© Copyright 2008 by Charlotte Ann Zuzak

It was getting dark and she had driven as close as she could to New Orleans. The water was everywhere and there on a rooftop sat a young Afro-American boy and his dog. Waving a shirt, the boy was trying to attract attention.

Kate stopped. “Where’s your family?” She yelled.

“They’ve gone. I ran away from the group when they said I couldn’t take Bubba,” he pointed at the dog.

“Can you swim?”

“Not very well.”

“I’m going to throw you a rope with an inner tube on it—grab it and don’t let go. I’ll reel you in.”

“What about Bubba?” He pointed at the dog.

“I think you’ll find he can swim. He’s a lab.”

After a couple of tries the young boy caught the tube, put it around his waist and tried to carry Bubba. Bubba, however, had a mind of his own. He broke away from the young boy, started swimming and prodded him toward Kate as she reeled him in.

Kate tried to dry off the young boy with some towels she had in her trunk. He was shivering from the chilliness of the water as well as fear of what was going on around him. He had never been through a flood of this magnitude.

In her mid-thirties, Kate was trying to imagine what was going through the boy’s mind. She had lived through the horror of 9/11 when her husband died, and suddenly it didn’t matter that she didn’t look like the successful lawyer, smartly dressed with every blond hair in place. She wanted to help, remembering the care and concern given to her after 9/11.

They were standing in water that hit between their ankles and knees. A helicopter hovered above them. Kate waved her arms above her head and the pilot lowered the craft.

“There’s three of us,” she said to the medics on board.

“We can’t take the dog.”

“Then we’re staying here.” The boy started to cry.

A hasty conference took place after which they boarded Bubba.

“My rental car is down there. Can someone get it?” asked Kate once on board.

“Hey, lady, we’re interested in lives right now. Everyone has lost something. My house is gone.” The medic shook his head at her apparent lack of caring.

“Where are we going?”

“To a school that’s still above water. Being used as a shelter.”

Kate turned to the young boy. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask. What’s your name?”

“Jesse Devereau.”

“How old are you and where is your family?”

“I’m twelve, and I don’t know where my family is. We got separated when I refused to leave Bubba behind.” He continued crying, wiping his eyes and his nose on his hands. Kate handed him some tissues from the handbag she’d managed to hang on to.

One of the medics turned toward the boy. “Are you Dr. Devereau’s son? He’s at the hospital and has been worried about you. Your mom is at the school.”

Kate put her arms around him as Bubba poked the boy with his nose, either seeking his own attention or trying to comfort his owner.



They landed on the grounds of the school that were waterlogged, but negotiable. Jesse spotted his mother and ran to her. He and Bubba received hugs and pats.

She burst into tears when she saw them. “Jesse Devereau, don’t you ever do that again. I realize how important Bubba is to you, but you’re important to your Dad and me.” She turned to Kate. I’m Lisa Devereau, and I want to thank you for what you’ve done. Come on over to that table and get something to eat.” She pointed to a table that contained donated foods, hastily assembled hot trays and flatware and plates that obviously had been grabbed from various sources.

Kate thanked her, not realizing how hungry she was. It was the dinner hour and she had not really eaten since breakfast.

Chaos was the name of the scene in the gym. Trash had been discarded everywhere. Kate decided she was going to help clean up.

Grabbing a trash bag she started filling it. Coming across a group of young people sitting around in a state of lethargy, she tapped them on their shoulders and handed them bags. “Fill these and then seal them and put them outside the main door.”

Later, walking in the general direction that the ‘copter had traveled, she managed to hitch a ride with a news team who recognized her from TV interviews during 9/11, and were able to get a car fairly close to the school.

Her rental car was where she had left it. Kate found a grocery store that had survived the flood and still was open. They had a few big bags of dog food and a few cases of bottled water. The manager told her that she’d try to get some dog food, no promises.

Back at the school she found a mother dog and five puppies beside the back door looking at her so beseechingly, that she started to cry. She tried to get the mother dog to follow her, but the dog whimpered and refused to leave her puppies. Kate gathered them up in her arms and put them in the back seat of the car. The mother dog settled down on the floor of the back.

