The road to Danville used to be a winding, narrow, 2-lane. A new 4 lane divided highway took its place. However, like many old roads, you can still find remnants of the old path still in use. On one of those remnants is this story.
Not far from town is the entrance to Danville Loop 1. There are houses, but mostly there are small businesses housed in steel pole-type buildings. At one of those is an environmental company that tests water and soil for contamination. One day last spring someone dropped off a chicken. The live bird had been someone’s pet which they no longer wanted. Kids grow up. Plans change. People move to new homes where chickens are not permitted. In any case they just pulled into the lot, put the chicken out of the car, and drove away.
The people working there noticed the chicken. It was big and fluffy, with feathers even at its feet; it grew up without competition from other chickens and was well fed. It also was very friendly. AND, they took pity on it. Soon they were bringing food scraps from their kitchens for the chicken. They adopted the chicken as their work mascot. They even warned visitors, of which I was one, to be careful to not frighten the creature.
When fall came they worried about their chicken. They bought a coop, or hutch, or whatever you call that thing. They got some straw. They got a water dish warmer. AND they set it up next to the building by the entrance.
The chicken is still there…in charge. It surveils its home (at the office). It greets visitors without noticeable clucking or crowing. No activity goes unnoticed by the guard-chicken (“Do you have something tasty for me?” it says with its eyes as it tentatively moves toward you in a very chicken-like manner.)
Sunday, my wife wanted to just drive around for a while. A sunny, but cool spring day was perfect for a little relaxing drive in the country. So I pointed the car south, not telling her yet what I had in mind. It was the right time to show her the chicken. We turned down the side road, past houses and businesses, drove into the lot, saw the hutch by the front entrance and the chicken standing by the corner of the building between some bushes … looking directly at us…actually chickens only look at you with ONE eye at a time. It was just the perfect thing for her humor. I told her the story that goes with the chicken. She loved it. And the chicken moved expectantly toward the car.
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