This one's for Joni because she requested a Felix story.
Sammy & Ilna, you make every day more fun. Thank you for being the best of the best.
REALMcRollers, you make us smile every day. Your support and feedback is appreciated more than you know.
One Very Happy Goat
The sun felt very nice on my fur as I hopped around our huge play area with my brothers and sisters. We chased each other until we stopped to eat some of the yummy vegetables Kelani, one of the zoo humans who takes good care of us, dropped into our troughs, calling, "e hele mai e na kao!"
While I ate, I kept an eye on the place where visiting humans come in. Today was going to be extra fun, I could feel it.
"Maaa!" I called out joyfully, just because. The familiar sound of my parents and a few of my brothers and sisters' answering bleats filled the air and I did a little hopping dance.
We live in a great place at the zoo. It's huge and fun and we get lots of human visitors. We aren't far from the sheep, who are super friendly and tell us funny stories, and the pigs, who are fun and very good at knowing when it's going to rain, even before we do. Pigs are pretty smart. We all get to go into one big area when our homes are being cleaned by our friends, the zoo humans. I love all the zoo humans, but Kaitlyn is especially nice and always has extra treats and hugs for us.
I looked over at the gate where the humans who visit come in to see us once more, because I felt my very favorite human was near before I heard her voice.
"Felix!"
When I heard my name, my ears twitched. It was Angie! My most favorite human, giggling and calling me as she came up to our enclosure.
Humans have to clean their hands before they come inside and touch us. It's to keep us safe, my mama says, and Angie ran to the water thing and rubbed hers under the stream while calling, "I'll be right there!" to me. Seconds later, there she was, bending to give me a hug and a kiss, before backing up with a smile.
"Felix, look!" She waved, and I did a happy little leap. She was wearing her favorite shorts that looked like patches of grass, and a bright top, the one with my picture on it. "I brought you a snack!"
"Maaa!" I bleated, and nuzzled her hand. Angie always brought the best treats.
Her brother, DJ, was there too, standing a little behind her feeding treats to the rest of my family with his parents. He had the kindest eyes and was so very gentle when he petted us. "I think Felix is glad you're wearing his shirt again," he said with a happy look on his face. He bent to rub my ears before petting my brother, Frankie, and feeding him a carrot.
"Felix is on my shirt because I love him and he's so handsome. Aren't you?" Angie said, looking at me with her big, round eyes. Humans have funny eyes. The black part is round, not sideways like ours, but Angie's eyes are pretty and I love how she looks at me like I am the most important goat in the world.
"Maaaa, maaaa!" I confirmed, nudged her hand and hoofed the ground playfully.
"See?" Angie laughed and hugged me. "Good boy, Felix. Guess what? They got a new goat book at the library and Ms. Kristin saved it for me. It's called Quotes from Goats: Home Is Where the Herd Is. I can't wait to read it and I'll tell you all about it when I come back."
I wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but if Angie was happy, I was, too.
"I have more treats," she said, kneeling down and holding out her hands. She gave me a handful of crunchy carrot pieces, and I took them gently, munching away.
"These are good!" I said, which the humans heard as, "Maaaa," and I hopped a little while I chewed, enjoying each bite. It's funny, you know, my favorite pig friend, Eloise, told me little humans are called kids, just like little goats. I think that's because we're supposed to be good friends with each other.
"I love you, Felix," Angie said, as she always did. "I'm very very happy Uncle Danno got you for me and I'm your forever sponsor and family."
"Maa!" I almost understood what that meant. I was special to her, and she was special to me. Her Uncle Danno was a good human. When he comes with Angie, he is very nice to me and my family. He belongs to Grace, she's super nice, too, and she comes even without Angie sometimes, just to say hello and give me treats and hugs.
"Look, Felix! There's Kaitlyn!" Angie pointed towards the other side of the enclosure. Kaitlyn was one of my favorite zoo humans, she was always so sweet and cheerful. She makes us special treats, too.
"Hey, Felix!" Kaitlyn waved, her blond ponytail swaying as she approached. "You're looking especially handsome today."
