Elm Creek: A Readymade Family, Volume 1

24

TWENTY FOUR

The next activity they came upon was a pen of baby goats that visitors could feed by bottle. There were several children and a few adults in the enclosure feeding some of them. The rest were anxiously jumping up on them and even pulling on their clothes, obviously hungry.

The sight made Hâroon remember Sâbir O’Connor, a close in age friend of his and ’Itbân’s. At fourteen, Sâbir had started coming over regularly to Elm Creek and had been given the assignment of bottle-feeding baby goats who had lost their mothers. Sâbir had since started up a small goat farm where he raised and bred goats along with producing goat milk and cheese.

Yusrâ screeched in a way that was so similar to Ibrâhîm that Hâroon thought it had been her brother for a second. Then she ran to the pen. It seemed to catch Ibrâhîm’s attention too, for he screamed excitedly and then tugged Hâroon in the same direction.

“I think we found something he likes,” Brandon remarked as he and his wife followed. “I told you we would.”

Hâroon was feeling hopeful, too, as he stopped at the pen beside Yusrâ. As soon as they reached it, Ibrâhîm attempted to climb over and he had to pull him back. “No, Ibrâhîm,” he said with a laugh. “We have to pay first.”

“I want to feed a baby!” Yusrâ said. “Can we?”

“Of course,” Hâroon said. As his eyes scanned the area and found a nearby booth where the bottles were being prepared for the customers and headed toward it. “Come on, kids. Let’s go and get some milk for them.”

Yusrâ willingly followed, but Ibrâhîm didn’t want to leave the goat pen. He was watching in fascination as other children and some adults fed the animals. Hâroon knew he couldn’t leave him unattended, but when he tried to lead Ibrâhîm toward the booth they were going to, he resisted. Then he started to whine.

“I’ll get the bottles,” Brandon said. “How many?”

“Two,” Hâroon said. He had hope that Ibrâhîm might actually be interested in feeding the goats.

Brandon grinned. “Don’t want one for yourself, too? I see some adults in there.”

Hâroon laughed. “No, thank you. If my brother catches wind that I paid to bottle-feed a goat after growing up on a farm, I’ll never hear the end of it. And he’ll be sure to tell each and every one of our cousins, too.”

Brandon laughed. “Okay then.” He accepted the ticket strip from Hâroon and dashed off to get the bottles. Elena followed.

When the couple returned, they had four bottles rather than the two Hâroon expected. Brandon grinned. “You may have grown up on a farm and had plenty of experience bottle-feeding goats, but we haven’t. I thought we’d have a turn, too.”

Hâroon smiled. “By all means. Don’t let me stop you.” He took the two bottles and handed one to Yusrâ. Then he carried Ibrâhîm’s and led the two to the latched door of the enclosure, which was opened for them by an older man in the employee uniform.

They entered, Brandon and Elena behind them, and a group of baby goats who had not yet been fed set upon them, jumping on them and even nibbling their clothes. Both Ibrâhîm and Yusrâ shrieked with laughter.

Brandon and Elena each offered a bottle to a goat; and Yusrâ followed suit giggling as it suckled hungrily. “Look, Daddy!”

“I see you, hon.” He smiled and then looked at her brother.

He and Ibrâhîm were surrounded by three goats but only had a bottle for one. That didn’t seem to bother Ibrâhîm. He was happily petting the animals and laughing as they nibbled at his clothes. It was as good a time as any to give him the bottle and see if he knew what to do.