A lot of the animals were used to having humans around and many of them preferred to be looked at rather than touched. Griffin also preferred that when it came to the animals, but slowly he was getting used to the idea that this was a petting zoo and that with proper instruction and supervision, the animals were safe and the humans would be respectful.
Making sure the visitors understood how to appropriately interact with the animals and then supervising to be sure that it happened was going to be one of Jordan’s main jobs. She was happy to take those tasks over. It wasn’t all that different from teaching and supervising a classroom and this classroom came with alpacas, fresh air, and sunshine. She stroked her hand along Al’s side.
Alpacaman noticed Al getting some attention and started over to the fence.
Jordan gave him some love as well. Most alpacas didn’t love being touched on the head or face, but Manny did like to have his nose nuzzled and she gave him several little rubs before moving down the fence line.
In the next pen, one of the girls was already near the fence. Alpacapella, or Ella for short, looked up at Jordan. Jordan talked to her softly, but the alpaca didn’t come any closer. However, she didn’t run either. In general, alpacas were very gentle, curious creatures and they tolerated humans just fine. But they weren’t necessarily as enthusiastic or cuddly as dogs. Still, they all had their own personalities and Jordan was interestingly already picking up on a few of those different traits.
Movement caught her eye and she turned to look down the fence. She was surprised to see their smallest, youngest alpaca at the very end of the pasture. His name was Chewpaca, or Chewie.
Griffin had told her that the littlest alpaca had been orphaned on a farm in Iowa, and Tori’s friend Drew, who owned the alpaca farm, had asked Tori if she would take him. His mother had died and he’d been rejected by the other females in the herd. He’d needed more hands-on attention, like bottle-feeding, than the farmers could give him. Tori, of course, had jumped at the chance and she, Josh, and Mitch had gone back to Iowa to retrieve him.
They’d also come home with three other alpacas. And an in-love Mitch.
Then Paige, that Iowa girl Mitch had fallen for, had showed up on Mitch’s doorstep and had been here ever since.
Unfortunately, while Chewie had done well with his human handlers, he had been standoffish from the rest of the herd and spent a lot of time alone.
It had been bothering Tori ever since he’d been introduced.
Right now, though, he was being quite friendly. With a little girl.
He was standing at the fence with his chin resting on the top railing, gazing adoringly at the little girl who was talking to him and stroking his nose.
He looked completely smitten.
Jordan started in that direction.
She approached slowly, not wanting to startle the animal or the girl.
She looked around as she drew closer.
There was a mother and two other kids with the goats. They all had light brown skin, brown hair, and were talking in a mix of English and Spanish to one another. English to the animals and Spanish to one another. Jordan caught the mother’s eye and waved and smiled, then pointed at the little girl with the alpaca. She mouthed, “Is she yours?”
The mother smiled and nodded. Jordan gave her a thumbs up.
“And sometimes we would go to the zoo. And he would always want to look at the monkeys the most,” the little girl was telling the alpaca as Jordan got closer.
The girl stopped and tipped her head as if listening. Then she nodded. “I think he would’ve liked alpacas though. Our dog liked to sit in his lap and have his nose rubbed just like this.”
Jordan stepped on a stick and the snapping sound made the alpaca lift his head. They both looked over at Jordan, and Chewie gave a soft snort.
Damn, she hadn’t meant to interrupt.
“Hi,” Jordan said.
She wasn’t dressed as one of the employees yet. She and Charlie had discussed that they needed to get some kind of uniform, or at least t-shirts with Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild on them so people would recognize who they could ask for help and who was authorized to give instructions and be in the animal care areas.
Right now she was wearing Charlie’s red sundress and a pair of green rubber boots.
“I’m Jordan. I work here.”
“I’m Sophia,” the little girl said. “This is my friend.”
Jordan nodded. “His name is Chewpaca. We call him Chewie.”
The little girl wrinkled her nose and looked back at the alpaca, who, surprisingly, hadn’t run off. “That’s a weird name.”
Jordan shrugged. “It’s kind of after a character in a movie. It’s called Star Wars. Maybe your mom and dad know it?”
The little girl’s face was suddenly, devastatingly, sad. “Maybe.”
Jordan didn’t understand exactly what the little girl was thinking, but she decided to tread carefully. “Do you come down here a lot?”
The little girl shook her head. “No. We’ve been too busy. But Mom says we can come more often now.”
Jordan looked toward the woman with the other two kids with the goats. “Is that your mom?”
The little girl nodded. “Yeah, and my sisters.”
“Well Chewie seems to really like you. He doesn’t usually come over and talk to people like this.”
Sophia looked back at the alpaca. The smile she gave him was heartbreakingly beautiful. “He’s a good friend. He’s a good listener.”
“It’s really wonderful that he has a friend.” Jordan didn’t try to get any closer. There was no need. They were having a nice conversation, the little girl’s mother was nearby, and Jordan was, after all, a stranger. She propped an elbow on the fence. “He’s been pretty sad for a while. He moved here from far away. And he doesn’t really have any friends.”
Sophia looked worried. “Where’s his mom and dad?”
Jordan wondered how much she should share. But Sophia looked to be about eight or nine. “Well, his mom died,” Jordan said carefully. “That’s why he moved here. They were hoping that he could find a new family here, but it’s been hard.”
Sophia thought about all of that for a long moment. Then she turned back to Chewie and said, “We can be friends forever. I’ll come visit you all the time.”
Jordan felt a little twinge near her heart. Kids were amazing. And yes, kids and animals were absolutely a natural combination.
“Sophia!” her mother called.
Sophia looked over. “Okay!”
She turned back to Chewie. “I have to go. But I’ll be back. I promise.” She patted the alpaca’s nose and he nuzzled her hand. Then Sophia looked at Jordan. “Make sure he knows I’m coming back. I don’t want him to think that I left and won’t see him again.”
Jordan nodded quickly. “I promise I’ll tell him.”
“Bye, Chewie,” Sophia said softly. Then she turned and ran off to join her mother and sisters.
The mother raised her hand and Jordan gave her a little wave and a smile.
She watched the family make their way out of the goat pen and head over to look at the otters. Sophia cast a glance back at Chewie and the alpaca continued to stand at the fence watching her.
Jordan shook her head, her heart full.