At an abandoned house Kate filled bowls of water and food for them. She had left some of the dog food at the school, and took some with her. The house had drained of floodwater but had a rancid smell. The dogs’ ears perked up at a small noise that turned out to be an abandoned kitten that curled up with the puppies after helping herself to food.

Amazing, thought Kate, smiling. They’re taking care of each other.

Kate stretched out on a sofa that was damp and smelly. She didn’t care. Somewhere she had lost her cell phone and couldn’t call anyone. This had been a very nice house at one time. But now…

She must have fallen asleep. The next morning she was awakened by a noise from outside. When she opened the door, there were Jesse and Bubba!

“This is my neighborhood. I lived next door, but no one’s around here anymore,” announced Jesse. “Mom and I found my aunt and uncle at the school. I don’t know your name but I wanted to thank you for helping us last night. The pilot said he’d seen you come down here. This is where my best friend lived. He drowned.” Jesse wiped his dark brown eyes with his sleeve. Kate put her arms around him and he collapsed sobbing.

“It’s okay, Jesse. At least you found your people. And you have Bubba. And my name is Kate.”

“Okay. So what’s in all this for you? You’re not from here; don’t talk like you’re from New Orleans. So what do you want?”

“Jesse, you know about 9/11?”

“Who doesn’t?”

“My husband was killed that day. I’m alive and I want to help others that are hurting.”

“Yeah, and I bet after all this you’ll go back to a pretty house and abandon those dogs you’re feeding right now.”

“No,” said Kate slowly, “I have a lot of property back home for them to run. I’ll take them. Somehow.”

After 9/11 and the death of her husband in New York, Kate had taken leave of her law practice, and become a hermit at her horse farm in Virginia. The hired help just shook their heads, but went about their business of taking care of the farm. Kate wasn’t particularly interested in horse breeding, that had been her husband’s interest. She had been thinking about selling off the animals but keeping the estate.

But now she was thinking about how much land the dogs had to run on. This meant a few phone calls. The first was to her friend Matt Driver who owned a farm not far from hers. Matt’s interest in horses went as far as boarding them. He wasn’t interested in the breeding and fox hunting so popular in this part of Virginia. An animal lover, he was happy in taking care of them and rescuing those who had been battered victims. No one realized how wealthy he was; all they saw was a rather handsome man in tattered old clothes who love the outside. His housekeeper shook her head when it came to getting him to dress appropriately for a business meeting, social, or church. Now about forty years old, Matt had never been caught up in the social whirl of his brothers’ lives. He had married right out of college, but his wife was looking for the life he turned his back on. Taking care of animals was not her idea of a country club life, and so the marriage had ended.

Matt was musing over a second cup of coffee when the phone call came through.

“Kate! Where are you? No one has seen you for about a week!”

He listened patiently as she explained what she had done.

“Matt, I came here in a rental car. I need something bigger.” She explained about the dogs, and told him about Jesse. Kate told him that she was staying at a motel away from the city where it was dryer and had the dogs boarded at a kennel quite a ways away.

“I can be there tomorrow with a van,” said Matt. “Between your property and mine those dogs will have plenty of room to romp. What is Jesse doing at the moment?”

“He’s pretty upset. You can imagine how this upheaval would affect a youngster who has led a pretty smooth life. His family is very respected around here.”

“Would it help him to get away for awhile? He could help me with the animals. School is out and his folks are probably in a turmoil as to what he should do this summer.”

“He won’t leave Bubba behind.”

“So bring Bubba.”

“Are you kidding? You are going to have a zoo!”

“It will be fun and will help Jesse and the four footed critters. If you can hang on to that rental or get a bigger one to fit all of you, I’ll meet you half way with my van and we can divide up.”

Kate sighed as she hung up. That wife of his was a fool to throw over such a humanitarian guy.

She approached Lisa who was amazed. “It sounds like a wonderful opportunity. It’s going to take at least the summer to clean up this mess. Jesse is sensitive; I just didn’t realize how sensitive.”

“He’ll have a good time,” said Kate. “It will be a good experience.”

Lisa hesitated. “What about interacting with other kids?”

“You mean the race situation?” Kate laughed. “The kids who live with their families on the farms are a mixed bag: white, Afro-American, Mexican, you name it. That is no problem!”

