Ortega Family Adventures: Part 4

Ortega Family Adventures
Meeting New Friends

         

H

elena said, "They aren't hoppers, Max." Down the trail, about four yards, was a family of dark brown Hares. The family consisted of two adults, male and female, an adolescent, and three young ones. One of the adults wore a dark green vest with several pockets and a pouch on a strap hung from his shoulder. The other adult wore an orange sundress and also had a pouch hung across her body. The adolescent wore a yellow sundress. The other young wore a mix of dresses and vests. All wore sandals.
         The larger male Hare raised up to his full yard height and asked, "What is your intention?"
         Max ran the four yards to the adult male and wrapped his arms around him and said with his face buried in the Hare's vest, "I love you."
         The Hare was caught off-guard by Max hugging him. He'd raised his arms, froze, then lowered them, and said, "I ... I guess your intent was to hug me?"
         "I am so sorry," Helena said, then added. "They are young."
         "We understand. We are new to the neighborhood," the other adult Hare said as she hop-loped up to her mate.
         "I am Helena, the little human boy hugging you is Max, the Troll-boy is my brother Harris, the Dwarf-boy is Yuri, the young human girl is Selena, the elf girl is Issolya and the little Bear-boy is ..." Helena said, but was interrupted by Banu.
         "Banardu Toller the fourth," Banu said, paused, then added. "I mean Banardu Toller-Ortega!"
         "He is my brother," Selena said.
         "I am Alvi Classnu, this is my wife Lynna, my daughters Shenna," the male Hare waved at the adolescent Hare, then continued. "Mynna, Cylna and Ollna."
         Shenna hop-loped up to Banu and said, "I've never met an Ursoid before. You are cute!"
         Banu stood frozen.
         Selena broke the spell when she said, "He is eight!"
         "I am almost nine!" Banu replied.
         "Would you like a hug?" Shenna asks.
         Banu looks shocked for a moment, then nods his head slowly. Shenna was about Banu's height, so she gently put her arms around him, and Banu hugged her back. He whispers, "You smell nice."
         Shenna replies, "Thank you. You do too."
         "I wanna hug a bunny," Yuri said.
         Mynna hopped up to Yuri. He hesitated for a moment, then opened his arms. She was not quite up to his shoulder, but had no problem holding the young Dwarf.
         Ollna hopped up to Selena and asked, "Hold?"
         Selena doesn't answer but dropped her bike, knelt, then opened her arms. Ollna jumps into her arms with a squeal.
         Cylna hopped up to Issolya and looked at her. Issolya knelt, picked up the bunny a cradled her, and whispered, "You are so cute!"
         Harris stood, and shifted from foot to foot. Lynna stepped around her husband, who still had Max firmly attached, and hop-loped up to Harris, and asked, "Would you like a hug young one?"
         "Oh please," Harris answered, but didn't move.
         "Well, you are going to have to come down here, I can't reach you up there," Lynna said.
         Harris knelt, so his face was the same height as Lynna. She wrapped her arms around the young Troll's neck, and he hugged her back, a big smile on his face.
         "Welcome to the neighborhood, I guess?" Helena said as she sat down.
         "Thank you. This is an unexpected welcome," Mr. Classnu said.
         It was several minutes before the Hares could separate themselves from the children. Max was the last to let go, telling Alvi that he loved him over and over. For his part, Mr. Classnu was gentle with the child as he extricated himself.
         "I hesitate to ask, but we could use some help," Mr. Classnu said to Helena.
         "What is it I can do for you?" Helena replied, she stayed sitting on the ground.
         "Well, we arrived last night from ... our home world?" Mr. Classnu said with hesitation.
         "Oh. You passed through a portal? I didn't know any were active in this area,” Helena said, then added. “Then again, smaller ones do pop into and out of existence fairly regularly.”
         Mr. Classnu looked relieved, and said, "Oh good, I don't have to explain. We came through in a hurry and brought only what we could carry. We ate all our food last night and ..."
