“Ok, so you want to apply for a job? What’s your name, son?”
“Cameron Anderson”
Everyone’s jaws dropped.
“Cameron Anderson? Wasn’t your dad an oil tycoon?”
“Yes, I guess so.” I didn’t get it. So my dad was in the oil business, I was your average person.
“That’s something you don’t see everyday. A rich kid teasing dolphins and then wanting to be a trainer. You ever studied dolphins, young man?”
“I did some cetacean study in college.” I replied, actually telling the truth. This was an awkward moment for me. Why should it make a difference if I’m rich?
“Well,” The man behind the desk said, shifting in his seat, “I suppose I could give you a chance. You can grab an application on the way out. First, Carol here will show you the dolphins.” He nodded his head to the redheaded trainer, who promptly shook my hand.
“I hope you make it here. You look like a trainer anyway.”
Right, like I was some overexcited trainer throwing fish into gaping dolphin jaws. I was just desperate to see Angie.
“Right this way, Cameron. I hope the dolphins like you.”
She led me out of the side door and up a small flight of stair to the pool.
“I’m sorry, but the other dolphins are currently in the enclosure.” Carol said, shaking her head disappointedly, “I’m sure some of them would love to meet you.”
Suddenly, I felt a familiar buzz run through my body.
“Did you feel that? You know, you’re the first person I’ve seen who hasn’t freaked out when they were hit by an echolocation.” Her words were followed by a familiar happy whistle, and a splash from outside of the enclosure. A silvery-grey figure zoomed upwards and broke the surface, emitting a vapor of water in a powerful chuff. Sitting there, her head above water was Angie.
“This is Mary. Go ahead, pet her. She seems to like it.” Carol told me, noticing I was just staring wide-eyed at her. I was astonished to see Angie sitting this close, after the long period of separation. I kneeled down and began to stroke her rostrum. Angie’s jaws gapped, remembering how much she liked my touch, and began to roll on her side. She was excited and I was too, but something was still missing.
“Wow, Mary really likes you. Usually she was stubborn but you brought out her good side.”
‘You don’t know the half of it‘, I whispered under my breath.
Angie was now on her back, flashing the scar that had been on my mind these past months.
“I’m amazed. NO ONE so far has kept a straight face when she flashes her scar like that. That’s how we gave her the name, because of Virgin Mary.”
I was hit head-on by the irony.
“Angie…” I whispered, still too amazed. The dolphin turned her head to look at me, and I saw her eyes twinkle again. She hadn’t heard that name in a few months.
“What?” Carol overheard my feeble attempt to whisper. I sighed, still rubbing Angie, and began to speak again.
“This dolphin lived off the coast of my island. I recognize her from the scar, and I had gotten to know her well enough during my last stay. She was a wild dolphin but she must have been captured. That‘s how she knows me, and I call her Angie, okay?” Carol’s eyes widened. That was an easy way to sum up my story without getting too personal.
“You knew her, and she was a wild dolphin? Maybe that’s why she’s so ornery. Well, don’t point the finger at us; she was transferred here from another aquarium. Lucky you! Getting to know a wild dolphin is like my dream!”
I closed my eyes. Something about her attitude made me realize I had to help Angie. I stood up and looked Carol right in the face.
“Carol, if you put in a good word for me and get me hired, I can tell you more. You can get to know her, but you HAVE to get me this job! Please, Carol!”
The woman’s smile faded. She looked at me a little strange, but nodded slowly.
“Alright, I’ll put in a good word. You can stay out here and I’ll talk to the boss.”
I felt like I had just sold my soul to the devil. Carol went back down the stairs and into the office. I turned back around, watching Angie as she sat there, waiting for more attention.
“Angie…” I said softly, as I walked toward her.
She trilled and looked up at me. This wasn’t right for a wild dolphin to be in the tank. She was still her wild self, hitting me hard that she kept her promise to me not to lose that.
“Oh, Angie…” I whispered, holding back sobs. I sat down on my knees and buried my head in my hands, sobbing dryly yet again. Angie gently nibbled my fingers as I cried.
