What The Flock?!? (Sequel to "Not Good Enough")

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Kitti the seagull watched with bemused interest as her mate, Gully, made erratic circles in the sky above her head. He finally made a loud squawk and swooped down toward her. With a soft thud he landed a few feet from her. 

“What’s wrong, Gully?” asked a concerned Kitti as he waddled over to her.

“Oh, it’s terrible, Kitti!” bellowed Gully. “It’s just terrible!!”

“What is?” asked Kitti as she tried to comfort him.

“It’s terrible!!” he repeated. “I mean it’s terr—rri—ble!!”

“What’s wrong?” she tried again.

“I couldn’t believe it!” continued Gully as he started to pace back and forth. “I just can’t believe it!”

“Gully, are you going to tell me what’s wrong or not?” demanded Kitti.

“Yep, I am,” replied Gully. “But it’s awful, Kitti. It’s just plain awful.”

“Gully,” yelled Kitti. “Take ten deep breaths to calm yourself and then tell me what’s wrong!”

“Okey-dokey,” agreed Gully as he stopped pacing and opened his mouth to breathe. “Uh, that’s one. And that’s two. And that’s three…”

“Gully!!” shouted Kitti as she grabbed him by the neck. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s terrible!” he choked as she let go of him.

“Did you see someone?” she tried again.

“Yep, I did,” he replied as he swallowed hard to straighten his neck back out.

“And who did you see?” she continued as she lowered her voice and started stroking his wing.

“Mr. Pelitan!” declared Gully.

“What about Mr. Pelitan?” asked a concerned Kitti.

“He’s dead!” shouted Gully.

“Mr. Pelitan’s dead?” Kitti said as she briefly looked away in disbelief.

“Yep, Mr. Pelitan’s dead!” repeated Gully. “Dead. Dead. Dead!”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know,” offered Gully. “He was just standing there and he didn’t move.”

“Are you sure, Gully?”

“Yep,” declared Gully as he started to pace again. “I said, ‘Hello, Mr. Pelitan,’ and he didn’t say nothing back. He just stood there.”

“He didn’t move at all?” asked Kitti as she fought back the tears swelling in her eyes.

“Nope, he didn’t!” replied Gully as a tear rolled down his beak. “He just stood there making a little noise.”

Kitti looked hard at Gully and smiled, “What noise?”

“Just that noise in his throat,” explained Gully. “And he wouldn’t move!”

Kitti closed her eyes and took a deep sigh before asking, “Did it sound like he was snoring?”

“Well, yep, it sure did,” offered Gully after he thought about it for a moment.

“Gully, dear,” said Kitti in her kindest voice as she started stroking his wing again. “Mr. Pelitan’s not dead.”

“He’s not?”

“No, he was just asleep,” she offered. “You heard him snore.”

“Yep, he was snoring,” pondered Gully. “Whew! I’m glad Mr. Pelitan’s not dead.”

“Me too,” smiled Kitti. “Me too.” 

From high above them came a “Good morning, you two lovebirds,” as the pelican swooped down to join the seagulls. 

“Hello, Mr. Pelitan,” offered Kitti as he joined her and Gully.

“Mr. Pelitan!” gasped Gully. “You’re alive!!”

“Why, yes, indeed, I am,” replied a perplexed pelican.

“I’m so glad!” declared Gully as he hugged Mr. Pelitan. “Kitti and me thought you was dead!”

“You thought I had died?”

“It’s a long story,” offered Kitti. “I’ll tell you about it one day.”

“Well, I just stopped by to see how you and the hatchlings are doing,” declared Mr. Pelitan.

“We all are very well, thank you,” replied Kitti as she turned her attention to the bushes. “Children come here. Mr. Pelitan is here to see you.” 

From the coverings of the nearby bushes came waddling two small hatchlings. Kitti beamed with pride as she turned and said, “You remember Larry and Lori don’t you Mr. Pelitan?”

“Why, I most certainly do,” laughed Mr. Pelitan. “And how are you young hatchlings this fine spring morning?”

“Very well, Mr. Pelitan,” replied the two chicks together. Under his breath Larry mumbled, “Smelly Pelly.” Lori snorted as she tried to hold her laughter. Gully glanced at Kitti and then put his head under his wing as his body shook with laughter.

