Uncle Monk [2]

When I finally opened my eyes the next day, the first thing I saw was a pair of green eyes. Just a couple of inches from my face, they stared directly back at me, brimming with curiosity.

"Boo," I whispered, barely making a sound as I blew my breath onto her nose. As I expected, the owner of those green eyes shrieked in surprise, "Aaaa!!"

Seizing the moment, I switched my brain into fighter jet mode and jumped onto the nearest, highest tree branch I could reach. Then I hid.

"Hey!! Wait... where... where are you?!?!" The green-eyed girl called out, her voice shaky but determined as she recovered from her surprise.

"Excuse me... Hello..." Her small voice carried through the woods, persistent and sweet. "Mister?? Hello... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you. My friend told me someone was injured in the woods, so I followed him and found you sleeping on that stone..."

Hopping from one tree to another, I silently followed her trail. She was walking deeper into the forest. I knew there were no dangerous animals here—just deer, skunks, chipmunks, and squirrels. Nothing life-threatening.

"Aaa!!" Her sudden scream snapped me into action. Without hesitation, I leapt from the tree toward her, grabbing her under her arms and pulling her into my embrace as we rolled to the side, narrowly dodging a falling net. A deer trap.

When we stopped rolling, I loosened my hold and looked at her pale face. Her wide green eyes stared back at me.

"Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" I asked, concern lacing my voice.

Her big eyes blinked after a few seconds, but she didn't respond.

"Are you okay?" I repeated gently.

"You..."

"Are you hurt?" I asked again, my worry growing.

The girl shook her head slowly, then broke into a wide grin. "It's you!! You saved me!!" she exclaimed, her voice full of excitement.

I let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're okay, Little Girl. You shouldn't come this far into the woods," I said, gently scolding her as I sat next to her.

"But I was looking for you," she replied with innocent determination.

"Well, you shouldn't have been," I said firmly.

"But I was worried about you! Patrick said you were hurt."

"I wasn't," I replied, shaking my head.

A skunk next to her let out a noise.

"Patrick says you're lying," the girl accused, her little face serious.

"I'm not lying... and who is Patrick?"

"He's Patrick," she said, pointing to the skunk, who made another noise. "Yes, Patrick, I know you've never lied," she added, addressing the skunk.

"So, you can talk to animals?" I asked, amazed.

"Uh-huh," she said with a nod. Memories of three-year-old Chien Dai chatting with forest creatures surfaced in my mind. Damn, she got it from me, I thought bitterly.

"But don't tell anyone, okay?" she said, holding out her pinky. I stared at her small finger for a moment, then looked into her eyes. "I won't tell if you don't tell anyone about me being here," I said, hooking my pinky with hers. "Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise," she repeated with a wide smile before releasing our fingers.

"I'm Sophie. What's your name?" she asked brightly.

I frowned. "Hmmm... Aren't you not supposed to talk to strangers?" I said, reminding her of the basic rule every parent teaches their children.

"Yes, but you're a good stranger," she reasoned, her tone matter-of-fact.

I chuckled. "How do you know?"

"You saved me from that trap. A bad stranger wouldn't do that," she replied confidently.

I chuckled again. I wouldn't do that for just anyone, Baby Girl, I thought to myself.

"I'm a bad person," I told her instead.

"No, you're not."

"I am," I insisted. "Want to know a secret?"

She nodded eagerly.

With a mischievous expression, I leaned in close. "I eat children for snacks," I whispered, my tone low and ominous, extending my hands like claws. "Boo!!"

"Aaaa!!" she screamed, covering her face with her hands.

I held my devilish grin as she peeked through her fingers. "I don't believe you!" she murmured.

I stifled my laughter at her stubbornness.

"You're lying, right?" she asked, seeking confirmation. Her hands dropped to her lap.

I sighed and looked up at the sky. We sat in silence for a solid ten minutes before I stood and extended my hand toward her. "Come on. I'll walk you out of the forest. It's getting dark."

Her face lit up with a grin. "I knew you weren't a bad person!" she said joyfully, taking my hand as I helped her up.

"You shouldn't come this far into the forest, especially during this season," I said as we walked.

"Why not?"

"It's almost winter. People set traps for deer."

She frowned. "Why would they do that?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. For fun, I guess."

Her frown deepened. "That's evil," she muttered.

"Is that why you're in the woods?" she asked me.

"No."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Meditating," I said shortly.

"Meditating?" she echoed.

I nodded, avoiding further explanation.

"Like Mommy does?"

I frowned. "Your mom meditates?"

"Uh-huh," she said, nodding. "She says it helps her relax. She learned it from her friend—a lady monk." She stopped walking and stared at me. "Are you a monk?"

I laughed. "No, I'm not."

The skunk on her shoulder chattered. Her eyes widened. "Patrick says you were meditating for days without food or water. You... you're a monk!!"

"I'm not," I denied. "Not everyone who meditates is a monk. Your mom isn't, right?"

"But she only meditates for an hour, not days."

I have a smart daughter, I thought to myself.

"Promise me you won't go this far into the forest anymore," I said, changing the subject.

"But I want to see you again."

"I won't come back to the forest," I said firmly.

"But... but... I want to see you," she insisted.

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend."

"I'm not your friend. I'm just a stranger."

"No. You saved me. You're my friend now," she argued, her voice quivering. Tears began to pool in her eyes. Oh no... where did she learn that trick?

"Don't cry..."

"You have to come again. I like you. I like talking to you," she pleaded.

"Okay... okay. I'll come again, but not often."

"That's fine. I'll check on you every day."

"No!" I stopped her. "It's too dangerous for you to come into the forest."

"All the animals are my friends," she said stubbornly.

I sighed. Her persistence wasn't from me, for sure. "I'm not talking about the animals. Don't you remember the trap? After deer season, there will be bear hunting season," I explained.

"Then how will I know when you're here?"

I glanced at the skunk. "Tell your friend to inform you when I come," I suggested.

The skunk nodded.

"Pinky promise?" she asked, holding out her pinky again.

"Pinky promise," I said, resigned. She wiped her tears and smiled.

She grabbed my hand, forcing me to walk while holding hers. We reached the edge of the forest near her house just as her mother called for her.

"I'm coming, Mommy!" she called, releasing my hand.

"I gotta go," she said with a big smile, waving. "See you again, Uncle Monk!!"