Maria_(2)

As part of my education for becoming a veterinarian I was required to do some work with a large animal veterinarian. My coordinator had recommended a Dr. Miller who did work with farmers in the southern part of the state about a 2-hour drive away. He said Dr. Miller had worked with many veterinary students and was very good at explaining why things were being done and not just what was being done. He was also good at having the student do the job and not just observing. This sounded good to me. He called the doctor and we arranged for me to work with him the next week.

Monday morning I left my apartment at 4:00 in the morning for the 2-hour drive to meet Dr. Miller at his office between 6:00 and 6:30. I arrived just after 6:00. Dr. Miller had a small one bedroom apartment that was above his office. He had explained that he used this for veterinarians that covered for him when he was on vacation. I would be staying there for the week instead of making the 2-hour drive there and back each day. I put my bag in the room and heard the phone ringing downstairs. His wife, the receptionist, answered the phone and soon Dr. Miller and I were off on the first call of the day.

We got into his car and were off to a nearby dairy farm. The farmer there had 3 cows in labor and the farmer suspected that 2 were breaching. He could have handled 1, but not 2 with a third cow in labor. We arrived and went into the barn. In 4 consecutive stalls were the 3 cows obviously in labor and a fourth cow very much pregnant.

“Thanks for coming Morris,” said the man in one of the stalls, who I was introduced to as Mr. Anderson.

“They always come in bunches, don’t they?” said Dr. Miller.

Before there was time to respond one of the cows let out a loud bellow. We moved over to the stall and Mr. Anderson and Dr. Miller started working on the cow. They pushed and prodded attempting to adjust the calf to facilitate the birth. The rear legs emerged followed by the remainder of the calf within 15 minutes. Within a few minutes a second cow was giving birth normally. The third cow, the other breech, bellowed. We turned our attention to her. Dr. Miller instructed me on ways to position the calf to make it as easy as possible. The hind feet began to emerge as expected. Then I noticed concern on the doctor’s and farmer’s faces.

“It’s twins,” said Dr. Miller.

I was about to ask how they knew when I noticed a second set of hooves. We were able to get the first calf out quickly and the second calf was born soon after. I learned later that with twins usually one calf was born breech and the second born normally. However one or both calves usually ended up dead. We were lucky. Because our attention was on the twins we hadn’t noticed the fourth cow had gone into labor and delivered her calf. 5 healthy calves and 4 mothers little worse for the wear was not a bad start to the day and the week.

The week continued. Some people came to Dr. Miller’s office with single portable animals. Other times we drove to farms or houses to see cows, horses, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens and turkeys. We even treated some cats and dogs.

On Friday I drove my car. I followed Dr. Miller in his car as we visited his clients. At the end of the day I was going to drive back home. We drove to several farms that day. With all of the dirt roads and their twists and turns I had lost the sense of where exactly I was and the direction to get home. After we finished at our last stop Dr. Miller gave me directions to get to a familiar highway. I shook his hand and thanked him for an interesting and educational week.

I headed off looking forward to being home in a few hours. I headed north on a very dusty and rough dirt road that appeared to get very little use. Plants were growing between the tire ruts on both sides and sometimes growing in from the sides of the road. I hit a larger than normal bump as I crossed a bridge over a small creek. The engine stopped abruptly. I coasted to a stop moving as close to the edge of the road as I could comfortably. I tried starting the car with no success. The gas gauge read half full. I opened the hood of the car, but I saw no obvious problem. I closed the hood and looked around. About a half mile up the road I saw a house that did not look like the farm houses I had seen all week. This was a relatively new house. It was positioned in the middle of a few acres of well groomed lawn and was much closer to the road than most of the farm houses. There was a car in the driveway, so I decided to walk to the house. I walked up the driveway past the car. It smelled like the engine was still warm. I walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. I didn’t hear the bell from the outside, so I knocked 3 times. There was still no answer. I thought I heard some music playing from behind the house. I walked around to toward the back of the house. As I reached the corner of the house I stopped quickly. In middle of the backyard about a dozen feet from the back door was a young lady approximately my age, maybe a little younger, lying on a reclined lawn chair. She was completely nude. I stared at her breasts moving up and down as she breathed. She had beautiful long brown hair cascading off the sides and top end of the chair. I stumbled slightly as I took a small step back. A dog’s head, a German Shepherd, popped up from the other side of the lawn chair. He looked my way and quickly ran to within 6 feet of me. He barked and growled, but stayed 6 feet in front of me.

