They Called Her Fay Wray

Chapter 9

Amanda's family collected her the next day, and as the girl had feared, her mother took one look at Caesar and hit the ceiling. She ordered Lewis, Amanda's big brother, to take his little sister out to the car. Then, after thanking him, and disregarding that he was technically her boss, the lady informed Will and Caroline that they would never have to bother watching her daughter again as she marched out the front door in a huff.

An utterly stunned Caesar could only stand by and watch helplessly as Amanda's embarrassed Father stammered out his apologies for his wife before he left to join his family.

Everyone could hear the fight begin before the car was started and drove away because Amanda was neither going quietly nor graciously, and it sounded as if her father and brother were taking her side.

"You're very welcome, Evelyn," an angry Will called after her. "It's obvious which parent Amanda takes after, her dad. Caesar, I'm sorry about all that. I really oughtta fire her," he grumbled.

"Now Will, take it easy," Warned his father.

"I was just kidding, Dad. She's my second best lab tech, I'm not gonna fire her. But still ..."

"Never mind, Caesar," Charles stood with his arm protectively around his bewildered grandson. "Amanda's Mom is, uh, a little high strung, but she'll calm down eventually. You'll see Amanda again, I promise you."

Caesar let out an irritated huff. Then, for some reason, he glared at Caroline. "Amanda's Mother. She thinks I hurt Amanda too?" the hurt and angry chimp signed before rushing back up to his room, leaving an utterly stunned will and Caroline behind him.

Caroline's eyes filled with sudden tears. "He's never going to forgive me, is he?" she moaned.

But all of Charles' sympathy was towards his simian grandson. "Nice going, kids," the old man muttered as he went upstairs after Caesar.

Charles was right, though it was a long time coming and a lot easier said than done. Amanda's mother was adamant. Her daughter was not going to get attached to another ape only to go through the pain of losing him again and that was final! She would not suffer another Koba in their lives. Amanda could not stand it, or so the lady claimed. But everyone including Amanda herself held the opinion it was her mother who could not stand it.

Fortunately, Caesar and Amanda were very determined children. And even better, they had more than willing cohorts in Charles, Will, and Caroline. Even Amanda's Father and brother got in on the act. So, while the two did not get to spend as much time together as they wanted at first, and not quite as out in the open as they may have wished, they did see a lot of one another. When he came to give Amanda her piano lessons, Charles would bring Caesar if he knew Amanda's mother was not at home. On her walks through the neighborhood, Amanda would naturally stop in to see Will and Charles and, of course, Caesar, always in her mother's absence.

It was out in Muir Woods where even Amanda's overprotective Mom did not seem to mind so much if they spent time together. At least, not after Amanda relayed the story of everything that happened when she first met Caesar, taking great pains to emphasize to her mother how the kind and friendly chimp had saved her from that group of bullies.

It took nearly a year before Amanda's mother softened noticeably towards Caesar. She never totally relented, though. She would not let Caesar spend the night at the house, for one thing. But she would let Amanda occasionally stay at Wills, and they did get to play in the yard and up in Amanda's room more and more often.

Will began going out for walks with Caesar and Amanda. Eventually, seeing that Amanda and Caesar were very confident together, he let them out on their own, with the one vow that they never leave one another's side. Eventually, he even obtained a guiding animal permit, just for the sake of making things at least appear to be legal.