Chance Encounter
© 2022 by Walter Reimer


The trowel dug into the soil, loosening the weeds so that the tiger’s paws could pull the offending plant out of the ground reasonably intact. Moka Bustani shook clinging soil from the roots before dropping the weed into a bucket, destined for the estate’s compost pile.

Fortunately it had rained the previous night. Trying to dig out some of the more persistent weeds when the soil was dry was a chore.

“Here he is!” His ears perked, and he sat back on his haunches and smiled as the young Emperor Vladmir broke away from the trio of government ministers who had been walking with him. Vladmir trotted up to Moka, staying a few steps away so he wouldn’t get mud on his uniform. “Hello, Moka,” the young Indochinese leopard said happily.

“Hello!” Moka said, matching the younger feline’s grin. The tiger gestured with his trowel. “Come to help me with the weeding?”

Vladmir swished his tail. “I’d like to, but these furs want to talk to me.” He turned and pointed. “That’s the Minister of Labor, the Minister of Trade . . . and that’s ‘M,’” he said, the roebuck he pointed out smiling broadly. Vladmir leaned close and whispered in the tiger’s ear, “Everyone calls him ‘M.’ I think he’s forgotten what his name is.”

“Poor fellow,” Moka said, and Vladmir giggled. “Well, I won’t keep you, Vladmir. I need to finish this weeding before lunch.”

“All right,” and the young ruler rejoined the group, and they moved past the gardener.

The roebuck, ‘M,’ paused and looked down at Moka. When the tiger looked up, the roebuck glanced to his right, smiled broadly, and followed after his sovereign and the two ministers.

Moka watched him go as the tip of his tail rubbed along the soil.