I got the job. Carol put in a good word and I was rewarded by working around Angie. The security guard was in awe over himself. “Wow, I never would have thought I could talk like that to an heir! I sure got some guts.”
I become even more depressed, but at least I got to be around Angie. When we were at the island, we were free to do whatever we wanted and didn’t have to worry about other dolphins or the area to swim in. Now, I had to watch out for Carol and other dolphins, so any PDA, so to speak, was off limits. Carol stopped me from giving Angie or any of the other dolphins belly rubs; because she said that it put them ‘in the mood’. I began to realize that was probably why Angie became attracted to me. Then I told myself I was being foolish and realized that if that was the case she would have been like that since the first belly rub. It seemed more logical that it was because she was lonely, and sensed I was too. I was a male, she was female, and I had filled in her loneliness, so she was filling in the gaps.
Carol was a lifesaver during that time. I was able to tell her about what we had done, but left out the sex acts since I didn’t think she would be the best person to talk about that with. She kept all the things secret and after some time Angie seemed to like her too, yet not the same way as she did for me.
I never really got to know the other dolphins, since Angie wouldn’t let them near me. If they swam up close she’d dart in front of them or would slap her tail on the water. Once she even bit a young male. I scolded her not to do that but truthfully didn’t care if she did or not. I seemed to become Angie’s personal trainer, but since Carol was the only one there, she’d train the other dolphins and I’d act like I was training Angie. Carol actually was smoke screening me from the boss so I could talk with Angie.
I had to perform shows. While Carol would make the other dolphins do tricks, I’d always end up with Angie. She did the tricks she was supposed to do, since Angie and I both knew I’d be fired if she didn’t. Sometimes, during a performance, I would accidentally call Angie by her name instead of her stage name, which made some people confused. Keeping the sickly attitude of trainers, I would announce I must have let something slip and this ‘Angie’ was a girlfriend of mine and I was thinking about her. The crowd bought this mushy lie.
It was fine for at least 6 months. I got to be around Angie, talk to Carol, and things seemed great. Then, one day, I heard some bad news from our boss.
I was playing catch with Angie when Carol came out. She looked pale and worried.
“Cam, I have bad news. The boss wants to see you.”
I smiled a little, “What’s going on? This wouldn’t be the first time.”
She shook her head. “Please, don’t joke around. This is bad. It’s about Angie.”
Angie, swimming back and forth through the water, cocked her head at the sound of her name.
“What’s going on?” I asked, trying not to jump to conclusions.
Carol bit her lip, “Cam, just remember one thing. He loves money, and doesn’t quite care for the dolphins.”
My eyes widened. Was she implying what I think she was? I looked down at Angie, still swimming back and forth.
I burst into the boss’s office.
“Ah, there you are, Cameron. Please, have a seat.” He motioned for the chair, but I stood by the door.
“Oh, alright. Suit yourself. Now, Cam, I’ve been noticing that you have grown quite attached to Mary. So this isn’t the easiest thing to say…”
“Christ, just say it. You’re selling her, aren’t you?”
He looked down at his desk and avoided my eyes. “Yes, Cameron, I am. I found an aquarium farther north that would treat her better than we could here. You see, with the budget we have it’s hard to look after her, and she’s always been so ornery to the other dolphins. I think that at the aquarium she could develop social skills and they’re paying a lot for her. Don’t get me wrong, she’s the best performer we’ve had here, and I feel reluctant to be selling her, but sometimes things just don’t work out.”
I saw through him like the tank walls. He just wanted to make some money.
“You can’t do that. She likes it here, I can tell. Try spending 8 hours around her every day. The only reason why she was so ornery was because she’s wild, and you have her locked up.”
The boss looked up, anger starting to show on his face.
“Wait a minute, that’s none of yours or mine’s business! She was caught in a fishing net and was taken to an aquarium. After she recovered they thought she was too domestic and transferred her here. How would you know if she was wild?”
“She lived off the coast of my island! I met her there. I only wanted to become one of your’big family’ to be around her.”
His face began to get red. “Look, you have no right talking to me like this. She belongs in a safe and comfortable environment.”
“There’s plenty of that, you moron. It covers most of the planet!”