“Children!!” shouted Kitti as she did her best to suppress a smile. “That was not nice at all! You apologize immediately to Mr. Pelitan!”

“We’re sorry Mr. Pelitan,” said the two in unison. Then Larry looked at Kitti and protested, “But Daddy said…”

“We’ll talk about that later, young man,” interrupted his mother as she poked Gully to stop laughing.

“That’s quite all right children,” offered Mr. Pelitan. “I know exactly who influenced you to say that.”

Gully looked at Mr. Pelitan and then Kitti before clearing his throat, “I’m gonna go look for fish in the waterway.”

“Please be careful, Gully,” declared Mr. Pelitan. “There’s been some two-legged mammals there all morning.”

“I won’t bother them none,” offered Gully.

“I know you will not bother them,” Mr. Pelitan said as he shook his head. “Oh, why bother? You’re going to do whatever you’re going to do.”

“Gully, just be careful,” pleaded Kitti.

“Yep, I’ll do it for you,” smiled Gully as he touched his beak to hers.

“Good,” declared Kitti. “And while you’re doing that, I’m going to take the children for a swim.”

“That’s an excellent idea, Kitti,” offered Mr. Pelitan. “That will help strengthen their little legs. But you’re not going to try the ocean are you?”

“Oh, no,” replied Kitti. “They could never handle the current. I’m going to take them to the waterway.”

“Excellent!” pondered Mr. Pelitan. “I take it their wings aren’t strong enough yet to fly.”

“No, they’re not,” responded Kitti. “It’ll be a few more weeks. Though Lori’s tried a few times she’s just not quite able to take flight.”

 “Well, I know it will not be very long before she’s soaring among the clouds,” beamed Mr. Pelitan. “She definitely takes after her mother.” 

While his mother and Mr. Pelitan were talking, Larry’s face contorted with pain until finally there was a big “Pflllfffff” sound.

“Larry!!” said a surprised and shocked Kitti.

“Well, we know who he takes after,” mumbled Mr. Pelitan as Gully rolled his eyes and looked upward as he tried to ignore Kitti’s glare.

“You apologize this very minute, young man,” demanded Kitti as she fought to maintain a stern look.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Pelitan,” said a chastised Larry. “It was just a fart.”

“We do not act that way in public,” declared Kitti. “You are to never do that again when we have company.”

“Yes, ma’am,” offered a humbled Larry. “I was just doing what Daddy does.”

 “You learned that from your father?!?” asked a concerned Kitti as Gully started to tiptoe away toward the waterway.

“Yes, mother, he did,” interjected Lori. “Daddy used to do it when we were in the egg.”

“Yep, he’d sit on us and crack them off,” declared Larry.

“He’d sit on your egg and pass gas?!?” asked a totally bewildered Kitti.

“Yep, he did,” replied Larry as he nodded his head.

“Gully!! yelled Kitti. “Quit trying to leave and get over here!”

“Okey-dokey,” said Gully as he stopped and turned to head back toward his mate.

“I can’t believe you would do that to our eggs,” declared an angry Kitti.

“I have no trouble believing it,” muttered Mr. Pelitan before Kitti gave him a look that made him shrink back and remain quiet.

“Why would you do such a thing?” continued Kitti. “What were you thinking?”

“Yep, it was cold,” declared Gully. “I figured it’d help keep them warm.” 

Kitti looked at her mate and just blinked her eyes. Gully gave a faint smile and then said, “Yep, I did.” Finally, Kitti put her wing around his neck and offered, “We’ll talk about this later. You go on and see if you can find some fish in the waterway. I’ll take the children swimming.”

“Okey-dokey,” said Gully as he turned and took flight toward the inner coastal water.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Pelitan,” offered Kitti as she turned her attention to him and the hatchlings. “I’m afraid there’s never a dull moment in this family.”

“There’s no need for an apology, madam,” declared Mr. Pelitan. “Visiting you flock of seagulls is the highlight of my day. After all, I do consider you to be part of my family.”

“That is very understanding of you,” smiled Kitti. “Now, if you will excuse us, we have a swimming lesson.”

“Very well, Kitti,” laughed Mr. Pelitan. “I shall wait here for your return. You children have fun.”

“We will,” yelled Larry and Lori. “Bye, Mr. Pelitan!” 

