A Short Tail

Sunshine was streaming through the window as Maggie opened her eyes to the new day. Once more, things started to stream through her mind making it hard to stop and just be quiet. Not a day went by that she didn’t have characters of stories trying to get her attention inside her mind. But then, Maggie was a storyteller. In fact, she knew that she was born to tell stories. But this morning, she didn’t want all that running around in her mind because this day was different. She had to prepare for a new job and she needed to focus on that. Actually, Maggie was desperate to focus on that job that was needed so much. The rent was about due and the electricity was going to be shut off in a couple of weeks.

With a huge sigh, Maggie threw off the covers and wobbled into the bathroom. In a few minutes, she was back out getting into the jeans and t-shirt to wear for work. It’s not much of a job, she thought, but it’s a paycheck and the Lord knows I do need one fast.

With another sigh, she headed to the kitchen to grab a bite that she could cram into her mouth while heading out the door to the bus stop. Just as she got to the corner, the bus began to drive away.

“Hey, please stop!! I have to get on that bus! PLEASE STOP!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. The bus driver didn’t hear her so Maggie whistled like she had never done before. Brake lights came on and the bus slowed down. Running as hard as she could, she got to the bus just as it stopped once more.

“Oh thank you so much for stopping!”

The driver, looking incredibly bored, told her he didn’t care one way or the other. It was just another fare to him. Maggie looked strangely at him and sat right behind the driver’s seat. Since she had a few miles to go, maybe a nice little story would be good for him. So, Maggie started to tell him a tall tale about a bus driver who solved mysteries in his spare time. By the time her stop came up, the driver wanted to hear more. But Maggie told him that she would have to see him again tomorrow.

At her job, she met some very nice people. Others were just not interested in someone new that might not stay more than a few days. During the lunch hour, Maggie introduced herself by telling a story about three people on a life raft that had the courage to go downstream to the waterfall despite the warnings that were given them. They survived. As she finished the story, the people in the lunch room cheered for the victors and the tense story.

For months, Maggie had the same weekday routine; going to work on the bus, telling stories on the bus both ways and telling her stories at work as well. Her family heard her stories on the weekends when she went home to see her parents and sisters. All was well with Maggie and her life was just as she wanted it. Well, not exactly.

What Maggie loved about her life was that she could make friends pretty fast with her stories. But the thing she did not like was that everyone, including her family, only loved her for her stories, not for herself. She was sure that they wanted nothing to do with her if she could not tell stories. So, she wished that she didn’t have to tell the stories anymore. Not one. Actually, Maggie could not imagine life without her stories.

Sunshine was streaming through the window as Maggie opened her eyes to the new day. Another new day with more stories to tell. As she got up from the bed, it occurred to her that nothing was running through her mind except getting ready for work. Nothing. No characters, no stories! It was awesome! She was FREE! She got ready in record time and headed out the door to the bus stop.

Marvin’s bus was right on time and, for once, so was she. “Hey Marvin!” As the driver greeted her with his now usual friendly smile, she sat down in her customary place right behind him.

“So, what is Curtis up to now? Maggie, ya gotta tell me what the guy did and how the story ended before I pop! I waited for you to tell me about this all weekend. So give!”, Marvin pleaded with her. A blush started to rise on her face. Not a word came out of her mouth. Maggie sat there with a horrified look on her face. Then she dropped her head down.

“Oh no!”, she muttered to herself. A tear trickled down her face and dropped into her lap. “What have I done?”

Marvin looked at her, perplexed at her lack of interest in telling the end of the story she had started last week. When he noticed the tear, he tried to find out if she was sick. But Maggie would not look at him. Because the rest of the passengers had to get to work too, he drove the bus onto the route. Maggie did not raise her head until her stop came up. She quickly ran off the bus without looking back. Marvin shook his head sadly having missed the story he’d been anticipating for days.

Her entrance into work was noticed by everyone. They hollered good morning to her as she made her way to her locker. Most of the day, Maggie kept her head down even though people tried to talk to her. Ignoring the usual crowd at her regular table, she got her lunch and went outside to sit alone in the shade under a tree. Her friend, Beth sat down beside her, worried that something was very wrong. Maggie could not bring up the words to tell Beth what was really wrong. In fact, she could not talk at all except to say one and two words at a time.

