hey amigo,
this is part three of the Boy & the Turtle. you can read part I & part II here, or read the full story and give feedback on the google doc. (if u do, u rock 🪨)
PSA: the Warwick Story Hour is in six days! You can RSVP here.
thanks for reading — may your day be light & steady 🦦🪨🎶
Don woke to the sound of munching, wet and close to his ear. He reeled up with a shout, twisting to see Arla chewing a mouthful of greens by his side, eyes smiling. Don laughed and looked around. The old man was nowhere to be seen. “Oh! Where’s the geezer, Arla? Out for a walk?”
The turtle held his gaze, mouth moving steadily, then looked at the base of the tree. Don followed her gaze. A note sat there, tucked under a small piece of fruit. Don picked it up. The paper was old, frail and yellowing. Don held his breath as he read:
“The time has come for our ways to part. Arla will accompany yours. Listen well, for her silence speaks volumes. Together, you will find all that you need and more. Farewell, my friend. Trust yourself. Stay true.”
“What!” Don cried. “Where did he go? What am I supposed to do now?” He looked at Arla. The turtle was 15 yards away, walking towards the rising sun. Rays of light bounced off her emerald shell, patterns glittering and dancing with each step. As he watched the turtle walk, Don felt a stroke of sorrow deep in his gut. The sight was too beautiful for his life. It did not seem right.
There was a hollowness inside him without the old man, and he wanted nothing more than to return home, to find himself in the familiar hills and the warm embrace of his family. Doubts ate at his mind. He did not know what he was doing. He did not know the land beyond. Was he just causing extra worry? Had he made a mistake?
But the turtle was already moving. Don watched Arla march through the morning sun, indomitable as a glacier as birds filled the air with their songs, and he felt his resolve sharpen. She was steadfast. So he could be too.
“Right,” Don said. “Let’s get to it, then.”
There was no sign of their little campsite left. Don gathered his things and set out at a lively pace. The sun was shining from a clear blue sky, bathing the skeletal trees in gold. A soft breeze stirred the branches, and Don felt happy and light. He quickly passed Arla and had not gone one minute when he realized the turtle would not speed up.
Incredulous, he slowed back down and watched. The turtle plodded forward at a glacial pace, moving one ponderous step at a time. No hint of haste was betrayed in her actions.
Don scowled, frustrated. “Can’t you go any faster?” Arla met his gaze and blinked. Don sighed and fell into step beside her. “What will I accomplish moving like this?” he asked. “We’ll take forever at this rate.”
Don stewed on his predicament a few minutes more, grappling with what to do. He considered leaving the turtle behind, but the old man’s words echoed in his mind. He could not abandon Arla. Don turned to the turtle, crouching down.
“Arla, We need to move faster. I’m going to carry you. Is that ok?”
Arla met his eyes and blinked. Don nodded, wrapped his arms around the turtle’s shell, and heaved with all his strength. “Oooghf.” Don wheezed out. “You’re a bleeding darn big turtle.” Arla made no reply, simply sitting still in her shell. Don could only hold her by wrapping her in a full bear hug, squeezing with all his might.
Stubborn, determined, Don took an unsteady step, then another, and another. After a few moments, he sank to the ground with a groan. Sweat streamed against his forehead, his arms felt like lead, and his legs were jelly against the ground.
Without a sound, Arla slipped from his arms and continued to walk on, trodding forward like a mountain. Don slumped back into the shade of a tree, watching the turtle and breathing heavily. They hadn’t even left the valley where they slept.
“Oh, brother!” he groaned.
There was only one way forward. He had to walk alongside the turtle.