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Gertie the Goat
Grampa's Farm
Age 2
Grampa got a new goat! Grampa said she was named Gertrude, Gertie for short. Gertie the Goat. She was the only goat that Grampa had. Lucas was happy because he had always wanted to have a goat, and Grampa having a goat was the next best thing! He was so excited to see her. He could pet her fluffy white fur, if Daddy would lift him up so he could reach. He squished his goat plushie, whom he had named Gertie, after Gertie.
Age 6
Lucas was excited, he loved going to Grampa's farm. He loved all the animals, well, okay, so he loved every animal except for Gertie the Goat. From the first moment she saw him, she disliked him. She loved Jaime. Always let him pet her. The little blond boy crossed his arms in his car seat. The one time he tried to pet Gertie she bit him. He only wanted to feel her fluffy white fur. Grampa took him out for ice cream afterwards, because he only cried for ten minutes.
Age 10
They were going to Grampa's again. Was that what they did every spring break? Went to Grampa's farm for a week? Why couldn't they go somewhere cool? Like Matt and his family went to a waterpark! Going to a waterpark would be awesome. Grampa's farm had Gertie. He hated Gertie, she always snapped at him. Jaime thought he was crazy. “If you didn't pull her wool, then she would be nice to you!” Well, he didn't need Jaime's advice, he wasn't the one that had issues with it, what did he know about that stupid goat and it's stupid problems with him?
Age 14
That goat was still alive, still mocking him. Jaime wasn't there anymore, he was at college. The stupid little. . . Deep breaths, Lucas, deep breaths he told himself. Who was Jaime to leave him to deal with the goat that had to be the spawn of the devil himself? Always kicking him. What did he care that the goat liked Jaime better than him? Why would he care? It wasn't important, was it? Did it say something about him? Was he a bad person?
No, he wasn't a bad person because a stupid goat didn't like him. Was he? Oh, man. If the goat didn't like him, then he was a bad person, and if he was a bad person, Alex would never go out with him. And then the world would collapse in on itself and then, and then. Deep breaths, just take deep breaths, he told himself, again. His mom wanted to put him on anxiety meds. He didn't need anxiety medication! He was fine, just high strung. They were pulling up now, all he had to deal with was a temperamental goat that hated him. Joy of joys.
Age 18
Gertie the bane of his existence. He was standing on one side of the fence staring at her. She was on the other side of the pen, she was the only one, staring at him. She was an old goat, but she was petulant, and bitter. Jaime had come with them this time, wanting to come see Grampa again. Great, just what he needed, to hear Jaime's scoffing at his issues with Gertie, more like Gertie's issues with him. Even though he had given into his mother's demands that he take anxiety pills, he had to admit that they had made him much calmer and less prone to overreaction, Gertie was still his arch-nemesis.
Age 22
Gertie had finally died. The whole family turned up for her funeral. Honestly? A funeral, for a goat? He supposed she was a great goat, even thought she was the spawn of the devil. He was going to miss her. His feud with her, as unhealthy as it was to have a feud with a goat, helped him write some of his greatest short stories, all about a little kid who had a feud with a goat at his grandfathers farm. His stories became a series of best selling childrens books. He couldn't write about this, though, the goat dying, after years and years of feuding with the boy. How would the kids who read his books take that? He would write one, though, just for himself, and if he cried while doing it then so be it. No one would fault him that.
He had a connection with that goat, she was like the wise old grandmother who hated your guts. Or a wise old grandmother who knew just what you needed to get where you wanted, and had made it her personal mission to get you there. He ignored the whispers that were starting about the tears making their way down his face. “But, didn't Luke hate Gertie?” was one of the most popular comments. The most popular answer to that question was “Yeah, why is he crying? Shouldn't he be glad she was dead?” Whatever, he could cry if he wanted to. She was important to him growing up, she took his mind off of what ever he was having issues with, being the little brother, Jaime being a teenager, asking Alex out, who put his arm around Lucas, pulling him away from Gertie's grave.