Beth suggested that Maggie needed to see the nurse at the company office but she turned that down knowing what the problem really was. People still wanted to hear her stories though. They bugged her for at least one to tide them over until she felt better. They understood that it would be a while. They were willing to wait then.

Each day went by like that, no stories. Maggie would not talk to people anymore. She became very reclusive. If it had not been for the money she needed to live on, she would have quit her job right then and there. She stopped going to her parent’s home for the weekends preferring, instead, to stay in her apartment, safe, alone and obviously unloved since she no longer could tell a story.

One night after she’d gotten home from work, there was a knock at the door. Wondering who it could be since she had all but severed all ties to friendships and family, she opened the door and heard “SURPRISE!!!” So many people had crammed themselves into the hallway. Some were from her job and others were the family she had decided not to visit last weekend.

“What are you all doing here?” she inquired in total disbelief.

“We decided since you were not talking to us, we would hold a ‘talking to Maggie’ party. Whatever is bothering you, we are here to help. Talk to us, Maggie. Tell us what’s wrong.”, Beth pleaded with her. Her parents, holding her in a hug, asked the same.

Maggie burst into tears, heartbroken that she was not able to tell them anything. It just hurt too much. And of course, she was too embarrassed too. Finally, her mother and Beth took her into her bedroom to sit down and talk.

“Give. What is up with you!” demanded Beth sternly. “Yes, Maggie dear. What can possibly be the problem that is breaking your heart so?” asked her Mother.

She wailed out “I can’t tell any stories. They won’t come into my mind! I’m hopeless. No one will love me anymore. No one cares anymore. No forgiveness can help this. I wished my stories away!” She fell back onto the bed sobbing.

“Maggie, look at me! Right now!” Her Mother took her by the hand and pulled her up to eye level with her. “Now you listen to me, young lady. I will not have this self pity from you. For one thing, you are well loved. Didn’t you see how many people are in your living room right now worried about you? For goodness sake, there’s a bus driver out there wanting to make sure you will be all right. I have no idea who that person is. Do you? But he cares enough to take the time to be here just like all your friends from your job and, us, your family too. Now, why on earth would you try to wish away your fabulous stories?”

“Momma, I wanted people to love me for ME, not my stories. I thought that everyone only wanted the stories, not me. I’m hopeless!” She wailed again.

Beth pulled Maggie to her and gave her a huge bear hug. “Maggie, you are my best friend. If it had not been for you, I would have quit that job months ago. Remember the day you showed up? I was about to leave there for good when you started telling that first story. But it wasn’t the story that made me stay. It was you! I care about you and I have been worried about you for the last few days. Now come out and tell these people there’s nothing wrong with you, okay?”

“All right but I don’t have a single story to tell. There are none.”

“Maggie, have you been listening? So, there are no stories. Big deal. We love YOU!” her mother told her very sternly.

They all trooped out to the living room where everyone greeted her with a great big smile and cake, lots of chocolate cake. Chocolate can cure many things.

Sunshine was streaming through the window as Maggie opened her eyes to the new day. Once more, things started to stream through her mind making it hard to stop and just be quiet. And Maggie smiled. Then with a “WHOOP!” she got up and ready for work. It was going to be a wonderful storytelling day after all.

Ralph, you met a while back. He was my best bud. I say “was” because he found a new life. I dunno what his new name is. Forgot already. Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t spend much time with the rest of us anymore. Hey, I miss him but it’s for the best. The dude is happy. What more can ya want? He sees us sometimes and barks from the window of the car he’s in. Nice looking master he’s got now. Bet she don’t hit em like the guy did.

Oh, name’s Wendell. Ralph told ya about me. I’m your average sorta lookin’ pooch. A shepherd, cocker spaniel, lab, doberman mix, heavy on the mix part. I don’t care. It don’t matter to me. When me and Ralph was wanderin’ around, I was a bum, a homeless wanderer. Well, I don’t guess he said that about me but it’s true. And I guess the worst part was that I had nobody to wander with anymore. That made me sad. I sat right there on those steps all day instead of goin’ out to all our favorite places. The shops were all giving us stuff to eat. But that was something that Ralph fixed up. I just went along for the food. It was a good life. Was.

