Stopping Traffic on the Open Road
Two palms pressed flat against the humid air as rubber tires screeched against the hot asphalt.
A blue SUV skidded to a halt inches away, its driver leaning forward with both hands gripping the wheel.
Between the painted white crosswalk stripes, a large turtle crawled across the lane, carrying a cluster of hatchlings stacked across her weathered shell.
The man in the white tank top bent his knees, positioning his work boots on either side of the creeping reptiles.
A Delicate Balance in Hand
He slid his fingers beneath the edges of the heavy carapace, lifting slowly to keep the cargo balanced.
As he rose, one of the smaller hatchlings shifted and tumbled toward the center line.
The man dropped immediately to one knee on the asphalt, cradling the mother against his chest while steadying the remaining babies.
He guided the mother toward the grassy shoulder, keeping his steps deliberate along the edge of the drainage ditch.
At the bank of the pond, he lowered the large shell into the shallow water, watching the mother submerge her front limbs into the mud.
Returning for the Stragglers
Turning back toward the highway, he spotted three tiny shells remaining between the white lines.
Traffic remained halted behind the blue SUV as he hurried back onto the center lane.
He scooped the first two hatchlings into his left palm and gathered the third with his right fingertips.
Cupping the hatchlings together against his chest, he jogged back toward the tree line near the shore.
Together at the Water’s Edge
He knelt beside the muddy bank where the golden late-afternoon sun reflected off the pond’s surface.
The large mother turtle remained stationary near the edge, waiting in the shallows.
One by one, he placed the recovered hatchlings onto the ridged plates of her shell until the entire brood was assembled.
The man stood up, brushed the dried pond soil from his palms, and walked along the grassy shoreline as the mother pushed deeper into the reeds.
Send this to someone who always watches out for wildlife on the road.