Lisa smiled. “Okay. My husband said to do what would be best, and I see this as a healing situation for Jesse.” She paused. “What about you? Are you healing?”

Kate smiled sadly. “Maybe I’m being a little selfish. I’m using Jesse as part of my healing program. And I love dogs.”



The next day Kate, Jesse and the dogs set out to South Carolina. Jesse was responsible for keeping the animals under control in the van that Kate had rented. They started early and traveled late. Matt was waiting for them with a big grin at a prearranged stop. He had arranged for the dogs to be put up at a kennel and had gotten motel rooms for the three of them.

They split up the next morning, putting the mother and her pups in the van that Matt had driven. He took Jesse with him to give Kate a break and to get acquainted.

By the time they got to Matt’s farm, he and Jesse were on good friend terms, laughing and joking. It was decided that Matt would take Jesse and Bubba since Jesse was going to help on the farm. Matt’s housekeeper welcomed Jesse and helped him decide which bedroom he wanted in the huge house. This was not a typical farm house.

Kate took the mother dog that she named Katrina and the pups who were named Stormy, Windy and Tiny.



As the summer moved along, Jesse made friends with the staff’s youngsters, Kate became caught up with Matt in caring for Jesse, and the animals were friends with everyone.

Some of the families in the surrounding area with farms had taken in youngsters from the flood area, and Kate set up schedules where they could come and be around her horses. The more gentle ones allowed the children to ride them, and seemed to look forward to these times.

How wonderful it is for these animals and children to interact, thought Kate one morning as she went about her tasks. She was healing along with the children. Each day was worth getting up and finding projects to do. Matt was there to help her. She seemed to see more of him than she ever had when she was caught up in horse shows and the fox hunts. She put down her cup of coffee when someone knocked at the back door. It wasn’t so long ago when she had left that task to her housekeeper, but more and more she was interacting with the people around her.

“Hi.” Matt stood there in his work clothes with a big grin on his face. He enjoyed having Jesse with him for the summer. “Jesse’s going on a sleepover tonight with a friend. Thought we might go out and get some dinner together.”

She had denied her feelings for Matt, but more and more she felt herself drawn to him as they worked with the visiting youngsters and animals. I’m a mess, she thought. Hair not combed or styled in how long? Ratty old jeans and Dan’s shirts that should have been given away a long time ago.

“Er, what time? I have some things to do today.”

“Whatever fits your schedule. Jesse going with his friend and parents to a horse show and then spending the night with them.”

Her thoughts flew around the room. “Seven?”

“That’s good. See you then.”

Kate raced to the phone. She needed to do something with her hair. Then maybe a new outfit. She hadn’t done the social scene in quite awhile



When Matt came to the door that evening Kate had had her blond hair highlighted and styled and had bought a new pastel skirt with a summer weight sweater. Matt’s breath was taken away, but he also had invested in some new garb.

Dinner stretched out as they spoke about the last few years and what they had been through. They would miss Jesse when he went back to New Orleans. His section of the city was managing to clean up. His dad, a doctor, had been busy at the hospital all summer, and his mother had just found out that she would be going back to her teaching position in the fall.

Kate talked about losing her husband during 9/11 for the first time in a long time. Matt brought up his marriage saying that he was not a country club type, he preferred being outside with his workmen. He enjoyed taking care of the animals. His dog, Buddy, would definitely miss Bubba when he left. The Devereaus were coming to get Jesse in a few weeks.

Matt touched her hand, causing a jolt of warmth in Kate she had not felt in a long time. “Your hands look as if they belong to a working woman,” he said. “Not a socialite.”

“I don’t miss that life,” she whispered. “The way things are now I feel needed.”

He nodded. “You are.”

Matt paid the bill and they left the restaurant. “Feel like walking around for an awhile?”

“It’s a beautiful evening,” said Kate.

He held her hand as they walked and looked into the windows of the small town shops. “I’ve noticed how these kids ask to go to church. I wonder how their past attendance has been back home.”

“Probably not good,” Kate mused. “But there are times you need a greater power in your life. You just want someone else giving you a clue as to what to do.”

“Sounds like you’re talking about yourself. I know it sounds like me. After the divorce I suddenly noticed that the so called friends I had were the husbands of Ruth’s friends. But life without them was better than following them around. Sometimes animals are smarter than humans.”