The rest of the pack comes around sometimes but not that often anymore. When Ralph went away, it sort of took the pack right out of us all. Somebody needs to get us all back together. Well, I do see Candy once in a while. She is so fine. I don’t know what she sees in that uncouth (Ralph used to use that word. Means dirty and don’t do stuff right…I think) thing she hangs around with named Butch. Bulldog. Jerk of a dog. Bullies anyone who tries to talk to Candy. Now Candy is a really great looking gal. Poodle mix. She hates that mix part. Thinks she’s not as good as those snobby, nose-in-the-air idiot looking things with strange colors. I think she ought to see that none of us cares about all that. And then I saw her coming towards me that day. Uh uh. I shoulda walked the other way, man.

“Candy, doll, come on over here. I haven’t seen ya in a while. How’s about me and you gettin’ together tonight and walk around the town?”

That was my first mistake. It went downhill from there.

“Oh Wendell, you know I only have eyes for Butch. But thanks for the offer. Um, wait a second. Butch is going to be inside tonight for his flea bath. Maybe we could do that.”

So, we went out. It was great…while it lasted. Some blabbermouth of a dog got back to Butch about me. The next day was bad, really bad.

Butch found me while I was going to the shops alone. Gave up lookin’ fer somebody to go with me and I was hungry nuff to try it on my own. I knew I shoulda asked somebody to go with me. He stood there lookin’ at me like I swallowed his lunch. Mad. Man was he mad.

“Hey Butch, ol’ buddy. Whatcha up to?” I thought if I acted like there was nothin’ wrong, he might just think what he heard was just a rumor. No such luck.

“Hello Wendell. You ready to get chewed up? I want breakfast. You need to go to doggie heaven, buddy.”

“Now look, Butch, you don’t need to go to all that trouble for me, buddy. I can take a hint. I’ll just get on out of here and find a new place to get stuff to eat. Okay? Nice doggie.” I didn’t really think that would work. Just gave it a shot. You know. Desperate dogs do desperate things. Think I gave myself away when I panted so hard that it hurt my tongue?

Taking one more look at Butch, I figured my best bet was ta run like a striped ape, whatever that means. I took off on a dead run. (Maybe the word “dead” was not a good idea at the time) Running past all the shops was pretty easy since the humans were out and about by this time. I could run through their legs and around em to get out of harm’s way, so to speak. But Butch just ran right behind me. Once, I slipped on a slick spot and slid for quite a ways. Had to laugh when I saw Butch land on the same spot. He slid clear into a can that fell over on him. It was then that I knew I was home free. Well, maybe.

The net came from somewhere I never seen. But just as it tried to get me, I got away from it too. Oh great! Butch AND the dog catcher people. Not a good day at all. Guess I wasn’t lookin’ where I was goin’ when I ran smack into a can myself. OUCH! That hurt. I seen little puppies runnin’ around. Thought I wasn’t never gonna get rid of all that in my eyes. By the time I got up from that, both Butch and the dog people were comin’ at me…from two different directions. There was an open door so I ran into that shop thinkin’ that I’d get away from one of em. I could maybe battle one at a time. Dunno.

First thing I seen was a tower of stuff…I guess that’d be after I ran into it. The crash was pretty loud. Scared the crap right outa me. Yep, there it was. But I didn’t have time to be happy I did my business on the floor. Had to get outa there NOW! Got up and ran over to another tower of stuff. I didn’t run inta it though. Took a right turn inta another tower. Crash! Scared me again. No results. Man, I hadta get outa there.

About that time, I heard this funny noise comin’ outa a human. She looked really funny with her face screwed up like that. So, I ran to the back door. They all got back doors cuz I been in some of em. Butch was standin’ right there. Nope. Ain’t gonna go that way. Back I went inta that towerin’ bunch a stuff. Bang, crash. Yep, got nuther one. By this time, I was scared so silly that when I ran to the front of the store, it wasn’t no surprise that the dog people were right there in that door. Man, I was in deep sh….trouble. I needed to hide and fast.

