Hippocampus Forgets
by Francis DiClemente
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Table of Contents parts: 1, 2, 3 |
conclusion
On our way home from the doctor’s office, Purdie and I stopped at a little roadside cafe halfway between Herendon Valley and our nesting area along the Great Sulwach. While Purdie munched on a toasted ham and cheese sandwich on a baguette, I explained to him what had transpired inside Dr. Blankenship’s office. I told him the doctor said I was now cured.
“Really? Just like that?”
“Yeah. She said I’m fixed, although I don’t feel any different. But maybe I’m not a dope anymore.”
“Stop, you are not a dope. You never were, you just had a problem.”
“Thanks for supporting me, Purdie,” I said. I leaned across the table and gave him a smack on the lips.
“Hey, that’s what we do. We’re a team.” He kissed me on my snout and then leaned back in his chair. “Wait a second,” he said, “I have an idea.”
“What?”
“Let’s celebrate the good news by throwing Corpe a big birthday party. It will make him feel special and it’ll be a lot of fun for us.”
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Purdie. Maybe we shouldn’t push our luck. I told you what the hyena said: ‘He dies when he turns five.’”
“Oh, come on, Hippocampus. There’s nothing to be afraid of. We’ll be there. And besides, the doctor said it was just a vision, nothing more. Right?”
“Yes, but I don’t know. I’m still afraid.”
“It’ll be fine. And we need to do this, to celebrate for Corpe and make him feel loved. He’s had it rough lately with you forgetting him. And we have a chance to make it up to him now.”
“All right, but you have to promise to help me organize the party, and we have to be extra alert and watch out for any danger.”
“Sure, that’s easy. Now let’s get home and get started with the plans.”
When Purdie and I returned home, I found Corpe standing at the edge of the Great Sulwach. His snout was lowered to the ground, and he was licking the shell of a mud terrapin. I snuck up on him and when I got within a couple of feet, I yelled, “Boo!”
He gasped and jumped. As Corpe turned around to look at me, the terrapin scooted away and splashed into the river.
“Oh, Mom, you scared away the turtle. Way to go.”
“Sorry,” I said, and I began licking his face.
“Come on, Mom, stop.”
“Oh, all right. But I have some good news.”
“What?”
“I’m all fixed. The doctor helped me, and I won’t forget you anymore. And Dad and I are gonna throw you a party to celebrate your birthday.”
“Oh, is that all?”
“Yeah, but you don’t sound excited. Did you hear me? I’m all better now.”
“I know. I know. I guess I’ll believe it when it really happens.”
“You will, I promise.” I kissed him on the forehead, and he smiled at me.
“Can I invite my soccer team to the party?”
“Sure. You can invite anyone you want, honey.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome, Corpe. See, I’m remembering you already.”
* * *
The day of Corpe’s birthday party came, and I rushed around our camp, trying to get everything done on time. Even though the party was Purdie’s idea, he didn’t do much to help me.
The kids and I were setting up picnic tables near the Great Sulwach, while Purdie sat in a lawn chair next to the grill, drinking a can of beer.
“Purdie, can you bring out the potato salad, pickles, and buns? And we need ice in the cooler and the corn still needs to be shucked.”
“Sure, honey.”
“I mean it, Purdie. The guests will be arriving in about an hour.”
“All right. I’ll take care of it.” He stood up with a sigh and set his beer on the edge of the grill. “Come on, kids,” he yelled. “Help me get the fixings ready.”
The party was scheduled to start in the afternoon, and dark clouds swirled on the horizon. But by the time guests began arriving, the clouds had moved off and the sun had poked through, casting radiant light across the Great Sulwach River Valley. Dr. Bayless and his three chimps showed up, and the chimps started throwing around the potato salad. Dr. Bayless backhanded two of them and threw a stone at the other one, and the chimps ran away into the forest.
The kids had divided into teams, and they were playing soccer about fifty yards away from our camp. It was a big group, and they were whooping it up. I watched as Corpe ran around on the field; he looked so much smaller than the other players, but his speed and scrappiness made him an effective forward. At one point, Hymie sent the ball sailing toward the goal and Corpe leapt and headed it toward the net. But he directed it wide, and the ball flew into the tall grass. “I’ll get it,” he yelled, and he ran after the ball.
“Be careful, Corpe,” I screamed.
“Oh, Mom,” he said, turning around to look at me. “Stop worrying so much.”
Seeing him move in the grass gave me a chill. The memory of the hyena premonition still haunted me. But after a few seconds, Corpe scurried back onto the field, dribbling the soccer ball, and I felt relieved for the moment.
The game resumed and another player kicked the ball past the goalie, wide of the net, as Corpe stood near the end line. He ran into the high grass to retrieve the ball, and this time I lost sight of him. The other players stood idle on the field, laughing and talking while they waited for him to come back with the ball.
