Friends?

Choco has lots of issues with strangers. Not even strangers! She just doesn't like some people!

Choco doesn't like children especially. And she doesn't like boys even more. And to say it plainly, she doesn't like Y-kun.

This does not faze Y-kun very much. He barges in the door and Choco starts barking from her cage.

"I'm going to tear this cage apart and get you!"

Y-kun clomps around the house chasing cats. This sets Choco off again.

"Why does Choco bark so much?"

"She thinks you make too much noise. She doesn't trust people very much. She's afraid you might hurt her."

"Do you think she'd learn to like me?"

"Um... Choco learned to like N-chan, the 6th grader... but N-chan sat quietly and talked to Choco and gave her snacks."

"I want to give Choco snacks!"

I supervised as Y-kun fed Choco snacks through the bars of her cage. And gradually Choco loosened up while Y-kun spent quite a long time (nearly 15 minutes) talking to Choco and poking his fingers through the cage.

"I don't think that is such a good idea. I don't want you trying to touch Choco when I'm not around."

But actually I could see that Choco was enjoying the attention. Pretty soon Y-kun was even able to "hold hands" (hold fingers) with Choco through the cage and pet her. Wow! I wouldn't have thought Y-kun would have the patience to make friends with Choco nor be able to be quiet for that long!

A bit later the other boys showed up. Y-kun went back to being his normal sassy self.

"Ha-ha-ha! I touched Choco. She and I are friends. She doesn't like you guys. She only likes me. Too bad for you!"

That hurt the other boys' pride.

"How did Y-kun become friends with Choco? Can we try?"

"Yeah, I heard that N-chan is the only person who has ever touched Choco."

"N-chan was bragging to me too that she could pet Choco. I can't believe Y-kun can too!"

It seems that Choco is a topic of conversation at the elementary school.

The other boys spent a minute or two feeding snacks to Choco but she'd had enough with boys for the evening.

"Bye Choco! I'll bring you snacks from home next week and we can be friends again!"

Y-kun went home happy. Choco slept well with a full tummy.