“If you cared for her, you’d want her to be happy.”
“If you didn‘t see her as just another show-dog, you’d put her back in her habitat!” I stormed out.
Carol was waiting for me, right at the pool. She had been watching the whole thing and knew that I wasn’t reacting the same as she was. She looked away as I came up.
“I can’t believe it.” I said, mostly thinking out loud, “I just can’t.”
She looked back up at me. “Cam, I know you want her back in the ocean, but she has been away for a long time. The ocean is too dangerous for her when she’s become dependent on humans for too long.”
Angie, behind her, let out a squeal in protest.
“You see? She’s just as wild as she’s always been. Believe me, I’ve known her long enough.”
Carol looked away again. She knew that, but didn’t want to argue with the boss. We both knew that my outburst had gotten me fired. I didn’t care if I had the job or not, but I realized that I couldn’t be around Angie if she was to be moved. I looked down at her sad eyes. She seemed to know what was going on and obviously didn’t want to leave me. I looked up at Carol, avoiding the stinging pain of Angie’s sorry eyes.
“Carol, when is Angie getting transferred?”
“He said they’d be here tomorrow. I just didn’t want to tell you.”
“I think I’d like to set up an all-nighter.” This was something trainers could do if they needed to cram in training for the dolphins. The security guards would stay away and the trainer had the tank area to themselves. This would be the perfect time to spend my last hours with Angie.
“I suppose I could set one up for me and let you use the time. I doubt the boss would let you do an all-nighter after your outburst. I’ll set one up and you act like your staying late. After he leaves I’ll leave too. You can spend tonight saying goodbye to Angie.”
I smiled, amazed at how quick she had worked this out. I agreed and we went back to work.
Though the all-nighter would end with Angie being taken away and me getting fired, I’d be able to say my final goodbyes, and finish what we had planned to do before she was captured.
Part 8
Story by Mr. K aka ‘delphinic’
I stared straight ahead, even though “Mary” had long gone out of my eyesight. The color drained from my face and I began to feel woozy. The sight of the dolphin’s underside was burned into my retinas.
“Cameron, are you okay?” My mom tried in vain to rouse me from my spell. Things got grey and I fell forward, headfirst into the person ahead of me.
I woke up with worried faces surrounding me. My mom pushed them back. I think I just fainted for a few seconds.
“Give him some space, he’s diabetic! This could be serious!” Then she leaned back down to me. “Cameron, are you okay? Did you check your blood sugar before you came?”
Of course I had, and it was fine, but I acted as that was it, to avoid suspicion to why I fainted after “Mary” appeared. “It was a little low. I think we moved to fast.”
“Here, you can have my soda.” Mom grabbed her coke and shoved the straw into my mouth. I drank, not feeling at all better.
I sat up and had to face the tank again. The trainer, realizing that the scene was over and she had to move on, transited the audience back into the show.
“Well, sir, I see that you seem to be enjoying yourself!” The crowd laughed heartily. I just stared forward, at “Mary” as she swam back and forth through her tiny pool, waiting for the show to end.
Suddenly, I saw the dolphin catch my gaze, and I felt an echolocation hit me. The people around me looked at each other, wondering what the odd sensation was, but they kept their brains toward the action. The dolphin squealed low, sad, yet somewhat welcoming. The crowd ignored this, since all the dolphins were chatty today, but I could only hear Angie’s squeal out of all the sounds.
The show dragged on, Angie keeping her gaze on me (sometimes having the trainer shout for her when she wasn’t paying attention) and I kept my eye on her. She performed the tricks but didn’t bother to beg for fish. With each jump, I could feel her die a little inside. That may sound dramatic, but it was a bad time for both of us.
Eventually, the show ended, and the crowd scattered.
“Cam, are you sure you’re okay? Do you want me to drive you home?”
Still looking toward the tank, I answered, “No thanks, I have my car. I’ll see you soon.”
Without another word, my mother left.
I sat there, my jaw gaping on my pale face. Angie swam back and forth, watching me.