There was this really great lookin’ dark place right under that table so I ran there. Got under it just fine. Sat on the cloth thing on the floor. CRASH!! Nah, man. Not again. I heard that funny noise again. Sorta a cross between a snort and a doggie laugh but not. Know what I mean? Guess not. Well, anyway I got pulled outa that spot by this funny lookin’ woman who, like I said, had this really funny look on her face. When I dared to look up at her, she was laughin’ really hard…..at ME!!! I do NOT suffer that indignity lightly! Who the heck am I kiddin’. She got me.

But what was really great was that she didn’t hit me or nuthin’. She just started pettin’ me and talkin’ like I was somebody important. Man, that felt so good. I didn’t know what ta do but I was lovin’ the pettin’ for sure. Guess she decided I was okay because she took me to this place and shut the door. I dunno what happened after that but I never seen the dog people again. Butch, him I see once in a while when he stands at the back door. But she don’t let him in so I’m doin’ pretty well. Turns out she’s owner of the china shop. She thinks I’m cute. I got a new name now but I ain’t real sure what it is yet but it sounds great comin’ from her. Now I see why Ralph likes his lady so much. I get fed alla the time, got toys to play with. It’s a good life.

Monica walked out of work that day and didn’t look back. She just didn’t have it in her to stay with everything going on there. It had been at least a paycheck for so long but now……it’s just too much to take. Sitting in the car, she mulled over where she was going. I can’t go home yet, she thought. They’ll think I ditched work…again. Well, I guess I did. Where should I go?

Sitting on a bench in the park, she took note of the people going back and forth on the path under the trees. Most of them were obviously retired and enjoying the beautiful day. Many people were enjoying the walking path. Couples walked through the park together.

One of the things that was bothering her was the sermon she listened to yesterday at church. The pastor talked about something to do with some “last days” of something and about a loving God Who had sent His Son to die for people. She really wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention at the time. But now, it was starting to come back to her. And that was making her restless.

Normally, Monica loved going to church because her friends were there. This was probably the only time during the month that she could see them all in the same place. Usually, after church they all got together at someone’s home to catch up on things going on in their lives. These were friends Monica had since college several years ago. And now, most of them were successful…all except her. And to add to it, she felt that things were getting even more out of control in her life. Her job was a run-of-the-mill type that anyone could do. The rest of her friends had all done things they loved. One was a top dress designer, there was a surgeon, a master chef and another an owner of a computer software company. They all had gone way beyond what they had dreamed..all but her.

Her family tried to tell her that not everyone can be what they want to be. She had dreamed of being in an executive position in a huge international company. She had trained for that in college but when she graduated, unlike the others who went on to other studies, she decided to seek her dream right away. She just knew that she had the potential to rise to the top as soon as she hit the door to any company. Obviously, they needed her! And then…..they didn’t. Application after application was filled out only to be ignored or rejected. She did not have enough experience even for the entry level positions in most companies. Monica was so frustrated. And now, even the company she works for at the moment does not appreciate her enough. All they ever give her to do are the small things that don’t mean much.

Maybe what she needed was a new job. This would only be the 4th one in 6 years. None of them had panned out really. Monica knew that companies didn’t hire people of her training just to do the little things. That’s ridiculous. She knew better than that. Some had said she had too much of an ego. What do they know? Snorting just from the memories of those people who had no clue what she was going through. They could not know because not only were they not as smart as she, they didn’t have the class she had either.

She bowed her head from the heavy thoughts running through her mind; the sermon that still would not go away, the people that she worked with..none of them were her friends because they told her how awful she is. That hurt. Didn’t they see how much those words hurt her? Didn’t they know that saying those things could only mean that they weren’t really her friends?

While her head was still bowed, someone sat down beside her on the bench. When she looked up, there sat an old gentleman. He had on a suit, tie and bright shiny shoes. Monica was so curious she forgot that she was staring at him when he looked over at her.

“Pardon me. Did I disturb you? I can find another bench.” He started to get up when she shook her head.

“No, that’s all right. I was just sitting here thinking my life over and deciding that it needed improvement but I don’t know how to accomplish that right now. A new job maybe. Oh, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said that.” Monica blushed over the indiscretion of her remark to a stranger.

