Odder

This section summarizes Poem 124: “catching up,” Poem 125: “Twyla,” Poem 126: “back in the tank,” and Poem 127: “wrong.”

The humans have renamed Kairi as “Twyla.” They initially brought her to Highwater to cure her “shaking sickness” (seizures). Shortly afterward, she delivered a stillborn pup. Odder’s guilt lessens now that she knows she isn’t responsible for Kairi’s captivity here, but she still mourns her friend’s loss of the pup. While days pass with no sign of Kairi, Odder despairs, knowing that Kairi likely won’t leave Highwater.

This section summarizes Poem 128: “exam,” Poem 129: “human noise,” Poem 130: “never,” and Poem 131: “Jazz.”

Odder remains listless. The humans decide that she’ll be a permanent resident at the aquarium because of her extensive injuries and history of human interaction. Although they know it’s for the best, they can’t help feeling that they’ve let Odder down. Thanks to years of listening to humans, Gracie can decipher their speech and realizes that they’ve given Odder a name: Jazz. Knowing what this means, Gracie can’t summon the heart to tell Odder. However, Odder has already surmised her fate and is resigned to it.

This section summarizes Poem 132: “spared,” Poem 133: “no sign,” Poem 134: “absurd,” Poem 135: “up to something,” Poem 136: “knowing,” Poem 137: “back to the pup pool,” Poem 138: “bribes,” and Poem 139: “ball of fluff.”

Odder’s feelings toward her situation change: She feels safe and cared for by the humans and is grateful to be spared from the dangers of ocean life. Odder thinks she still catches Kairi’s scent every now and then, but no sign of her appears. Meanwhile, the aquarists don peculiar disguises that include large pieces of fabric that cover their bodies and boxlike objects that encase their heads. When they trap Odder in a cage, she knows something is up. They take her to her old pup pool, where she recognizes Kairi’s scent. When she reunites with her friend, Odder realizes that Kairi is holding a pup to her chest.

This section summarizes Poem 140: “maybe,” Poem 141: “small,” Poem 142: “echoes,” Poem 143: “sorry,” Poem 144: “boxheads,” Poem 145: “bye, Jazz,” and Poem 146: “why.”

Kairi explains that after her pup died, the humans brought her this one. She isn’t sure why, but she thinks that this pup may have been abandoned. Odder is mystified that Kairi instinctively knows how to care for it. Kairi wonders if she and Odder could ever have been as small and vulnerable as this pup is. The sight of the pup triggers old feelings of abandonment in Odder, as she wonders again where her mother went. Odder apologizes for putting Kairi in danger, but Kairi easily forgives her.

Odder and Kairi acknowledge what it means that the humans have named them. Kairi hasn’t named the pup, and she hopes that the humans haven’t named him either because that means he’ll be free one day. Odder asks Kairi why she wants the pup to be free, in light of all the dangers they both faced in ocean life. At least here at Highwater, the pup is guaranteed safety. When Kairi points out that this is very unlike Odder, she responds that she’s no longer Odder; she’s Jazz.

This section summarizes Poem 147: “the answer,” Poem 148: “day 1 with pup,” Poem 149: “the new addition,” Poem 150: “all day long,” and Poem 151: “reprieve.”

Odder finally receives an answer to the question of why the aquarists brought her back to her pup pool when, one day, they bring Odder a pup of her own. She feels that they expect her to do something with it, but the pup hides and Odder avoids her. She doesn’t think that she has the qualities necessary to be a good mother like Kairi does. The humans watch and wait all day long, but Odder continues to ignore the pup. She finally gets a reprieve when the humans take the pup away for the evening. Odder wonders what she was supposed to do with it; Kairi helps her realize that she must teach it to be an otter, the same way the humans did with Odder when she was first brought to Highwater as a pup.

This section summarizes Poem 152: “day 2 with pup,” Poem 153: “day 3 with pup,” Poem 154: “day 4 with pup,” Poem 155: “meeting,” and Poem 156: “Darth Vader.”

The humans return the pup to Odder’s pool and hover again, but Odder continues to ignore her; she repeats this behavior on day 3. On day 4, Odder displays slight interest when the pup stops making noises, but only long enough to check that she’s still alive (she is). The aquarists hold a meeting to decide if they should continue trying to get Jazz to bond with Otter #209. After all, Twyla is the first success they’ve had with this; maybe she was a special case since she had just given birth. Perhaps they’re asking too much of Jazz, given all that she has been through.

Although it’s a long shot, the implications are immense if this works: It means that the aquarists can use otters who can no longer survive in the ocean to raise abandoned pups, who can then be returned to the wild. To facilitate this process, the aquarists wear special disguises to obscure their features so that the pups won’t bond with them. They don long ponchos, gloves, and welder’s helmets, a look they call their “Darth Vader” outfits.

This section summarizes Poem 157: “another dream,” Poem 158: “talking,” and Poem 159: “day 5 with pup.”

Odder has another dream about a pup. In this one, the pup is drowning, and Odder does nothing to save it. Odder and Kairi talk: Odder doesn’t feel that she’s capable of raising the pup, given her personality. She doesn’t think she knows how to care for it. Kairi gently reminds her that she knows how to play. On day 5, Pup #209 remains silent, and the humans remain anxiously hovering nearby. This time, however, Odder ventures over to give the pup a little nose tap.

This section summarizes Poem 160: “pathetic,” Poem 161: “purpose,” Poem 162: “calming,” and Poem 163: “whispers.”

Odder reflects on how pathetic Otter #209 seems: She clearly doesn’t know how to dive. Odder wonders, aghast, if she was ever that small and helpless—and remembers that she was and it was the humans who helped her learn how to swim. However, while the humans understand the mechanics of diving, they don’t understand the significance of it the way an otter does—for the joy of it. Odder watches Otter #209, baffled and afraid, try to get the water off her face as the humans approach to rescue her. Watching the pup struggle, Odder remembers their purpose as otters: to play. Feeling that no otter should be this afraid of water, Odder makes a decision. She places Otter #209 on her chest as she floats around the pool, soothing her and whispering to her. She tells Otter #209 all she’ll teach her: all the skills she’ll need to be an otter and, most, importantly, how to play. Suddenly, Odder can’t wait for the days ahead of her; she has so much she needs to teach this little pup.