I broke out of my awe and stood up. Angie, seeing I was moving, stopped and waited, facing the glass wall. I stumbled down the steps and up to where she was floating. Still we kept our gaze.
“How’d you get in here, girl?” I asked, not wanting to know the answer.
Angie whistled lowly, her eyes no longer shimmering.
“I’ve got to get you out. This is torture…” The dolphin and I kissed the glass, separated by 4 inches that felt like a light-year.
We held the pose until I was suddenly tapped on the shoulder. I spun around and saw a security guard.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you not to tease the dolphins.”
I almost socked him, but merely nodded. “I’ll show you the exit. If you want to stay for the next show, you’ll have to purchase another ticket.” His massive hand grabbed my arm and he led me out. Angie followed us, trying in vain to coax me back to her. Close to the door, I saw a Help Wanted sign. Something sparked.
“Excuse me,” I said to the security guard, “I’d like to apply for a position here.”
The guard gave a smug smile. “Work here so you can tease those poor dolphins without getting kicked out? Yeah right…”
‘Poor dolphins’ me? They were the ones who put them in a pool and made them perform every day.
“I’m serious!” I insisted, as he pushed me past, “I wanted to work here. I just wanted to get to know some of the dolphins first. Just let me apply, please?”
The guard hesitantly dropped his hand from my shoulder. With a sigh, he pointed toward a door, most likely leading to the office. He followed me inside.
The room was small, with a single desk and a few file cabinets. On one side of the wall were pool supplies, and a freezer. Behind the desk sat a large man, slightly balding at the top.
“Who is this?” He inquired, in a northern accent.
“I caught this sleaze outside, teasing one of the dolphins. He said he wanted to apply for a job here.”
The man turned to me and raised an eyebrow. “Why were you teasing the dolphins, son?”
“I wasn’t. I was walking by and one swam up to me. I was just getting a closer look. I was thinking about applying here and wanted to get to know at least one dolphin before I applied.”
A door to the pool opened, and the trainer stepped in. She looked from the man, then the security guard, and then to me.
“Hey, weren’t you that guy who fainted during the show?” She asked me.
I nodded, and saw her eyes grow a little wider. She couldn’t have been any older than I was.
“What happened? I thought you were going to have a seizure.”
“I’m diabetic,” that was my only true statement up until then. “I didn’t have anything sweet.”
“Ok, so you want to apply for a job? What’s your name, son?”
“Cameron Anderson”
Everyone’s jaws dropped.
“Cameron Anderson? Wasn’t your dad an oil tycoon?”
“Yes, I guess so.” I didn’t get it. So my dad was in the oil business, I was your average person.
“That’s something you don’t see everyday. A rich kid teasing dolphins and then wanting to be a trainer. You ever studied dolphins, young man?”
“I did some cetacean study in college.” I replied, actually telling the truth. This was an awkward moment for me. Why should it make a difference if I’m rich?
“Well,” The man behind the desk said, shifting in his seat, “I suppose I could give you a chance. You can grab an application on the way out. First, Carol here will show you the dolphins.” He nodded his head to the redheaded trainer, who promptly shook my hand.
“I hope you make it here. You look like a trainer anyway.”
Right, like I was some overexcited trainer throwing fish into gaping dolphin jaws. I was just desperate to see Angie.
“Right this way, Cameron. I hope the dolphins like you.”
She led me out of the side door and up a small flight of stair to the pool.
“I’m sorry, but the other dolphins are currently in the enclosure.” Carol said, shaking her head disappointedly, “I’m sure some of them would love to meet you.”
Suddenly, I felt a familiar buzz run through my body.
“Did you feel that? You know, you’re the first person I’ve seen who hasn’t freaked out when they were hit by an echolocation.” Her words were followed by a familiar happy whistle, and a splash from outside of the enclosure. A silvery-grey figure zoomed upwards and broke the surface, emitting a vapor of water in a powerful chuff. Sitting there, her head above water was Angie.
“This is Mary. Go ahead, pet her. She seems to like it.” Carol told me, noticing I was just staring wide-eyed at her. I was astonished to see Angie sitting this close, after the long period of separation. I kneeled down and began to stroke her rostrum. Angie’s jaws gapped, remembering how much she liked my touch, and began to roll on her side. She was excited and I was too, but something was still missing.
