Polly & Jeremy - Chapter 3

THE BACKYARD

Pollyanna’s backyard was bigger than Jeremy had imagined.

There were cages everywhere, small wooden houses, and makeshift shelters. Some of the dogs rested in the shade. Others paced back and forth, following every movement around them.

Pollyanna took care of all those animals.

She rescued abandoned dogs from the streets, brought them home, and tried to find a place for each of them.

She crossed the backyard, still annoyed with her grandmother.

She obeyed, but she wasn’t happy about it.

Meanwhile, Jeremy remained sitting on the couch beside Inês.

The woman finished tending to his nose and watched the boy for a few seconds.

“Jeremy, you’re the first human friend Polly has ever brought home.”

Jeremy looked up.

Inês smiled.

“Too bad you don’t talk much. But that’s all right. I like you.”

She adjusted the bandage.

“I love my granddaughter, you know? Polly doesn’t have any friends. Just dogs, cats... and another creature she happens to like.”

Jeremy remained silent.

“I hope the two of you become good friends,” Inês continued. “She’s always alone.”

Jeremy looked directly at her.

Inês noticed.

“You’re very quiet. A little shy.”

She gently held his face and lifted his chin.

“Don’t worry. We have to respect our differences. I talk a lot. And someone who talks a lot needs someone who knows how to listen.”

Jeremy gave a small smile.

He lowered his head.

Then raised it again, nodding.

Inês finished the bandage.

“Just treat a human being like a human being, and they’ll remain human. Otherwise, they’ll be an animal forever.”

Jeremy stared at her.

Inês pointed toward the door.

“Jeremy, could you help Polly? Our backyard is huge.”

She smiled.

“I’ll make it up to you with a nice carrot cake with chocolate frosting.”

Jeremy stood up.

“But watch out for animal poop!”

He stopped.

Inês laughed.

“Just keep going straight. You’ll reach the kitchen. The back door is right there.”

Jeremy walked into the kitchen.

There were dirty pots in the sink, a mixer covered in bits of batter, and ingredients scattered across the counter. The sweet smell of cake still lingered in the air.

He crossed the room and opened the back door.

Sometimes, we prefer animals simply because they don’t communicate with us.

Or perhaps because their way of communicating is simpler.

They don’t need to explain how they feel.

They are loyal to those who feed them.

We humans could be like that.

Loyal to those who offer us friendship.

To those who give us a word that actually means something.

Because some words may seem small.

But they can change everything.

As soon as Jeremy stepped into the backyard, he heard barking.

He turned around.

He didn’t have time to react.

One dog came running toward him.

Then another.

And another.

Within seconds, Jeremy was surrounded.

One of them jumped onto his chest.

Jeremy fell.

The dogs began licking him.

He tried to shield his face.

“Get off! Get off!”

Pollyanna came running.

“Lulu! Jão! Madonna! Caverna!”

She tried to pull them away.

“You little rascals!”

Jeremy couldn’t hold it in.

He started laughing.

Pollyanna laughed too.

The dogs kept licking his face.

One of them got him right on the mouth.

Jeremy grimaced.

Then laughed again.

Pollyanna stared at him.

“You have teeth?”

Jeremy stopped.

She pointed at his face.

“That was the first time you smiled.”

Jeremy simply smiled again.

Pollyanna folded her arms.

“I bet my grandmother asked you to help me.”

Jeremy nodded.

“Carrot cake with chocolate frosting as a reward.”

Jeremy answered softly:

“Y-yeah.”

The two of them fell silent.

For a few seconds, they simply looked at each other.

Pollyanna suddenly seemed to remember something.

“Have you seen my Venga?”

Jeremy’s eyes widened.

“No!”

Pollyanna immediately realized the misunderstanding.

“Oh... wait!”

She covered her face with her hands.

“Sorry! It’s Venga in Portuguese! In Spanish, V is pronounced like B!”

Jeremy kept staring at her, confused.

Pollyanna pointed toward the backyard.

“Venga is a parakeet that runs.”

She put her fingers to her lips and whistled.

The sound carried across the yard.

Jeremy watched in amazement.

“Wow!”

A few seconds later, something appeared in the distance.

A little parakeet came running across the backyard.

Pollyanna’s face lit up.

She crouched down.

“Come here, Venga! Pretty girl! Come to Mama! Come here!”

The parakeet came closer.

Jeremy started laughing.

Pollyanna looked at him.

“What are you laughing at?”

Jeremy tried to hide his smile.

He couldn’t.

Pollyanna stood up.

She picked up some dirty leaves from the ground.

“Oh, really?”

She threw them at his face.

Jeremy stood still for a second.

Then he grabbed some leaves and threw them back.

Pollyanna screamed.

“Hey!”

She ran.

Jeremy chased after her.

Soon, the two of them were throwing leaves at each other.

Then came the dried bits scattered around the yard.

“Jeremy!”

He laughed.

“You started it!”

“Did not!”

She threw more leaves.

Jeremy threw some back.

The game continued until both of them were completely filthy.

From the kitchen window, Inês watched everything.

She didn’t interrupt.

She simply smiled.

When they finally finished cleaning up the backyard, they were exhausted.

And they smelled terrible.

Inês opened the back door.

“Oh my! You two stink!”

Pollyanna tried to get past her.

“Straight to the shower, Polly!”

She pointed at Jeremy.

“And you too. I have something suitable for you to wear.”

After their baths, the two of them were sitting at the table.

Pollyanna wore pink clothes, much more comfortable than the black clothes she had been wearing earlier.

Jeremy was wrapped in a pink bathrobe.

Inês looked at him.

“That pink bathrobe matches your skin.”

Pollyanna looked up.

“Grandma?”

Jeremy smiled.

“Now that’s a nice smile!”

Inês pointed at him.

She placed a plate on the table.

“It’ll look even better with some carrot cake and chocolate frosting. Is there anything better than that?”

Pollyanna raised her hand.

“Only one of my jokes!”

Inês closed her eyes.

“Please, Polly. I don’t want to hear any of your terrible jokes.”

Pollyanna smiled.

“What do you call a dot inside a tennis court?”

Inês sighed.

“Oh, God. Here we go.”

Pollyanna waited a few seconds.

“Don’t know?”

Jeremy and Inês stared at her.

Pollyanna broke into a grin.

“A point!”

Silence.

Jeremy and Inês looked at each other.

Neither of them reacted.

For a few seconds, they remained completely serious.

Then Jeremy choked.

He started laughing.

Inês laughed too.

Within moments, the two of them were howling with laughter at the table.

Pollyanna looked at them, satisfied.

Maybe the joke wasn’t that bad.

Or maybe it was.

That afternoon, it didn’t matter.

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