The Giant Water Bug

While I was distance teaching this morning, I noticed a giant water bug walking across my desk.  It was a male, with dozens of eggs on his back.

     "Excuse me, Friend," he said in a whispery voice.  I'm far from home and I need to get these kiddos to a wetland, A-S-A-P.  Any chance you could give me a hand?"

      I was pretty busy at that point, grading a steady stream of online assignment submissions, but I reached down and Giant Water Bug crawled on to my hand.  As I drove to Griffy Lake, GWB said not a word, but sighed and tsk-ed repeatedly.  I didn't ask questions about how he came to be in my house with his offspring, because I recognized that I was in the midst of a true emergency.  We got to the lake in record time and I carried GWB to the edge.  He hobbled into the watery grasses without so much as a fare thee well.  It seemed rude, to be honest, but who am I to judge? Everyone's dealing with a lot right now.

      Though I had lost sight of him, I shouted, "Good luck, Giant Water Bug!" and returned to the car.