Grampa got a new goat! Grampa said she was named Gertrude, Gertie for short. Gertie the Goat. She was the only goat that Grampa had. Lucas was happy because he had always wanted to have a goat, and Grampa having a goat was the next best thing! He was so excited to see her. He could pet her fluffy white fur, if Daddy would lift him up so he could reach. He squished his goat plushie, whom he had named Gertie, after Gertie.
Age 6
Lucas was excited, he loved going to Grampa's farm. He loved all the animals, well, okay, so he loved every animal except for Gertie the Goat. From the first moment she saw him, she disliked him. She loved Jaime. Always let him pet her. The little blond boy crossed his arms in his car seat. The one time he tried to pet Gertie she bit him. He only wanted to feel her fluffy white fur. Grampa took him out for ice cream afterwards, because he only cried for ten minutes.
Age 10
They were going to Grampa's again. Was that what they did every spring break? Went to Grampa's farm for a week? Why couldn't they go somewhere cool? Like Matt and his family went to a waterpark! Going to a waterpark would be awesome. Grampa's farm had Gertie. He hated Gertie, she always snapped at him. Jaime thought he was crazy. “If you didn't pull her wool, then she would be nice to you!” Well, he didn't need Jaime's advice, he wasn't the one that had issues with it, what did he know about that stupid goat and it's stupid problems with him?
Age 14
That goat was still alive, still mocking him. Jaime wasn't there anymore, he was at college. The stupid little. . . Deep breaths, Lucas, deep breaths he told himself. Who was Jaime to leave him to deal with the goat that had to be the spawn of the devil himself? Always kicking him. What did he care that the goat liked Jaime better than him? Why would he care? It wasn't important, was it? Did it say something about him? Was he a bad person?
No, he wasn't a bad person because a stupid goat didn't like him. Was he? Oh, man. If the goat didn't like him, then he was a bad person, and if he was a bad person, Alex would never go out with him. And then the world would collapse in on itself and then, and then. Deep breaths, just take deep breaths, he told himself, again. His mom wanted to put him on anxiety meds. He didn't need anxiety medication! He was fine, just high strung. They were pulling up now, all he had to deal with was a temperamental goat that hated him. Joy of joys.
Age 18
Gertie the bane of his existence. He was standing on one side of the fence staring at her. She was on the other side of the pen, she was the only one, staring at him. She was an old goat, but she was petulant, and bitter. Jaime had come with them this time, wanting to come see Grampa again. Great, just what he needed, to hear Jaime's scoffing at his issues with Gertie, more like Gertie's issues with him. Even though he had given into his mother's demands that he take anxiety pills, he had to admit that they had made him much calmer and less prone to overreaction, Gertie was still his arch-nemesis.
Age 22
Gertie had finally died. The whole family turned up for her funeral. Honestly? A funeral, for a goat? He supposed she was a great goat, even thought she was the spawn of the devil. He was going to miss her. His feud with her, as unhealthy as it was to have a feud with a goat, helped him write some of his greatest short stories, all about a little kid who had a feud with a goat at his grandfathers farm. His stories became a series of best selling childrens books. He couldn't write about this, though, the goat dying, after years and years of feuding with the boy. How would the kids who read his books take that? He would write one, though, just for himself, and if he cried while doing it then so be it. No one would fault him that.
He had a connection with that goat, she was like the wise old grandmother who hated your guts. Or a wise old grandmother who knew just what you needed to get where you wanted, and had made it her personal mission to get you there. He ignored the whispers that were starting about the tears making their way down his face. “But, didn't Luke hate Gertie?” was one of the most popular comments. The most popular answer to that question was “Yeah, why is he crying? Shouldn't he be glad she was dead?” Whatever, he could cry if he wanted to. She was important to him growing up, she took his mind off of what ever he was having issues with, being the little brother, Jaime being a teenager, asking Alex out, who put his arm around Lucas, pulling him away from Gertie's grave.
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