Rascal Page #7

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and homework's done...

and that there's soup

on the back of the stove.

Somebody, Papa,

has got to do the worrying.

And it's a father's job mostly.

And if a father

wants to chase dreams...

Theo, there's no point

in going into all that.

Papa, I'm afraid there is.

Because I'm going

to have to do your job.

Because I know

what'll happen to Sterling.

What is happening

to him right now.

I can feel

the loneliness in him.

Why, he never said a word.

No, Papa, he wouldn't.

He's too proud to tell you...

that he needs

something in his life...

besides a yellow dog

and a pet raccoon.

Papa... face up to it.

Be honest with yourself.

Don't go running off

to Wentworth Woods...

or out to Minnesota.

Don't go chasing after

the biggest turkey...

in the state of Illinois.

Just stop and ask yourself if

you're being fair to that boy.

Theo?

Oh.

Well, Norman.

I saw the lights.

Thought it might

have been Theo.

You couldn't sleep either, huh?

Well, join the club.

Cup of coffee?

Thank you.

Mr. North, could you tell me

what's going on?

I mean, first Theo drops me off

in the middle of town...

and now she's hardly

even speaking to me.

Am I engaged or aren't I?

And if so, why?

Norman, sit down.

Norman, the longer I live,

the more I'm convinced...

no, the less I'm convinced...

that I know the answer

to anything.

Norman! Norman!

Papa! Sterling!

Theo!

-Norman, oh!

Honey, what's wrong?

That is what's wrong!

I reached out in my sleep,

and it...

What happened?

Where's Rascal?

Downstairs.

-Rascal!

What's going on?

Rascal's trying

to get out again.

Rascal! Now, how many times

do I have to tell you...

He bit me.

I'll get the iodine.

MISS WHALEN.' Sterling,

don't get too fond of him.

He won't always be young.

There'll come a day

when old Mother Nature...

will reach across your shoulder

and tap his ear...

and he'll tell you

that it's time to go.

Come here, son.

Take care of these bites.

He didn't mean it, Pa.

He just wants to ramble.

Hurt?

It just stings a little.

Hmm.

Pa?

Hmm?

I'm gonna have to let him go.

Well, that's the way it is,

Sterling.

Things change.

We can't always keep them

the way we'd like them to be.

We all have

to grow up sometime.

Raccoons and boys, too.

Even fathers, I guess.

He'll ramble for a while.

That's just

some people's nature.

But he'll get over it.

He'll get over it.

He'll get smart, settle down.

Might even rent that little

office over Pringle's store.

Just as Miss Whalen

had said it would...

the time had come.

Old Mother Nature had whispered

her mysterious message.

Rascal had heard and heeded...

and now I knew

I had to take him back...

to the world

where he really belonged.

As we came near the shore...

I heard a little call...

a trilling sound,

almost bird-like.

It was another raccoon,

a little female...

chittering at us.

Not so much at me

as at Rascal.

I wondered if he'd heard her,

half hoping he hadn't.

But it was soon clear

that he had.

He could hardly wait to land.

Though I was sorry

to see him go...

it helped to know he wouldnt

be alone in the world.

Just once he looked back

to see if I was still there...

I think he was sort of

saying good-bye.

Well, now I knew

my little raccoon...

could take care of himself,

no doubt about that.

And so I left him.

Our wonderful summer was over.

In his way,

he seemed to know it, too...

for he came back to give me

one final farewell.

A character, a personality...

and a ring-tailed wonder.

It was all

a long, long time ago...

a different time,

a mellow time...

and as I think of it now,

the happiest of times.

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