Username: Baobabel
Name: In a Field of Pumpkins // Calabaza
Gender: male
Name Meaning: Calabaza - a type of squash/pumpkin
Prompt:Calabaza did not have a nice start to life. While loved by his mom and siblings, if the humans ever interacted with them, it was never pleasant. His first memories of humans are associated with pain and fear. They also seemed to fight and argue amongst themselves frequently. The word ‘money’ was thrown around a lot too. When Calabaza and his sibling were a bit older, beginning to wean, the Bad Event happened. First, his three siblings were taken by strangers and not seen again. Then, two days later, Calabaza was snatched from his mom and tossed in a box. Calabaza couldn’t see out but he was lifted, then heard doors slam, and then felt movement. He was in a car headed away from the only home he knew. After a long time the movement stopped. The box was lifted, set down again, and then the sound drove off. Calabaza was alone. First he sat for a while, assuming someone would come for him eventually. But he quickly grew hungry and scared. It took a lot of effort but he eventually managed to tip the box and crawl out.
He stumbled out and began to explore his surroundings. He was next to a rocky road that was unpleasant to walk on so he went further into the brushy grass. He wandered for what felt like miles and miles. He hadn’t gone far (he has short puppy legs after all) when he found himself on the edge of a field filled with a familiar shape. It was a small pumpkin patch. Those objects looked just like the markings on his siblings! He felt a rush of energy from this small sense of familiarity. He ran over and immersed himself in the patch. The squash were all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors. He sniffed them, climbed them, and then settled against one that most reminded him of the shapes on his sister’s coat.
He must've dozed off because next thing he knew, he heard a human moving nearby. They were making an odd sound in their throat, but in a musical and soothing way. He continued to feel relaxed until they came into view. They emerged much closer than he anticipated. They were clearly surprised to find a young puppy in their pumpkin patch and even more surprised when the small thing let out the most ferocious growl ever heard (from a puppy at least). They quickly backed off to give the clearly stressed pup more space. The growl scared Calabaza more than it had the human! He had never produced that sound before. All he knew was that when he caught sight of the human, all the memories and familiar fear sprang out and he wouldn’t let himself be harmed by one of them again.
This human wasn’t new to fearful dogs. Recognizing his behavior for what it was, they felt sympathy and understanding. They backed off further and settled down farther away but still in view. It was midday and they had all the patience in the world if it meant they could help this poor pup. Time passed and Calabaza felt his body begin to relax a little. He moved from a curled standing position to sitting, and then eventually laying down. A while later, the human slowly slid a few pumpkins closer and then stopped again. A few minutes later, they slid closer again. This time, it was too much so Calabaza raised his head and growled again. They stopped moving, and settled in place. This continued for most of the afternoon until eventually the human was about 20ft but couldn’t get any closer without making the puppy uncomfortable. They were worried, rightly so, that this puppy needed food and water. Knowing it would set back the progress, they decided to prioritize getting nourishment in the pup. As an owner with many dogs, they always had a spare water bowl and a variety of treats on hand. They prepared a bowl of water and a small handful of shredded chicken. Walking slow, they approached the pup. Calabaza began growling, though with less heat than earlier in the day. The human continued to approach until just a few feet away. Then they set the bowl and chicken down before quickly retreating back to the 20ft line.
Calabaza wasn’t happy or trusting but his stomach was really hurting and he was feeling a bit lightheaded. The pumpkin had provided shade but he wasn’t used to going this long with food, water or his mother’s milk. Ultimately he caved and he quickly scarfed down everything provided. The watching human saw he was finished consuming everything and that he had settled down again. They had another trick up their sleeve. It was time to see if the pup’s fear was focused on humans or more general. They made a loud sharp but slightly musical sound from pursed lips. Calabaza was confused but nothing else happened. Then, not two minutes later, a
dog burst out from the undergrowth and came bounding over to the human. The two had a happy reunion until the dog picked up on Calabaza’s scent and looked over questioningly. But it stayed with the human and continued to enjoy their attention.
Calabaza was confused. That dog went right up to the human with no fear. And it even seemed to be enjoying it! It certainly appeared to actively push the hands towards its coat to receive pets. It looked like a pleasant experience with no pain involved. Calabaza’s young brain was having to do some complicated thinking. The only dogs he knew (mom and siblings) were terrified of the humans. And the only times he was touched by them it was painful, not pleasant. However, this new dog seemed to not only tolerate it but relish it and seek it out. He felt like he was missing something. Then the human bent down to whisper in the dog's ear. He gave a quick tail wag then turned his attention to the puppy. The dog approached slowly with a calm and friendly demeanor. Calabaza wasn’t afraid. After all, the only ones nice to him had been other dogs. Plus, it was hard to feel nervous about this fluffy serene looking dog. And truthfully, even though it hadn’t yet been a full day, he missed the company of other dogs. Slightly cautious, he stood up and greeted the adult. The interaction went over smoothly and Calabaza was quickly feeling relaxed in the new dog's presence.
He learned the other dog’s name was Ibex. Ibex kept things light and told Calabaza some stories from his own puppyhood and about some of his friends on the ranch. Eventually they came around to the topic of humans. Calabaza wanted to know why Ibex seemed to trust the human and why it looked like he enjoyed the hands on him. Ibex gave a soft chuckle and said “because it feels good!”. Calabaza explained his own experiences of puppyhood with humans and Ibex look turned somber. “I'm sorry you had to go through that, especially at such a young age. I know it might be hard to believe, but not all humans are like that.” he went on to talk about his own encounters with humans, especially this one in particular. “If you feel ok with it, I’d love to help you meet them. You’re welcome to stay on our farm and you don’t even have to like pets. That being said, we’re a ways out from the house and it's a bit far for your young legs. It'd be alot easier and quicker if the human could carry you” Ibex explained.
Calabaza’s stomach turned at the thought of those hands on him but he remembered how Ibex had looked when getting ‘pet’. Additionally, despite not knowing him very long, Calabaza already trusted Ibex. He took a deep breath and said ok. The human stayed on the ground as they made their way over. They didn’t move and let Calabaza approach at his own speed. First he just got used to standing close, then he even sniffed them. Ibex at that point pushed his own head owner one of their arms, clearly his way of asking for some attention. The human gave him some neck scratches before offering a hand out to Calabaza. He stepped forward, allowing the contact. The human moved their hand slowly and calmly under his chin. Then slid to rubbing soothing circles on his chest. He didn’t fully realize he was enjoying it until he discovered he was actually leaning into the touch! He boldly stepped closer, encouraging more pets. They obliged and began long strokes down his back. Soon enough he found himself laying beside them getting ear and belly rubs. He never knew getting pets could be so satisfying! His hard to reach itchess were going away and the sensation reminded him a little of getting groomed by his mom. During this, the human had started up this strange hmmming sound again which he also found relaxing. He later learned this was called humming and the human often did this when feeling relaxed.
After sometime they realized it had turned into evening and they were going to have to leave soon to get home before dark. Ibex warned him that the human was about to stand and checked in to see if Calabaza was ok being picked up. Calabaza was feeling better about humans at this point although the thought of being held still made him nervous. Despite this, trusting in Ibex and his interaction with the human thus far, he decided to let it happen. He was carefully scooped and was soon looking from a much taller point of view. He found the view interesting as they made their way to a house.
Calabaza quickly settled into life on the farm. He loved interacting with the other dogs and quickly grew addicted to pets from the human. He learned in life, in any species, there are good and bad individuals. His favorite place on the farm is still the small pumpkin patch. When in season, the squash reminds him of his beloved siblings. Out of season, it’s the place he learned to trust again and met his new family.