With very gentle eyes and smile, the man spoke in a quiet voice, “Monica, you have only to seek the Master. You heard about him last Sunday. He will be glad to give you all the direction for your life that you need.” With that, he got up and slowly walked away. Shocked, she couldn’t say a word.

Gail sat at her computer staring at the blank screen. A white background and nothing more. She was straining to think of something to put there but it just would not come into her mind. Deciding that the best way to think of something was to ignore it for a moment, she ticked off in her mind the checklist. Kids at school. Husband at work. Dog had a bath. Picked up the clutter. Had her third cup of coffee. Blank screen. Need chocolate!!! A store trip? NO! Blank screen.

“This is getting me nowhere!” she shouted to the house in frustration. The dog lifted his head briefly but because he was used to her outbursts during writing, he put his head back down knowing she had no real crisis this time. Just then the phone rang. With a bit of dread, Gail answered the phone. It was Barb wanting to know if she wanted to go out for a cup of coffee.

“No, I can’t. I have to stay here and get to work.” She knew it was an excuse but she had to try it. “Well, if you can’t I suppose I’ll just go get my shopping done. But the truth is that you sound like something else is bugging you. What is it?” Barb was her best friend and could read her like a book. Sometimes that was not a good thing.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s just that the work is staring me in the face and I really need to get it done, you know?” Gail just knew that Barb would challenge her statement. But she just said that she would talk to her later and hung up. Gail sighed and went back to staring at her computer screen. Blank screen. It was taunting her.

Gail had no idea how long she had been staring at that screen when a knock came at the door. For once, it looked like her dog would go to the door and bark an alarm. But no, it was too much exertion for him. He put his head back down and sighed that doggie sigh. The knocking continued to rip through the silence. She almost went to the door but decided that whoever it was would go away soon anyway. More persistent knocking came. Maybe she should go see who it is. Gail opened the door but whoever it was had left. She had waited too long.

“That seems to be my lot in life today, waiting too long.” She muttered to herself. Despite the low tone, the dog heard the muttering and growled at Gail. “That’s about enough of that. If I wanted a critic I would just send all my writings into a magazine! Leave me alone, got it?” All at once she realized that she was arguing with a dog. An appropriate bark of laughter went through the air coming from Gail. She wiped the tears from her eyes. “I guess I had that coming, didn’t I. Oh, what do you know. You aren’t even a good food critic! Look at what you are willing to eat!”

The dog decided that none of this had anything to do with him anymore so he went back to sleep somewhere in the middle of what Gail was saying. She once again muttered to herself. Something about blank screens, bad dogs, a chocolate fit, not enough coffee in the world and other assorted blasts at whatever occurred to her at the time.

“This is not happening! I never have this problem. What the heck is wrong with me?” She stared into a mirror assessing what she was seeing but that held no answers either. With a deep sigh of frustration, she went back to the computer and sat down again. Blank screen. She keeps staring at the screen in the hope that something will just pop up and she won’t have to have this amazingly bad day continuing for her. She sighs one more time.

The ringing of the phone pierces the air. She grabs it and answers. “HELLO! What do you want?” she hissed into the phone. On the other end was the unfortunate telemarketer that rang her phone at the wrong time. “Leave me alone!” She slammed down the phone with a deep satisfaction that at least one thing was going right today. She walked back over to the computer and sat down for seemingly the hundredth time that day. Blank screen.

For the first time all day, the dog gets up and whines at her. “I cannot believe this! Is anything else going to interrupt me?” She knew that the dog just wanted to go outside and she knew better than to deny him that privilege. The dog led the way as she opened the door to the back yard which was fenced in for just such times. She let him run. He could be out for a while, she thought. That would keep him from stopping me again. She sat down again at the computer. Blank screen.

Finally, in a fit of utter frustration, she yelled to the whole neighborhood “If I just knew what to make for supper tonight, I could write this stupid grocery list!”

The room was silent, blessedly silent, as Benny sat in his easy chair and read his newspaper. Light was flowing through from the kitchen. He could smell supper cooking in the slow cooker. Looking at his watch, he knew that he only had a few more minutes before……. Reading the top stories proved to be a longer activity than he had originally thought since he really could not keep his mind on the subject. There wasn’t much time left. He began to feel a panic attack coming on. NO! I will not succumb to such things, he thought. I will not!

