Beside The Asphalt
A brown and white goat rested its chin completely flat against the damp grass lining the edge of the asphalt.
Cars and trucks sped down the two-lane road in the background, their tires kicking up short bursts of wind that rustled the tall roadside weeds. The goat’s front legs were tucked tightly against its chest, its eyes half-closed under the bright daylight.
Clinging tightly to the center of its white flank was a dense, overlapping cluster of black leeches. The parasites formed a dark, glistening patch roughly the size of a dinner plate, contrasting sharply against the bright white and light brown fur of the animal’s side.
A black SUV pulled over onto the gravel shoulder just a few yards away. A bald man wearing a brown polo shirt and blue jeans stepped out of the driver’s side door.
He took slow, deliberate steps toward the animal, keeping his hands visible at his sides. His boots crunched against the loose rocks before stepping onto the soft dirt of the embankment.
Assessing The Damage
The man bent his knees, lowering his weight until he was crouching directly in the tall green grass beside the animal.
Extending his right arm, he laid his open palm flat against the space right between the goat’s ears. He stroked his fingers gently down the back of its neck, applying a steady, even pressure to the short fur.
The goat did not flinch, pull away, or attempt to stand. It merely blinked its horizontal pupils, remaining entirely stationary on its side while the passing traffic hummed in the background.
The man shifted his weight forward, leaning closer to inspect the animal’s flank. The thick cluster of dark pests was firmly attached to the skin beneath the fur, weighing down the right side of the goat’s belly.
The animal’s breathing remained slow and shallow, its ribcage barely rising and falling beneath the mass of leeches.
A Two-Step Process
The man reached to his side and produced a small, green-tinted plastic bottle. Keeping his left hand securely pressed onto the back of the goat’s neck, he positioned the nozzle of the bottle over the center of the dark mass.
He squeezed the plastic sides of the bottle firmly. A thick stream of clear liquid shot out, striking the top layer of the leeches and soaking into the surrounding white fur.
He moved his wrist in small, tight circles, ensuring the liquid dripped down heavily through the thick, writhing layer of pests. The liquid saturated the goat’s side, darkening the white coat where it pooled.
Setting the green plastic bottle down into the grass, the man reached into his pocket again. This time, he pulled out a tall, white aerosol spray can.
He shook the metal container vigorously, the small mixing ball rattling sharply inside. He hovered the can just an inch above the soaked flank and pressed his index finger firmly against the top nozzle.
Cooling Relief
A thick, shaving-cream-like white foam expelled from the tip of the can, instantly covering the area where the clear liquid had just been applied.
He held the nozzle down continuously, drawing thick white lines of foam back and forth across the goat’s side. Within seconds, he completely buried the dark cluster under a massive mound of the fluffy white substance.
The goat’s ear flicked once. The man used his bare fingers to lightly press the foam against the goat’s side, spreading it slightly outward to cover the edges of the wet fur.
The thick barrier clung securely to the animal’s coat, completely obscuring the dark patch from view. The man patted the goat’s shoulder one final time and slowly pushed himself back up from his crouching position.
After letting the foam settle deep into the fur for a few moments, the man reached into a small pouch he had carried from the vehicle. He pulled out a small handful of brown, cylindrical pellets.
He shifted his knees closer, sitting directly in front of the goat’s face to block its view of the passing traffic. He flattened his hand, holding the small pile of feed perfectly still just an inch from the animal’s nose.
The goat lifted its chin slowly off the dirt. It stretched its neck forward, pressing its gray lips firmly against the man’s open palm. The man slowly ran his opposite hand up and down the length of the goat’s right horn as the animal chewed the food from his flat palm.
Leave a Reply