NATURE'S WAY (OF DECEIVING YOU)
by
Ronald Verstraten
It was almost dinner time and knowing that they were soon
going to be fed, the elder dogs barked and walked nervously
along the fence of their kennel. The puppies howled along
on account of an everlasting feeling of hunger.
Suddenly the dogs stopped barking and moved to the back. The
puppies, not understanding, kept moving in front. Jean-
Jacques came in their direction so they waved their tales.
They didn't know yet, that whenever Jean-Jacques approached
the dogs, he'd have his stick ready. The elder dogs knew,
as well as the boy's pleasure in violently beating with it
against the kennel. Or poking through it, trying to hurt
them,in search of satisfying his sadistic needs. They kept
quiet, respectfully.
With his mouth open at one corner, almost as if he was
drooling, Jean-Jacques came nearer. Quite unnecessary he
ordered them to shut up, which they already did. Then he
started striking the fence: left, right. Left, right. The
dogs panickedand tried to hide. One of the puppies came too
close and the boy poked him hard roaring with laughter
The puppy screamed with pain, thus making Jean-Jacques'
pleasure even greater.
After some time, when none of the dogs dared to move upfront
anymore, he called it a day and went back to the house. The
dogs remained silent, afraid that the boy might come back,
as he sometimes did when he was bored
The Rousseau's had moved into the village five years before.
Mr. Rousseau was the manager of a large building company in
the neighbouring town. Thanks to his influence new, cheap
family houses had been built on the grounds of the old mill.
The village people had since shown their gratitude by ap
pointing him honorary member of nearly ever local club or
society one could think of.
She was a bit on the quiet side, they thought. Some said
that, being a manager's wife she felt above their sort of -
common - people. Others knew to a certainty that she had a
chronical disease.
Jean-Jacques wasn't known to most of them. He had attended
the local school only for a couple of months, before he went
to the grammar school in the city. He hadn't made any friends.
The neighbours thought him a bit strange, but they weren't
bothered. What did bother them,- however, were the dogs. Five
Beagles and some puppies now and then. The noise they some
times made!!
One thing about Jean-Jacques though: he could quiet them
down. Those dogs apparently respected him.
Being an honorary member of various local societies, carried'
obligations upon mrRousseau from which he could not always
easily withdraw. Some were pleasant, some hardly. But some
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