“Wow, Mary really likes you. Usually she was stubborn but you brought out her good side.”
‘You don’t know the half of it‘, I whispered under my breath.
Angie was now on her back, flashing the scar that had been on my mind these past months.
“I’m amazed. NO ONE so far has kept a straight face when she flashes her scar like that. That’s how we gave her the name, because of Virgin Mary.”
I was hit head-on by the irony.
“Angie…” I whispered, still too amazed. The dolphin turned her head to look at me, and I saw her eyes twinkle again. She hadn’t heard that name in a few months.
“What?” Carol overheard my feeble attempt to whisper. I sighed, still rubbing Angie, and began to speak again.
“This dolphin lived off the coast of my island. I recognize her from the scar, and I had gotten to know her well enough during my last stay. She was a wild dolphin but she must have been captured. That‘s how she knows me, and I call her Angie, okay?” Carol’s eyes widened. That was an easy way to sum up my story without getting too personal.
“You knew her, and she was a wild dolphin? Maybe that’s why she’s so ornery. Well, don’t point the finger at us; she was transferred here from another aquarium. Lucky you! Getting to know a wild dolphin is like my dream!”
I closed my eyes. Something about her attitude made me realize I had to help Angie. I stood up and looked Carol right in the face.
“Carol, if you put in a good word for me and get me hired, I can tell you more. You can get to know her, but you HAVE to get me this job! Please, Carol!”
The woman’s smile faded. She looked at me a little strange, but nodded slowly.
“Alright, I’ll put in a good word. You can stay out here and I’ll talk to the boss.”
I felt like I had just sold my soul to the devil. Carol went back down the stairs and into the office. I turned back around, watching Angie as she sat there, waiting for more attention.
“Angie…” I said softly, as I walked toward her.
She trilled and looked up at me. This wasn’t right for a wild dolphin to be in the tank. She was still her wild self, hitting me hard that she kept her promise to me not to lose that.
“Oh, Angie…” I whispered, holding back sobs. I sat down on my knees and buried my head in my hands, sobbing dryly yet again. Angie gently nibbled my fingers as I cried.
I got the job. Carol put in a good word and I was rewarded by working around Angie. The security guard was in awe over himself. “Wow, I never would have thought I could talk like that to an heir! I sure got some guts.”
I become even more depressed, but at least I got to be around Angie. When we were at the island, we were free to do whatever we wanted and didn’t have to worry about other dolphins or the area to swim in. Now, I had to watch out for Carol and other dolphins, so any PDA, so to speak, was off limits. Carol stopped me from giving Angie or any of the other dolphins belly rubs; because she said that it put them ‘in the mood’. I began to realize that was probably why Angie became attracted to me. Then I told myself I was being foolish and realized that if that was the case she would have been like that since the first belly rub. It seemed more logical that it was because she was lonely, and sensed I was too. I was a male, she was female, and I had filled in her loneliness, so she was filling in the gaps.
Carol was a lifesaver during that time. I was able to tell her about what we had done, but left out the sex acts since I didn’t think she would be the best person to talk about that with. She kept all the things secret and after some time Angie seemed to like her too, yet not the same way as she did for me.
I never really got to know the other dolphins, since Angie wouldn’t let them near me. If they swam up close she’d dart in front of them or would slap her tail on the water. Once she even bit a young male. I scolded her not to do that but truthfully didn’t care if she did or not. I seemed to become Angie’s personal trainer, but since Carol was the only one there, she’d train the other dolphins and I’d act like I was training Angie. Carol actually was smoke screening me from the boss so I could talk with Angie.
I had to perform shows. While Carol would make the other dolphins do tricks, I’d always end up with Angie. She did the tricks she was supposed to do, since Angie and I both knew I’d be fired if she didn’t. Sometimes, during a performance, I would accidentally call Angie by her name instead of her stage name, which made some people confused. Keeping the sickly attitude of trainers, I would announce I must have let something slip and this ‘Angie’ was a girlfriend of mine and I was thinking about her. The crowd bought this mushy lie.