         "No, problem! Children fork over your snacks to the Classnus!" Helena ordered.
         All the children opened their backpacks or hip pouches and pulled out dried fruit for the Hares. Helena pulled off her backpack and pulled out a water bottle and some cups. She also pulled out a lot of food: cut vegetables and fruit, dried cheese and meat and bread. She spread it out on a small blanket and said, "Please help yourselves to as much as you want."
         She then passed out the cups to the Hares and poured water for each, while the children handed out their food. Mr. and Mrs. Classnu joined Helena and ate and drank.
         "I am sorry, Sheena. I only have a little fruit today. I mostly brought jerky. You can have that if you want," Banu said after opening his backpack.
         "What's jerky?" Sheena asked.
         "Dried meat," Banu said as he showed her what food he had.
         "Ewww. No, thank you, but I'd like the grapes."
         "Go ahead, take them. They are really sweet."
         Sheena ate a few grapes then said, "Thank you so much. I am very hungry."
         "You are welcome," Banu said, then added quietly, almost a whisper. "Thank you for hugging me."
         Sheena finished her grape and said in a whisper, "It must be hard for you to be away from your people."
         "Yes, no, maybe ... I don't know. I only remember feelings and like being held by my mom but," Banu paused, sniffed, then said. "But I don't remember what she or my father looked like. I've never met anyone else like me."
         "Oh, that is so sad. You are really brave. I don't know what I would do without my family."
         Banu just nodded.
         "There is another family like yours, uh, Hares(?) that lives in the same place we live. On a different floor. I haven't met them, but I have seen them," Banu said.
         "Really? Like us? Here?"
         "Uh-huh."
         "That is good news. We were worried that this world would have people who wouldn't like us."
         "Oh, there are people like that here. There are few of the kids who go to our school that are just mean to me and my friends. We do our best to ignore and avoid them."
         "That's sad, but there are bullies everywhere, I guess. I am still hungry. I am going to see if Helena has more food, OK?"
         "Yeah, go ahead."
         Shenna hopped over to her parents and Helena and sat down. She fished a piece of dried pineapple out of a bag and tried it.
         "Wow! This is good! What is it?" Shenna asked.
         "That is dried pineapple. It comes from South America. Fresh is even better," Helena answered.
         Mr. and Mrs. Classnu also tried the pineapple. Then Sheena's sisters hopped over and tried some of the fruit. They all agreed that pineapple was good. They ate the rest of the fruit and vegetables and the cheese and bread that Helena had brought.
         "OK! Let's finish the loop and go back to our starting point," Helena said loudly as she stood up, then added. "Mr. Classnu, you and your family are welcome to come with us. Mrs. Lin will have some idea how to help you, I think."
         Mr. Classnu nodded and called his family to follow the others.
         As they walked back to the starting point, they continued to move large rocks and trash out of the path. Once they reached Mrs. Lin, Helena introduced the Classnus to her.
         "Let me call Mrs. Hartnu and see if she can come down to meet you," Mrs. Lin said, as she pulled her cell phone out of her purse and flipped it open with a practiced gesture. She looked at the screen on the top part then tapped the keys on the lower part, then put it to her ear.
         “Hello Lolna, this is Joysa. How are you?” Mrs. Lin asked paused and listened then asked. “Good. Are you available to come down to the orchard area now? We have some new people I’d like you to meet. They are of your species.”
         Another pause, then Mrs. Lin said, “Classnu?”
         Another pause then, “You know them? Lovely. OK, see you soon.”
         Mrs. Classnu asked, “The Hartnus are here? That is good news.”
         “Her middle boy is the same age as Shenna,” Mrs. Classnu said, then turned to Shenna and asked. “You remember Mikko, don’t you?”
         “Mikko? Yes! He disappeared months ago,” Shenna answered.
         “Well, he might be here! We will know in a little while.”
         “Neat,” Shenna said.