"Maa!" I bleated.
"Did you hear that, Felix? I told you you're handsome!" Angie giggled, and I felt even more love for her.
"Of course he is," Kaitlyn replied, leaning down to scratch my ears. "I'm helping with the giraffes today, but I stopped because I had to say hi." She hugged Angie's mother, father and DJ after adding a bucket of oats to my family's trough and waving goodbye.
Angie's father is a very tall human and very strong. He picked me up when Angie was smaller and held me on his lap while she petted me. I felt very safe with him and that's important. You have to feel safe with humans so you can love them. He has eyes like Angie's and when he looks at her and her brother they get brighter. I like that. I like him.
His mate, Angie's mother, calls him Steve and they smile at each other a lot. He calls her Catherine and she has a voice that makes me feel all warm and happy inside when she talks to me and she pets me with very gentle hands. She nuzzles her offspring's cheeks almost like a goat mama, so I know she's a very good mother.
"Hey, Felix, let's play our game!" Angie said, bringing my attention back to her. "Do you want to jump over me?" She sat and made herself flat on the ground, and I felt a swell of excitement.
"Maaaa!" I leapt over her easily, my hooves high off the ground.
"Nice jump!" DJ cheered.
"Again!" Angie clapped her hands.
I bounded over her once more, and the humans cheered, their laughter ringing in my ears.
"You're the best jumper!" Angie exclaimed, her eyes sparkling and I felt very important. "Maa!"
After several more jumps, Angie sat up beside me and kissed my face. "Remember when you came to my house for my birthday with your family?"
I did remember. She lived in a sandy place with big water close by. There was a very nice dog, too. Her name is Cammie, and Angie talks about her a lot. It was nice to meet her. Cammie told us she was a herding dog by nature and that's why she circled the large pen we were in - to keep us safe before she sat nearby to talk with us. She was a really big dog. Bigger than my daddy goat, and she was gentle and kind and we all liked her a lot.
"Remember I told you our cousin is getting married next year? You met him, it's Cody, Kaitlyn's brother. He's marrying Jess and me and DJ and Joanie are in the wedding. And if they need a flower goat, maybe you can be in the wedding, too. We're not sure yet because it may be in a place where they don't allow animals. As soon as they tell us I'll come and tell you. But, if not, when Mommy and Daddy redo their wedding…" she stopped and giggled when her mother said, 'Renew our vows, baby girl,' then went on, "... yeah, renew their vows, it can be on our beach and you can be their flower goat and Cammie can be the flower dog again. She did it already and she can show you how." She beamed at her parents as DJ laughed and they shook their heads and smiled. Turning back to me she said, "There'd be a party after and we'd have cake! Then we would drive you home by your bedtime 'cause I know you love it here and are so happy with your whole family."
"Maa!" I bleated, I wasn't sure what cake was but it sounded fun and I liked Cammie a lot, she could teach me and I could tell my family all about it when I got home to the zoo. "I am so happy living here at the zoo with my family and friends," I bleated, nuzzling Angie again. "And I love you."
Angie's face brightened, and as if she understood me completely, she gave me a big hug and said, "I love you, Felix!" again.
After the sun moved lower in the sky and the air cooled a little, the zoo began to quiet down, and with less human sounds, our area came alive with the voices of the other hooved animals that were our neighbors.
"Do you want to hear a story?" Angie asked as she sat on a hay bale. I hopped up next to her and we were joined by several of my siblings.
"Yes, please!" We all bleated together, settling beside her, ready to listen.
"Once upon a time, there was a brave goat who lived in a zoo with his family…" she began, her voice gentle.
I closed my eyes, and leaned into her side and as Angie's arm wrapped around me I felt the love and warmth of my favorite little human wash over me.
As she talked, I thought about all the times we shared … the fun, the snacks, the way we loved each other from the first time we met when she was a much smaller human and I was just a tiny kid.
"Maa!" I bleated again, feeling happy for every visit, every snack, and every moment of love.
I am one very happy goat.
# End Thanks for Reading
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