The old pelican waved goodbye and then settled onto the ground to take a midday nap. Meanwhile, Gully landed near the water and was immediately intrigued by the two-legged mammals that were nearby. There were two of them, one very tall and the other one quite short. Both were holding long poles out over the water. At the end of each stick was a wire that stretched out for some distance into the waterway. Gully cautiously moved closer as he tried to understand what these two creatures were doing. 

“I’ve got one!” declared the father.

“Pull him in, Dad!” yelled the son as he jumped up and down with excitement. “Pull him in!!”

The father carefully turned the reel until the fish came up out of the water and dangled at the end of the fishing pole. He unhooked the catch and then placed him in the cooler as his son laughed and hugged his father’s leg.

“Now, it’s your turn,” laughed the father. 

It was not long before the young man had snared one. His father helped him turn the reel as the fish fought to break free. As the young man struggled to bring the catch out of the water the fishing line broke. The fish fell into the water and swam away to safety. 

“He got away!!” cried the boy as he flopped down on the ground.

“It’s OK, son,” comforted his father. “We’ll get another one.” 

Gully cocked his head with wonderment as he watched the little mammal cry as it sat on the shore. After thinking for a moment, Gully turned and took flight out over the water. He scanned for any movement as he glided back and forth. Ignoring the two cold steely eyes emerging from the depths, Gully quickly dove into the water. As fast as he could he snared the fish and rose to the skies again. Landing on the shore he paused for a moment to catch his breath. With the catch held firmly in his beak, he waddled over to the mammals. 

The little boy stopped crying and said, “Look, Daddy! That bird’s got my fish!” With amazement the father watched as the seagull approached them and laid the fish down on the sand.

“Daddy, he brought me a fish!” declared the boy.

“You know, I believe he did,” agreed the father as the seagull turned and walked away.

“I got a fish!” yelled the excited youngster. “I got a fish!!”

Watching the scene with amusement, the father shouted, “Hey, bird!” The seagull turned and looked at him. “Thank you,” said the father. 

Gully looked at the taller mammal. It said something to him, but of course, he could not understand the words. All he knew was the little mammal was now happy. Turning his attention to the water, he now took flight and headed toward the eyes he had seen. Before long he swooped down and landed between the eyes on the head of the crocodile. 

“Howdy, Snappy,” declared Gully.

“Is that you, Gully?” asked the reptile.

“Yep, it is,” replied Gully. “What you doing here?”

“Oh, I thought I’d come up the waterway here and see if I can find something to eat,” offered Snappy. “For a moment there I thought I could catch you. But you got away with that fish too fast.”

“I saw you,” declared Gully. “You can’t catch me if I see you.”

“One of these days bird,” laughed the crocodile. “You’re gonna get old and a lot slower. That’s when I’m gonna get you.”

“You’ll be old and slower, too,” offered Gully.

“Well, we’ll see, bird,” smiled Snappy. “We’ll see.”

“Happy hunting,” declared Gully as he took flight again. Soaring above the water he saw Mr. Pelitan snoozing on the sand. He glided to a stop beside the pelican. 

“Hello, Mr. Pelitan,” declared Gully.

“Huh?!? Oh, it’s you, Gully,” said a surprised pelican as he shook the sleep from his head. “You’ve come back already?”

“Yep, I did,” offered Gully. “I said ‘hello’ to Snappy and then I came back.”

“Snappy?” asked a surprised Mr. Pelitan. “The crocodile?”

“Yep, he is,” replied Gully. “He’s in the water looking for something to eat.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” reflected Mr. Pelitan. Suddenly, it dawned on him what this meant. His mouth dropped open as he declared, “Gully! Kitti and the hatchlings are out there in the water!”

“Yep, they are,” agreed Gully. After a moment of thought he let out a loud “Gwaack!!!” and took off into the air with his wings beating as fast as they could. Mr. Pelitan started running and flapping his wings until he was airborne. From high in the sky they could see Kitti and the chicks swimming halfway across the channel. With horror Gully saw two eyes sticking out from under the water as the crocodile headed straight for his family. Mr. Pelitan headed to warn Kitti as Gully flew down and landed between the eyes on the head of the reptile. 

“Kitti!!” shouted Mr. Pelitan. “Get back to the shore!!”

“What’s wrong?” asked a confused Kitti.