“What is it Max?”, said the young lady as she turned and looked toward Max and I.

Definitely surprised and shocked she grabbed a towel and covered herself.

“Max, stop!” she said. “What do you think you are you doing here?” she said with irritation in her voice.

I paused a couple of seconds taking in the beauty of the young woman holding the towel in place.

“I’m sorry to surprise you. My car stopped running just down the road. Your house was the closest. I rang the doorbell and knocked, but there was no answer. I heard the music playing and followed the sound,” I explained.

“What do you want from me?” she asked still irritated and maybe even slightly angry.

“Do you know someone I can call to come look at my car?” I questioned.

She stared at me for a few moments and then smiled, almost laughing.

“Ah, yes I can call Hank. He is a mechanic in a nearby town,” she offered. “You go around to the front door and let me go inside and get dressed. By the way my name is Maria.”

“Thanks Maria! My name is Andy,” I returned.

“I will meet you at the front door in a few minutes,” she said waiting for me to move.

I walked around to the front on the house. I heard her call Max and then heard the back door open and close. A few minutes later I saw her look out her front window toward my car down the rode. She opened the front door, now dressed in a light sweatshirt and sweatpants. These of course hid the beautiful body I had seen earlier.

“Come on in,” Maria said in a welcoming voice. “I’ll find the mechanic’s number. Sorry for sounding angry, but I definitely was not expecting anybody to come by.”

In a few minutes she was dialing the mechanic. When Hank answered she explained the situation and handed the phone to me. I explained to him what happened. He explained that he was in the middle of some other work and because of that would not be able to retrieve the car until the next morning. I repeated this out loud for Maria to hear. I thanked Hank and handed the phone back to Maria. She listened to Hank for a bit and then thanked him before hanging up.

“Well I guess I sleep in my car tonight. Thanks so much for your help. Sorry for catching you ‘unprepared’ earlier,” I said turning back toward the door.

“Wait do you want something for supper?” Maria asked. “I don’t get many visitors, especially good looking ones.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve been in barns and around animals all day. I wouldn’t be a pleasant smelling dinner companion,” I explained.

“You could take a shower here while I make supper,” she quickly offered.

“Ok. If you don’t mind,” I said shyly. “I’ll go get my bag.”

I moved to the door and opened it. Max rushed out. Maria assured me Max wouldn’t go far. I walked to my car with Max at my side. Max was jumping around like a puppy with a new friend. I grabbed my suitcase and my medical bag. Max and I walked back to the house. Once inside I went to the bathroom and took a shower. The only soap available was a very flowery, perfumed soap. I came out of the bathroom in a fresh set of clothes smelling like a flower garden. I put my bags by the front door. Whatever Maria was cooking smelled wonderful.

“It’s almost ready. Can you put out plates and silverware?” Maria asked.

I went into the kitchen and found the stack of things Maria was referring to. I put everything in place on the small table near the kitchen door. Soon Maria came out and put a casserole dish on the table, then went back to the kitchen to retrieve a pitcher of water. I pulled out her chair and helped her get positioned at the table before sitting down myself. Along with the chicken, rice, asparagus, and cheese casserole she had put out a bowl of mixed fresh fruit.

“The strawberries and raspberries are from my garden. I bought the pineapple and blueberries from store yesterday. I hope you like the casserole it has a little curry to spice it up,” Maria explained.

“I love things spiced with curry and fruit is always welcome,” I responded.

The meal tasted as good as it smelled. While we ate she told me that she was a writer. She did freelance work for a number of publishers and had written a couple of books that had been published and was working on a murder mystery now. She had built the house here on her grandfather’s land because she liked the quiet and solitude to do her writing. I enjoyed a good-sized second helping. After we finished eating I washed the dishes with Maria.

After we finished the dishes she asked, “Do you have your medical equipment with you?”

“Yes,” I answered somewhat puzzled.

“Could you give Max a quick checkup?” she asked.

“Sure!” I answered. “Do you think there is something wrong with Max?”

“No, but out here there are so many things he can get into,” she replied.

I got my medical bag and we sat down with Max between us. Before I started there was a knock at the door. Maria got up and opened the door.

“Grandpa!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“I noticed the car parked down the road when I was out in the field. I just wanted to see if things were ok,” said her grandfather.

I stood and approached the door.

“It is my car sir. It just stopped running,” I explained.

“Hello young man,” he said looking me over. “Didn’t I meet you earlier this week?”

I looked at him more closely.

“Yes sir.