Bruised Innocence

Chapter 10

Dad once told me that we should avoid the riverbank at dawn and dusk because animals prefer those times to drink water.

I was scared of the wild animals but strangely, I also had this insane courage. Nothing could stop me from going to the school and giving that test.

So, even though I kept jumping at every other sound in the woods, I managed to reach the river bed at daybreak.

After looking in every direction around a million times, I undressed myself and kept my clothes securely near the trunk of a tree.

It was a very old tree and some of it's branches spread low over the water. I could sit on the branch and dip my feet into water.

Shivering slightly, I entered into the water. Contrary to my expectations, it was warm and soothed my body. A hiss of relief escaped me.

Though it sill hurt and the bruises stung as water touched them I closed my eyes and took a dip, welcoming the white noise.

It was very tempting to just stay there and not think about everything else. When I was younger, I wanted to have a treehouse in the woods and live off fruits and greens.

I could almost see it now, waking up with the sun to see the lush greenery and the pleasantly soothing sound of the flowing river.

A shrill barking broke my daydream. A dog? I turned to see a golden brown dog barking at the river a few feet away from me.

It had white markings around it's neck and tail and had a sharp, piercing bark.

When I looked in the direction it was barking I saw a bird's nest in the river struck between some rocks under a overhanging branch.

I quickly went near the rocks and pulled up the nest gingerly and the dog wagged it's tail at me.

I patted it's head with one of my hands and it stood on it's hind legs trying to put it's front paws on me.

I almost let out a shriek in alarm but held myself. The dog kept wagging it's tail at me and looked very playful.

A smiled at it and a shrill chirping sound in the nest drew my attention. There was a small bird hiding between the twigs.

It looked almost puffed up with tiny white fur like feathers all around it. This was an almost grown up bird.

"How did you get in the river, tweetie?" I wondered aloud and looked up.

One of the low hanging tree's branch had a Y shaped section. It still had some twigs struck around it. The remnants of a nest.

"So that's where you came from!" I said and the dog barked.

I placed the nest on the ground and patted the dog. I could reach the branch if I stood in tiptoes but I needed someone to keep holding it down for me so that I could place the nest on it.

After a few unsuccessful and very painful attempt to do both by myself, I resignedly sat there.

The dog barked at me and I had an idea.

"Could you jump at the branch, boi?" I asked the dog and it lolled it's head.

I felt a bit foolish but then I mimed jumping on the branch and the dog started too. I jumped a bit to hold on to the branch with my hands and soon enough, the dog did it too, only it didn't let go and landed on the branch somehow.

I stared incredulously at it, I had never seen a dog on a tree before. I walked towards the Y bend in the branch and the dog walked towards me gingerly.

It's weight lowered the branch enough for me to be able to reach it easily.

While the bridling kept on chirping, I took it to the fork in the branch and placed it there.

Then I held my arms for the dog "Come to me, boi."

It kept standing and looking down, I realised it was afraid of jumping down.

"It's alright, I got you." I told it without breaking eye contact and folded my hands in a manner to catch, it jumped in my hands and I cuddled it, delighted that it was safe.

I was worried that his jumping might have thrown off the nest but I was relieved to see it where it was placed, a happy chirping emanating from it.

The dog licked my neck and face and I started laughing very hard but then my body hurt and It all came back to me and I started crying holding it close to me.

*I am so happy to have put it out. Looking forward to your comments. Updated on 9/08/20*