“Snappy is headed your way!!” yelled Mr. Pelitan. Kitti looked off into the distance and saw Gully sitting on the head of the fast approaching crocodile. “To the shore, children,” ordered Kitti. “Swim as fast as you can!!”

“They don’t have time to make it,” declared Mr. Pelitan. “They’re going to have to fly!”

“They can’t,” yelled Kitti. “Swim, children, swim.”

“Oh, please hurry, Kitti,” cried Mr. Pelitan. “Please hurry!” 

Gully looked down at the reptile. “Snappy, I need you to stop,” he declared.

“Well, Gully, it looks like I’m not gonna have to eat you after all,” laughed Snappy. “My meal is straight ahead.”

“You can’t eat them!” ordered Gully.

“Oh, yes, I will,” declared Snappy.

“If you do, I’ll peck your eye!” offered Gully.

“Go ahead and try,” smiled Snappy. “I’ll just submerge and then what’re you gonna do? Besides, what’s it to you?”

“That’s my family!” declared Gully. “Please stop, Snappy.”

“Oh, it’s your mate and chicks,” laughed the reptile. “Well, they’ll soon be my dinner.”

“No, Snappy,” cried Gully. “Don’t eat my family!”

“Hey, I have to,” declared Snappy. “It’s what I do.”

“Please, don’t eat my family,” begged Gully.

“I hope you told them goodbye, bird,” laughed Snappy as he swam even faster toward Kitti and the hatchlings.

“You can eat me,” declared Gully.

“What?!?”

“You can eat me,” repeated Gully. “Just don’t eat my family.”

“Are you serious?” asked a totally surprised crocodile.

“Yep, you can eat me,” replied Gully.

“Oh, you say that now, but you’ll try and trick me later,” offered Snappy.

“No, I won’t,” offered Gully. “I’ll stand on the shore, and you can come and eat me.”

“You promise?” asked Snappy as he slowed in his pursuit of the seagulls.

“I promise,” declared Gully. “I’ll stand by the water and you can come and chomp me.”

“Well, I have wondered what you’d taste like,” mused Snappy. “No tricks, right bird?”

“No tricks,” agreed Gully. “But you get one chomp. I’ll stand still for one chomp.”

“That’s all I’ll need,” declared Snappy as he came to a stop in the water. They watched as Kitti and the chicks hasten onto the shore and moved to a safe distance.

“Well, Gully, I’m gonna miss you, but that’s the way it is,” declared Snappy.

“I’m gonna miss me, too,” offered Gully. “I want to say goodbye to my family.”

“I said no tricks,” snapped the crocodile.

“It ain’t no trick,” declared Gully. “I’ll be on the shore.”

“All right then,” snorted Snappy. “But hurry up! My stomach’s empty and I’m starting to get edgy.” 

Gully landed on the shore and joined his family and Mr. Pelitan.

“That was too close for comfort,” declared Mr. Pelitan. “I don’t know what you did, my boy, but once again you came to the rescue.”

“Yep, I did,” agreed Gully as a tear rolled down his beak.

Kitti looked at her mate and then tenderly touched him with her wing. “What did you do, Gully?”

“I told Snappy he could eat me,” replied Gully as he swallowed hard.

“You did what?!?” asked Mr. Pelitan in disbelief.

“Snappy’s gonna eat me,” repeated Gully.

“Gully, did you do that so he wouldn’t eat the chicks?” asked Kitti.

“Yep, I did,” replied Gully.

“Well, I’ve never,” declared Mr. Pelitan. “But you’re here safely on the ground. He can’t get you here.”

“I promised,” revealed Gully. “I said I’d stand on the shore and he could chomp me.”

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever…”

“Mr. Pelitan, be quiet!” ordered Kitti. Turning her attention to her mate she tenderly asked, “You promised him, Gully?”

“Yep, I did,” repeated Gully. “Now, I gotta say goodbye.”

“Gully,” cried Kitti. “I’m so sorry I made you do that. I should have never taken the hatchlings out into the water.”

Gully gently rubbed his beak against hers and said, “I promised you I’d look after you.”

“You have, Gully,” sobbed Kitti. “You even saved me from that giant grasshopper last winter. You’ve always looked after me.”

“Yep, I have,” agreed Gully as he pulled away from her and looked at the chicks. “You two come and hug me.” 