It was fine for at least 6 months. I got to be around Angie, talk to Carol, and things seemed great. Then, one day, I heard some bad news from our boss.
I was playing catch with Angie when Carol came out. She looked pale and worried.
“Cam, I have bad news. The boss wants to see you.”
I smiled a little, “What’s going on? This wouldn’t be the first time.”
She shook her head. “Please, don’t joke around. This is bad. It’s about Angie.”
Angie, swimming back and forth through the water, cocked her head at the sound of her name.
“What’s going on?” I asked, trying not to jump to conclusions.
Carol bit her lip, “Cam, just remember one thing. He loves money, and doesn’t quite care for the dolphins.”
My eyes widened. Was she implying what I think she was? I looked down at Angie, still swimming back and forth.
I burst into the boss’s office.
“Ah, there you are, Cameron. Please, have a seat.” He motioned for the chair, but I stood by the door.
“Oh, alright. Suit yourself. Now, Cam, I’ve been noticing that you have grown quite attached to Mary. So this isn’t the easiest thing to say…”
“Christ, just say it. You’re selling her, aren’t you?”
He looked down at his desk and avoided my eyes. “Yes, Cameron, I am. I found an aquarium farther north that would treat her better than we could here. You see, with the budget we have it’s hard to look after her, and she’s always been so ornery to the other dolphins. I think that at the aquarium she could develop social skills and they’re paying a lot for her. Don’t get me wrong, she’s the best performer we’ve had here, and I feel reluctant to be selling her, but sometimes things just don’t work out.”
I saw through him like the tank walls. He just wanted to make some money.
“You can’t do that. She likes it here, I can tell. Try spending 8 hours around her every day. The only reason why she was so ornery was because she’s wild, and you have her locked up.”
The boss looked up, anger starting to show on his face.
“Wait a minute, that’s none of yours or mine’s business! She was caught in a fishing net and was taken to an aquarium. After she recovered they thought she was too domestic and transferred her here. How would you know if she was wild?”
“She lived off the coast of my island! I met her there. I only wanted to become one of your’big family’ to be around her.”
His face began to get red. “Look, you have no right talking to me like this. She belongs in a safe and comfortable environment.”
“There’s plenty of that, you moron. It covers most of the planet!”
“If you cared for her, you’d want her to be happy.”
“If you didn‘t see her as just another show-dog, you’d put her back in her habitat!” I stormed out.
Carol was waiting for me, right at the pool. She had been watching the whole thing and knew that I wasn’t reacting the same as she was. She looked away as I came up.
“I can’t believe it.” I said, mostly thinking out loud, “I just can’t.”
She looked back up at me. “Cam, I know you want her back in the ocean, but she has been away for a long time. The ocean is too dangerous for her when she’s become dependent on humans for too long.”
Angie, behind her, let out a squeal in protest.
“You see? She’s just as wild as she’s always been. Believe me, I’ve known her long enough.”
Carol looked away again. She knew that, but didn’t want to argue with the boss. We both knew that my outburst had gotten me fired. I didn’t care if I had the job or not, but I realized that I couldn’t be around Angie if she was to be moved. I looked down at her sad eyes. She seemed to know what was going on and obviously didn’t want to leave me. I looked up at Carol, avoiding the stinging pain of Angie’s sorry eyes.
“Carol, when is Angie getting transferred?”
“He said they’d be here tomorrow. I just didn’t want to tell you.”
“I think I’d like to set up an all-nighter.” This was something trainers could do if they needed to cram in training for the dolphins. The security guards would stay away and the trainer had the tank area to themselves. This would be the perfect time to spend my last hours with Angie.
“I suppose I could set one up for me and let you use the time. I doubt the boss would let you do an all-nighter after your outburst. I’ll set one up and you act like your staying late. After he leaves I’ll leave too. You can spend tonight saying goodbye to Angie.”
I smiled, amazed at how quick she had worked this out. I agreed and we went back to work.
Though the all-nighter would end with Angie being taken away and me getting fired, I’d be able to say my final goodbyes, and finish what we had planned to do before she was captured.