Going back to his newspaper, he started to read a story about corruption in the local government. Off in the distance, a car door slammed, then another and one more. Suddenly, Benny started to shake, he began to breathe in short, choppy breaths. He turned his head back and forth quickly hoping that it was someone else’s car, someone else’s driveway. But he knew in his heart that it was his car. His time was up! Sweating now, he jumped up and ran to his and his wife’s bedroom just at the end of the hall.

The front door burst open and sounds of laughter came through. First a boy about 10 came running in, then a girl about 8 years old sang as she walked through the door. Right behind them, a woman, carrying a grocery sack, walked in with a very active black puppy on a leash. She called out, “Benny? We’re home. She was much better at obedience training today. She really only bit and licked the instructor probably a dozen times. Of course, she did have an accident but that’s to be expected at her age, don’t you think? He thinks she’ll get the hang of doggie manners in just a few weeks. Honey? Are you here?”

From the bedroom came a muffled “Yes, I’m here. I’ll be right out, Sandy. Sounds great. I hope she does learn all that. I really do.” A more muffled “I have to believe it!” was barely heard.

Sandy moved into the livingroom and put down the sack. The puppy decided the sack was a really great prize to try for so she headed straight for it. Sandy jerked the leash lightly and the hyperactive pup calmed down to standing and panting. A sound of a door opening at the end of the hall got Sandy’s AND the pup’s attention. Suddenly, the puppy started barking in her very high pitched puppy bark. Sandy began to laugh hysterically. Someone was walking down the hall.

Into the livingroom came Benny covered from head to toe in various types of sports equipment. He had on spiked shoes from his baseball uniform, padded pants as well as gloves from his goalie uniform, chest padding for a catcher, football padding for his shoulders and a motorcycle helmet. He stopped in front of Sandy and the poor pooch who by this time had started to cower and tremble behind her. A tiny whine came from the pup.

Laughing so hard that she had tears coming out of her eyes, she tried to speak but it took a while before she could do so. “BBBBBB..Benny? Don’t worry, I’ll take her outside. She won’t get you tonight.”

Pulling on the leash, she staggered out the door to put the puppy into the fenced yard. In the distance, hysterical laughter could still be heard.

Beth was sitting on the window sill staring out at the ducks in a pond in the distance. She could hear them squawking contentedly. Twittering came from birds who talked excitedly to each other. Squirrels running on the tree limbs directly in front of her caught her attention for a second but were soon forgotten. Her far away look made it clear that she was in another place, another time.

Memories passed through her mind, often giving her a chuckle or making her feel momentarily sad. All were part of her childhood. She thought about the time that Pete threw the ball to her. She missed it and had a black eye for most of that month. The year she was 10, Rhonda gave her the first friendship bracelet she’d ever had right before her family moved away. That thought made her sad because she’d never heard from Rhonda again. A couple of days later, she met Mandy. They went everywhere together, did everything together. They were best friends through thick and thin and entered high school together. Beth smiled as she recalled how worried they were about fitting in at the high school.

She thought of her date to the prom, Robert, who looked so good in his rented tux. He couldn’t dance at all but she didn’t care. Prom dresses were awesome that year including hers which was a beautiful light beige, with shoes that were dyed to match and it all suited her perfectly. Robert made it clear that she was the only prom date there. That was one of those things that was so special about him.

Beth remembered how scared she was when her parents took her to college that first year. It was so big. But Dad took her aside and reassured her that all things seem scary when you first start out but just wait a few days. Things will get better. And they did. She had found new friends when Mandy could not go to that college. She laughed thinking about all the girls that lived in the dorm who were just like her, new and scared. She and three others banded together knowing that girls in numbers were always better than alone.

She frowned when the thought came that her new roommate had not been exactly what she had in mind. They didn’t get along at all for several weeks, not saying a word to each other. But then, one day, they both craved the same snack food at the machine in the hall. Francie opened up then and they talked for hours totally forgetting the snack they both “had to have”. Beth gently smiled again recalling the dates they went on, sometimes together. Francie had this great way of getting guys to want blind dates and Beth went along with it. There were the disasters, of course, like when her date was so picky that it drove her nuts. They laughed for hours about that one.