Larry and Lori hugged their father as Kitti continued crying. “Where you going, Daddy?” asked Lori.

“Come here children,” offered Mr. Pelitan as gently as he could. “We’ll explain it to you later.”

The chicks gathered around the pelican as Gully wiped the tears from Kitti’s beak. “I love you,” she said as she smiled weakly.

“Yep, I love me too,” agreed Gully. “Uh, I mean, uh, I love you.”

“I know you do,” offered Kitti.

“Well, I gotta go get eaten,” declared Gully as he backed away from her. The chicks rushed to their mother as she broke down and started crying again. Gully waddled toward the shore as Mr. Pelitan felt his own tears rolling down his pouch. “You’re just going to let him go…” he muttered until his words faded into nothing as he realized there was no stopping Gully from keeping his promise. 

Gully stood on the shore staring at the two cold calculating eyes moving his way in the water.

“Snappy,” he yelled. “You can come and chomp me now!”

“Don’t you move, bird,” shouted Snappy. “I’ve wanted to get you in my mouth for a long time.”

“I ain’t movin’,” declared Gully as he shut his eyes. As he awaited his fate, he allowed himself to think of Kitti. Even with closed eyes he could see her as clear as if she was standing beside him. He smiled as he realized his last thoughts would be about the one who always had faith in him. She never gave up on him even when others tried to convince her he was dumb and stupid. He knew she could have had any mate she wanted and wondered why she picked someone like him. All he could figure out was she loved him, and he always did his best to show he loved her. Their love had produced two beautiful hatchlings. It saddened him to know he would not be there for them anymore. He would have liked to watch them grow and take flight on their own. But, at least, he knew by giving his own life he had made it possible for them to live. Now, as he heard the water splash as Snappy rushed toward him, he concentrated on Kitti. “Goodbye, Kitti. I love you,” he softly said to himself. 

The blast of the rifle startled Gully back to reality and made him jump with surprise.

“Ouch!!!” yelled Snappy as he came to a stop a few feet from the shore. Gully looked to his left and saw the two mammals standing beside him. The taller one was holding a long stick that was pointed at Snappy. A small whiff of smoke came from the end of the stick.

“That hurt my tail!! shouted the crocodile. He started moving slowly toward Gully when the stick blasted again.

“Ouch!!! That’s my foot!!” cried Snappy. He turned and started swimming as fast as he could toward the center of the waterway.

“Come back, Snappy,” yelled Gully. “You ain’t ate me, yet.”

“Forget you, bird,” gurgled the reptile as he dove to the bottom to escape any more bullets that may come his way. 

When Kitti looked up and saw Snappy swimming away she rushed to Gully’s side. Soon she was joined by Mr. Pelitan and the hatchlings.

“Oh! Gully,” cried Kitti. They rubbed beaks until Larry and Lori worked their way between them. Laughing and crying at the same time they hugged each other and stroked each other’s wings.

Mr. Pelitan wiped tears of joy from his eyes and declared, “My boy, you are the bravest bird I’ve ever known!” 

After hugging Kitti and the hatchlings, Gully paused and looked up at the two mammals standing beside them. 

The father and son looked down at the commotion the seagulls were making.

“Daddy, I think they’re glad you shot that old crocodile,” declared the little boy.

“It sure looks like it, doesn’t it son?” replied the father.

“Daddy, I think that’s the bird that brought me a fish,” pondered the boy.

“You know, you may be right,” offered the father. “Well, maybe by scaring that old crock off we’ve returned the favor.” 

Gully looked at the two mammals. They were looking at him. “Thank you,” he said. Of course, all the mammals heard was, “Gwaack!” 

The sun hung low as Kitti and Gully happily headed for the nest in the bushes. Mr. Pelitan and the hatchlings followed close behind. A cool evening breeze stirred the sand on the shore near Kill Devil Hills. The happy father and son gathered the fish they had caught and headed toward their brand new 1903 Model A. In the bushes another happy father settled down into the nest with his family. 

“Pflllfffff.”

“Larry!!!”

“It wasn’t me, mamma.”

“Gully!!”

“It ain’t me, Kitti.”

“Lori?!?”

“It wasn’t me, mamma.”

“Mr. Pelitan?!?!?” 

THE END

Copyright ©2006 by Jerry W. Crews