Lou Del Bianco   Gecooch

"GECOOCH"
By Lou Del Bianco


Nestled in a valley, behind an old stone church, not far from the cars and the trucks and traffic lights there stood a little shack built by my mother's uncle, who everyone called Gecooch. It was so tiny (the shack) that only Gecooch could fit inside. While everyone was watching television, Gecooch was sewing his own clothes by lantern light. While everyone was running their automatic washers, Gecooch was setting an empty barrel outside his shack so the rain would fall into it. He would use the water to drink, cook or wash himself. And while everyone else was shopping at the supermarket, Gecooch was growing his own food from the ground. Gecooch didn't have many of the things that we have, but he did have....THE ANIMALS!

Chickens, goats, dogs, cats and his favorites: the rabbits.

Gecooch loved them all and the animals in turn loved him. He had a name for all his little friends and whenever Gecooch wanted to round up the animals (when he was sure no one else was around) all he had to do was clap his hands and whistle a very special whistle that only the animals understood. And just like magic, they would gather around Gecooch like a king with his proud subjects.....

"This is our land. This is our home. My little friends sing!"
“Baaaa, Woof, woof, cluck, cluck, meow, meow!!!... (Animals singing)

Could it be? A man who could talk to the animals?
No one knew of the magic that took place every day on that little farm not far from the cars, trucks and traffic lights of the outside world.

Every day on their way home from school, the children would come to see Gecooch and his animals. They couldn't believe that this strange little man did not have a sink, lights, or even a bathroom! The children would help Gecooch milk the goats, feed the chickens or pet the rabbits; things they could never do at home! Gecooch was like another Grandpa to all of the children who knew and loved him.

Everything seemed fine.

Then, one day Gecooch was planting tomatoes when he heard the dogs growl........

There, standing next to Gecooch's tiny shack was a great big man wearing a black suit and a cold, mean, face. He handed Gecooch a piece of paper with words that Gecooch could not understand. Then the great, big man said:

"Mister Gecooch, I am Mr. Brown. This is my land now- I give you one week, then you and your animals must leave!





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Now Gecooch was a tiny man who always stooped over-but this time he stood straight and tall and said: "I will not go."

"What? Harumph! Next week, if you and your animals are still here you will be sorry! I will return, and I will not be alone!"

The dogs growled as Mr. Brown walked away, leaving a trail of meanness behind him. When he was sure that no one else could hear, Gecooch played that magical game with his little friends.....

"This is our land. This is our home-My little friends, sing!"

Together, Gecooch and the animals sang about the place they called home; perhaps for the last time...

One week later, Gecooch was taking water from his rain barrel when again the dogs growled.....

For there, standing next to the tiny shed in his black suit and his cold, mean face was Mr. Brown; WHO WAS NOT ALONE. In back of him were four policemen and in back of the policemen was a great big white van with the back doors wide open, and a long ramp leading down to the ground.

But Gecooch was not alone, either. For surrounding that white van were the people of the town who loved that shy little man and the children who visited him everyday. Every one watched to see what was going to happen.....

"So, little man - I have warned you and you have refused to go. You leave me no choice!”

He waved his arm, and the four policemen very gently tried to get the animals to go into that great big white van. But the dogs growled, the cats sprang, the rabbits leaped, and the goats ran in all directions as the policemen tripped, fell, and knocked each other over in a fruitless attempt to get the animals to obey them!

Gecooch looked on sadly. There was nothing he could do; the law was the law and he had to obey it. So, Gecooch whistled; he whistled long and hard and all of the animals froze in their tracks. Then everything was silent!

Gecooch clapped his hands twice.

The four policemen watched in amazement, as chickens, dogs, cats, goats and rabbits all marched in a perfect line up the ramp and into that great big white van! Nobody had ever seen anything like it.




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When the last of the animal parade had filed inside, Gecooch walked up the creaky wooden ramp to join his little friends. For the last time they played that magical little game, but this time it was for all to hear and see.....

"Come, we find new land, a new home. My little friends sing!"

As the van drove away, it looked as if Gecooch and the animals were waving good-bye. No one was sure if what they saw really happened...................

Today, there's a great, big shopping center where Gecooch's tiny shack once stood. And the land where those animals grazed has been long since covered over with an enormous parking lot.

But some people say that if the breeze blows just the right way, while the sun is setting on a summer's day, you can hear the distant whistle of a shy, little man who only wanted to live life his way, on land that was his own, with the animals he loved.