The memories came and went through her mind, sometimes so quickly that she could barely recall them. Others stayed so that she could enjoy them one more time. The one that stuck out by far was when Francie introduced her to her brother, Mathew. Beth and Mathew were quite an item on campus for about three years. Then a foolish fight split them up. A tear escaped and ran down her face, then another.

She snapped out of it. Better not do that, not now. A knock came on the door. “Just a minute, please”, she yelled to the door. She stopped to check herself out in the floor length mirror. Satisfied, she opened the door to a man who asked her if she was ready. “Yes, I think so.” The man looked at her, gently patting her hand.

With a sigh of pleasure and dread, she walked with the man to the entrance to the chapel. Her father kissed her and gave her a big hug. “Beth, this is the happiest day of my life. You are so beautiful. I’m certain that he will love you forever.” And with pride showing on his face, he stepped up and offered his arm to Beth. She took it, nervously checking her gown again. “Is anything out of place? Am I okay?” He nodded.

From inside the doors, the wedding march could be heard. Dad and daughter walked slowly down the aisle of the church. She looked to the right side and saw Mandy and Francie standing there grinning and encouraging her with their eyes. Again, Beth felt like crying but held in the tears when she saw her husband-to-be, Mathew, standing there waiting for her. He looked so good in that tux. Mathew watched as his bride came closer to him, smiling. “I love you so much”, he whispered to her. Beth looked at him with adoring eyes. She knew right then that they were going to be just fine. The pastor began to pray.

Sounds of the extremely loud television permeate the room. Mike and his best friend, Rudy, are sitting on the couch. Rudy is cramming food into his mouth as fast as he can while watching the football game. Mike seems to have to wait on the crumbs and pieces to fall away from Rudy’s hands…and mouth. It’s almost half time but Rudy’s team is about to score.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about! Whadda ya think, Mike?” Mike gives a growl and a woof in response as he gobbles down the latest bites to fall next to him on the couch. “Wait till half time, Mike. We can get the baseball game on the sports channel.” Mike growls again. “Just wait yer turn! This is my game. Ya can see yers in a minute. Man, yer gettin’ pretty bossy.”

Rudy crams more food into his mouth as the next play is executed. “YA!!!! That’ll show ‘em, won’t it, Mike?” By this time, there’s a rain of food scraps that Mike is totally engrossed in so does not answer. Rudy doesn’t notice so intent on his game.

In the background, there are several noises, just out of reach of those listening to the television. Scrapes and bangs could have been heard coming from the kitchen if only someone was listening. Unnoticed by the two on the couch, more sounds, some quite mysterious, come from the kitchen door.

“Hey, Mike. Get yer paws out of that bag of chips. Those are mine. You got yer doggie biscuits ta eat. Leave my stuff alone.” Once more, Mike gives a growl which is conveniently ignored by Rudy who suddenly switches the channel to another football game still in progress. Mike gets up and sits staring at Rudy for a few moments before pawing him on the arm. Rudy shrugs it off but Mike continues to paw until he gets aggravated with Rudy and slams his paw straight into the huge sub sandwich Rudy is holding making him drop it on the floor. Mike scrambles to grab it before Rudy can get there himself. Contentedly, Mike chomps down on the part that was left over.

“Aww, now cut that out, Mike. Yer gonna get yer turn in a minute. I wanna see the score on this here game first, got it?” Rudy looks back at the game and totally forgot that Mike had eaten his sandwich. He stares into the tv almost mesmerized by it.

After watching for a moment more, Rudy grabs the bag of chips from the table that Mike had been pawing and starts to scarf it down, cramming whole hands of chips in and crunching. That sound could be heard by both television watchers. Yet, the noises from the kitchen which are now getting louder and louder are not noticed by the pair on the sofa.

At the door to the kitchen, a black and white cat appears. With his mouth holding a string, he pulls and pulls till he gets the string and the tray attached to the string out of the kitchen without the two on the sofa noticing anything at all. They are oblivious to all things except the food and the television. The cat comes closer and finally stops right at Rudy’s feet.

“Bout time. Took ya long enuff.” Absentmindedly, Rudy picks up the tray and grabs the new sandwiches, chomping into it without so much as looking at what he has in his hands. He hands the doggie treats to Mike who also munches on them without looking at either the cat, Rudy or the treats. The cat sits patiently waiting.