Then I heard it: a choked, high-pitched wail. It was Corpe’s voice; he screamed just two words: “Mom, help!”
I could see the high grass swaying in the distance. “Purdie, come on,” I yelled as I started sprinting toward the grass. I let out a roar, and the natural sounds of the savanna seemed to grow quiet in unison.
I reached the tall grass, and I saw five hyenas surrounding Corpe. He had been knocked to the ground and was curled up in a defensive ball; blood trickled from his right ear. I looked at the biggest hyena, the leader of the pack; he had a burnt orange stripe running down his back. He swiveled his head toward me, snickered, flashed his fangs, and said, “Told you so. The little guy dies when he turns five.”
I threw my head back and roared again, even louder this time, and the bellow shook the ground. Some antelope drinking the cool water from the Great Sulwach River bolted in fear. The palm trees nearby bent forward and then backward, the chimps perched in the treetops overlooking our camp hooted with glee, and a few rocks came crashing down from Mount Crystalesque looming in the distance.
The five hyenas closed in on Corpe while he wriggled on the ground. All I could hear was the wind rustling the tall grass. “I’ll take the leader,” I whispered to Purdie, ̶You get the rest of them away from him.”
“Got it,” Purdie said.
I took a deep breath, aimed my head at the lead hyena, and charged at him. I tried to ram him with my head, but I missed him by a foot. He cackled and said, “Too slow, fat momma. Try again.” I ran at him again, lowering my shoulder. This time I bumped him, and he soared in the air and came crashing down. I ran forward and lifted my front left hoof and slammed it down on the hyena’s chest. He gasped and rolled around in pain.
The other hyenas still circled Corpe, but they seemed undecided whether to fight or flee. Purdie howled and charged in the middle of the circle, steering clear of Corpe, and the four remaining hyenas backed away.
The lead hyena stood up slowly as he tried to catch his breath. “You win, momma, this time. But we’ll be back.”
“We’ll be ready. You can count on it. Now go away.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said. “You made your point.” Then he and his cohorts started to retreat into the distant fields with their heads down and their tails dragging.
Corpe whined as he rose to his feet. Purdie and I rushed over to him, and Purdie brushed Corpe’s head with his snout.
“Corpe, are you hurt badly?” I asked, as I began licking his bleeding ear.
“I’m okay, I think. What happened?”
“The hyenas attacked you,” I said. “Let’s get you back and get your ear cleaned up.”
We started walking out of the tall grass when Corpe said, “Dad, can you get the soccer ball?”
“Sure, son,” Purdie said, and he fell back. He trotted over to the ball and kicked it back onto the playing field. The soccer players and all the party guests stood motionless, watching as Corpe and I came forward with Purdie trailing a few feet behind us. Serna was crying, the tears streaming down her face in tight ribbons. “Is he okay, Mom?”
“Yes, he’s fine. Let’s get him to the river and get him cleaned up. Ubal, fetch Dr. Bayless and bring him over.”
“Folks, I guess the party’s over,” Purdie announced to the guests. “Feel free to take some food home. But leave some burgers and Corpe’s birthday cake for us. Kicking some hyena butt sure works up an appetite.”
Then Purdie and I escorted Corpe toward the bank of the Great Sulwach River. I nudged Corpe into the water and we dipped below the surface together. When we came up for air, I asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, Mom. I think they just nipped my ear.”
Dr. Bayless strode to the edge of the river, carrying his black medical bag on his head. “Bring him over here, Hippocampus.”
Corpe and I swam over to Dr. Bayless, and he examined Corpe. He spread some antiseptic cream on his ear and then applied a bandage. “He should be fine. Just change the dressing tomorrow.”
Dr. Bayless looked at me and smiled. “Well done, Hippocampus. They’ll know never to test you again. You know, maybe, just maybe, forgetting about Corpe actually saved him?”
“What? How so?”
“Well, if you hadn’t suffered memory problems, you would have never gotten help, and so you would have never recalled that premonition about Corpe being attacked by the hyenas. But because you were on the lookout for them, you were able to react quickly. Maybe forgetting about Corpe was just your instinct as a mother to protect him.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Me either. But you were very brave, and I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, doctor.”
“No problem. Now you take care of your family, and I’ll check in on Corpe tomorrow,” he said, and then he started walking away.
Corpe rested along the riverbank, and I curled up next to him. I snuggled against his warm, wet body and whispered, “Rest now, my birthday boy.”
“Thanks, Mom,” he said. He closed his eyes, and Purdie, Hymie, Ubal, and Serna came over and stretched out on the ground next to us. And then our entire pod, including me, drifted off to sleep with the tables and chairs still set up and the food spread out near the empty party site.
Copyright © 2023 by Francis DiClemente