Kate agreed, she had loved her husband, but really had no interest in breeding horses. She had enjoyed watching the children and animals enjoy each other’s company. She still didn’t know what she’d do with the farm.

They had reached the car and Matt drove slowly to her house. The farm road was dark. “You need to get some lights.”

“I know. I’m going to make a call on Monday and get an estimate.”

He walked with her up to the house, unlocked the door for her and asked if he could come in for a minute.

Kate hesitated. She remembered how her friends’ husbands had tried to treat her

He looked at her shyly as he put his arms around her. “I think about you all the time,” he murmured. “I would like to see you more often away from the animals, much as I care about them.”

Kate didn’t know what to say. She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath. “I’ve enjoyed being with you helping with the children and the animals. It’s going to be lonely when these kids go home. Jesse has really blossomed. He’s obviously a bright youngster, but he’s been great with the younger ones.”

“Maybe his parents would let him come back next summer and help out with the animals. I’m thinking that I’d like to open up the place in the summer to youngsters who need help in some way.”

“What a great idea! We could combine both our places. I’ve enjoyed this summer so much. Jesse is responsible He said something to me back in New Orleans about the fact that I’d come back to a pretty house and forget about the animals I had rescued. I made up my mind that I would take that as a challenge.” She smiled as she thought back.

“You were really great with all those kids and animals. It was great that so many of them were able to bring their pets. Good thing there’s plenty of land here!” He grinned and shook his head. “But you didn’t answer me about us.”

“Let me have some time when everyone goes home. I need some privacy to sort things out.”

“I understand. Church tomorrow? It will be the last time we expose the parish to all these visitors!”



Parents poured into the farms to pick up their young ones and animals to find that their children had had a summer of peace they would not have had if they had stayed in New Orleans. Lisa Devereau said that if Kate and Matt wanted to do something the following summer they would see about rounding up some college students to help out. Dr. and Mrs. Devereau were also willing to contribute some money and see about getting others to help. Finally the last van pulled out with a chorus of goodbyes.



In the days that followed there was a quiet that at one time had been typical. Matt came over to Kate’s place one afternoon and talked to her. “I feel as if I’m living in a ghost town,” he said, the first time he visited.

“I know what you mean,” said Kate, feeling sad and missing Jesse.

“We have time to be together, now.”

“What are we going to do during the winter,” she asked.

“Any number of things,” he grinned. “There’s always someone to help. There’s always the country club and bridge.”

“No,” she shook her head. “Not interested.”

“What about us?” he asked.

Kate stood and walked around restlessly.” I’m not interested in the social life around here. I never was. I preferred reading a good book.”

“Then do it.” He stood and put his arms around her. “I love you, Kate. I think of marriage when I think of you.”

Kate gasped. She had not been happy in her first marriage and did not want a repeat. “I enjoy being with you. Doing things like church activities with you, eating at small diners, walks…”

“Whoa! That’s what I want, too. I won’t propose today, but I’d like you to consider it. I want a simple life and to help out kids during the summer.”

“I love you, Matt”, she whispered. “Everything is going so fast.”

“Let’s just be together for now. The rest will take care of itself. But I want us to think about a wedding next year.”

Kate’s heart was beating and she felt a warmth she had never felt before. Her feelings for her husband had never been like this.

They walked out to the stable holding hands, knowing that these huge estates would be used in the future to help others.






HEY! and don't forget to e-mail Charlotte Ann Zuzak if you have a comment!


zuz@zoominternet.net

Author's Note: Charlotte has a bachelor’s degree from Albion College and a master’s from the University of Michigan, both in foreign languages. In addition to writing, Charlotte enjoys a career as church organist and accompanist for voice students at Grove City College. At the moment she is also studying the Celtic harp. She and her husband, a retired college dean, travel extensively throughout western and eastern Europe. In July ’05 they traveled to Poland. They have a daughter who is an MD.

Charlotte’s travel plans for 2006 include Spain, Russia and Sicily. She taught Spanish on the high school and college level for thirty years before turning back to her original major, music.

Charlotte’s poetry and short stories have been published in The Storyteller, Apropos, Cochran’s Corner, Hidden Oak and several other publications.





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