A TURTLE TALE...by b. Malin

We first met "Timmy" in the Spring of 2008 attempting to walk across our driveway. He looked like he was a few days old, a mere baby. Lover Man picked him up and sat him in the palm of his hand. The turtle just stared up at him as if he were studying the situation. I leaned in and sighed as I said to Lover Man, "Oh he's so cute, and helpless, but yet he doesn't seem to be afraid of us, let's give him a Name, I know let's call him "Timmy".

Now in the State of New Jersey, it is illegal to keep a Turtle as a pet. I suppose you could go out of State and bring one back from a Pet Shop in Pa. But then you'd have to Prove that's where the Turtle came from...It goes back to the days when kids got "Salamander" from Turtles.

So...knowing this, we put "Timmy" back down in the driveway. He looked up at both of us, his head moving from Me to Lover Man like he was questioning "what next" in his mind. "I don't know Timmy" I said aloud. "You're welcome to stay, that is allowed, so make yourself at home." Well I guess he did. The next time he was spotted was that September after the driveway had been redone and Pavers had been put down. Lover Man and I were admiring the finished work after the Crew had left. Suddenly we saw Timmy coming towards us. I swear, he looked like he was SMILING in recognition!

"Look, look, I said to Lover Man, excitement growing in my voice. It's Timmy". "So it is", Lover Man said as he walked towards him and scooped him up. The three of us just stared at one another all grinning from ear to ear. "Wow, I said this is unbelievable"! And Lover Man said smiling down at Timmy, "hey little guy we've grown some". I think we both felt like proud parent's. I know it's silly...But we did!

The last time we saw Timmy on our property was last May. We were planting in our back garden and Lover Man went to turn on the hose. Well there was Timmy sitting there smiling up. "Hey little guy, Lover Man said as he waved me over, look who's here". "Oh Timmy I said smiling down at him, how are you, we've missed you!"

It was a Wonderful afternoon. Timmy climbed over the hose as it lay on the ground, it was like he was playing...Back and forth he went. At the end of the day we watched as he began to walk away. He looked back once, I swear if he could have, he would have WAVED. I mean he did kinda left his right foot in our direction. Lover Man put his arm around me and pulled me close. "I think our little guy is off to see the world...I don't think we will be seeing him again". I felt my eyes filling with tears. I knew he was only a Turtle...But it's complicated when you try to explain.

Flash forward to this June, 2011 and we are riding our bikes when Lover Man yells to me, "Hey there's a large Turtle in the Street". We both stop and stare. The Turtle turns slowly and looks up...Could it be? Is it our Timmy? Lover Man says, "let's move him over to a safer spot". He scoops him up and puts him on the grass. The Turtle puts it's head inside it's shell. And than he slowly brings it out and looks at us, really looks at us...And then he begins to SMILE In recognition. "It's Timmy I say excitedly, it's him!" "So it is", sighs Lover Man.

But then a STRANGE thing happens...suddenly from behind a Rock, out comes two Baby Turtles and they come straight to Timmy. Timmy looks up at us and smiles, suddenly we are laughing. Our "Timmy"... is a Tammy!