Another year was added to Kismet’s life. To him, every year felt the same. Planting, harvesting, going to school, enjoying late evenings with Shirley, teaching Jovie arithmetic, and sleeping under the navy blue sky with Prestige. On one cool morning, Kismet and Prestige headed to the town’s barn to pick up their horse’s repaired tack.
Kismet was a beautiful seventeen year-old. His face had thinned and the handsomeness underneath his childish face had broken through. His build was sturdy and he had grown several inches taller. Not only had Kismet had become more attractive, but he had become a confident, hardworking, and amiable young man. Women swooned over him, but his heart was set deep in Shirley’s—she was his one and only. Men, including the old bullies, hated him even more. But none dared touched him because of Prestige.
The wolf himself had become a fine and stealth animal. His winter coat had disappeared as soon as the snowflakes stopped falling. A sleek coat grew in, showing off his powerful shoulders, barreled chest, and solid hindquarters. The wolf had grown to his full size, and the only thing that would never stop growing was his intelligent. Every day he taught Kismet something new. He taught him how to be humble, gracious, and slow to anger. The wolf schooled Kismet on many things, but the greatest was faithfulness and unconditional love. Those were the two that would carry Kismet through a more horrible moment than the one that would happen to him on the way to the barn.
Kismet commanded Prestige to wait outside for him while he retrieved the equipment. On his way in, he had to stop and adjust one of his suspenders’ straps. As he stood there, his shoulder jerked forward in reaction to the hard punch delivered behind him. Shaking from the surprise, the boy peered over his shoulder and spotted a whiskery young man with his brimmed hat tilted far back on his head.
“Hey, sing us a song!” the mean-faced boy thumbed over his shoulder to his two-men posse. They stood with their skinny hands hooked in either their overalls or suspenders.
Kismet’s eyes dropped to the floor and he shook his head. In a soft voice, he replied, “No.”
“Come on! Just say something! You never know if you can say more than, ‘no’.”
“Hey, let’s scram, Tom, he ain’t gonna say nothin’,” encouraged one of the other boys. He nudged Tom with the tip of his torn boot. “Let’s go. You heard about his bodyguard.”
Kismet’s eyes darted over to the boy who he had seen spoken. He recognized him to be an old enemy by the name, Henry.
Tom scoffed and shoved the boy again, making him turn around. The victim faced them with a strong, chiseled expression that made the three of them step back. The boy’s face held a nobility and innocence that was stronger than their cruelty. His thin lips straightened in defiance; his dark brown hair shuddering against the light breeze, and his brown eyes staring fiercely at them made him appear like five men instead of one.
The third boy stepped forward and examined their prey.He spat at the ground and shook his head. “He ain’t nothin’ but flesh and bones. Let’s bloody him!” the third boy lunged forward with his fingers curved like talons.
Kismet ducked under the angry hands and threw two fingers into his mouth. He blew a shrieking whistle that made his attackers throw their palms against their ears. Just like magic, a large grey and white animal bounded through the doorway. The three boys yelled and ran into each other as they tried to escape. The animal flashed his white teeth and his pointed ears lay flattened on his head. The boys scattered, tripping once or twice over one another, giving the animal a satisfying nip or two at their faces.
“Kismet, you and your damn wolf are going to die!” shouted Tom under the trampling feet of his companions. He managed to slip out and the three boys bolted down the dusty country road while the large wolf stood in the doorway baying deep from his chest.
Smiling in pride, Kismet clapped his hands twice, silencing his dog. Then, in a two note tune that resembled the number of syllables in his wolf’s name,Kismet whistled for his companion, Prestige. Prestige whipped around and loped over to Kismet and sat beside him, panting in contentment. Kismet laid a hand on the beast’s smooth head and left it there in acknowledgement. Kismet placed his fingers in his mouth again and whistled a long, loud whistle, signaling that they were going to go home. The two of them broke off into a run. Side by side they remained—one did not go ahead of the other and none of them lagged behind.
The two of them skidded around the curviest part of the road; tumbled down the hill; and splashed through the brook leading to Shirley’s house. When they arrived, Kismet drummed on the door with both his hands and, being filled with so much happiness, spun around on his toes and landed facing the door just in time Shirley answered it.
“Kismet!” Shirley shrieked in joy as she flung herself onto the boy. She kissed him on the cheeks and grabbed him by the hands. “Oh, I’ve missed you!”
Kismet pressed his forehead against her forehead and nuzzled noses with her. He passed his fingers underneath her chin and kissed her lightly between the eyes.
“Oh, I’ve been longing to see you,” Shirley whispered, closing her eyes in ecstasy.
Feeling her breath on his face, Kismet couldn’t help but wrap his arms around her trim waist and lift her off the ground. He spun her around and watched her laugh before setting her down in a chair. Kismet came up behind her and placed his arms around her. He nestled his chin in the nook of her neck and swayed back in forth in joy of enfolding his only love.
Prestige sneaked inside and curled up beneath the table where he placed the tip of his muzzle on Shirley’s toes. Sensing the joy radiating from the two, Prestige released a contented sigh and waited patiently until it was time for them to bid each other goodbye.
YOU ARE READING
The Wolf's Boy
AdventureKismet and Prestige are just as unusual as their names. Though one is a boy and the other a wolf, they both desire the same thing: love. Through the years, their friendship grows and they become inseparable. But when their town is hit by a natural...