It doesn’t take long for the pair on the couch to start to snore. When the cat hears that, he jumps up onto the sofa and curls up close to the remote. He paws it and the sound goes down. He paws again and the channels change until he comes to Animal Planet. A show is just starting featuring the lives of a number of cats. It’s obviously a series that he has been watching before. The cat begins to purr contentedly and smiles in catlike fashion.

It was almost 2am when she looked up to see if the doctor was coming down the hallway. He wasn’t. She sighed. It had been more than 6 hours already. What was taking so long, she thought. Janna couldn’t sit still. She jumped up to go to the soft drink machine again. Her hands were shaking as she placed the money in the machine picking out a drink that she didn’t even want. When it clanged down into the tray, she was startled, her mind off in the operating room.

“I have got to get a grip on myself. I’m no good to anyone like this, especially not Paul. Oh, where is that doctor?”, she muttered to herself.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway brought Janna back to full alert but it was a nurse headed for the nurse’s station on this floor. She knew she should be staying in the waiting room but it was especially crowded tonight for some reason. The staff had set up recliners and soft couches for those who stayed overnight. Usually, there was plenty of room, she was told. Tonight, it was incredibly full. Most of the people were seeing those in the Intensive Care Unit. Janna was waiting for the results of Paul’s surgery.

“What am I going to do without Paul? Why am I even THINKING that?” She was shocked at that thought coming into her mind at all and then she said it. Surely, Paul will come out of the surgery just fine. She knew that! Of course, she did.

“Paul is certainly young. He can handle this! I have to remind myself that Paul is a fighter. He won’t let this get him down. Besides, we could not live without Paul!” More thoughts like that entered her mind. It was harder and harder to deny the possibility that Paul might not make it through the surgery that he was having right now.

“Why oh why is this happening to us? I just don’t understand it. We’re good people. We don’t hurt anyone. Why? What did I do to make this happen? All I wanted to do is love someone. And Paul came into my life. He’s made me so happy. I love him. What is this all about? What’s happening to us?” The thoughts kept coming and coming through her mind, one negative thing after another. Through the night, she felt the shadow getting closer and closer.

“I feel so alone.” she sobbed quietly. “This is nuts. I know better than that. Father, please help my husband, Paul, make it through this surgery. Please bring him safely back to us who love him. Give us the peace from You that passes all understanding. Bring divine healing to Paul. Give the hands that work on him the skill needed to complete the task. Give the doctors the knowledge to see the problem and fix it quickly. And, Lord, help Paul to see You in all of this so that he does not deny You again! Thank You, Lord, for standing by me in all of this. I am sorry I have not been talking to You as much as I should have lately. Thank You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen!”

Just then, a hand was placed on her right shoulder, very warm and comforting. Janna started to look around but felt the need to stay very still. A quiet peace, like nothing she had ever felt in her life, washed over her and throughout her body. Her mind quieted down and she knew that things would be all right. The hand slowly left her shoulder. She began to smile. Janna knew that she was not alone, that she never had been alone. It just seemed that way because her grief was overshadowing the joy of the Lord.

Janna was so busy thinking about things of the Lord that she did not notice the doctor standing in front of her. “Janna, Paul is out of surgery. He’s doing fine now but it was touch and go for a little while. We were not able to stop the bleeding from the wound. All of us tried everything we could but it didn’t work. Nothing did until a light shined right where we needed to cut. When we did that, we found the bleeder. We never would have found it had it not been for that light. I have no idea where that came from. I had nurses trying to find the source but to no avail. One of the nurses said it was a miracle. You know, if I were a believing person, I would say that God stepped into the operating room tonight. I can’t explain it any other way.”

“Oh yes, Paul will be in ICU for about 24 hours. You can visit him there. This is one for the books. I may write a paper on it” The doctor walked away shaking his head.

Janna sat there for a couple of moments with her head bowed down. If there had been someone else sitting there, they would have heard her thanking God for His miracle. She rested her head on the cushion. “This is truly a good day”

Boring! Boring! My job is so boring. All day I stand here watching and waiting for people to talk to me. All day long, I see them pass by but they have so many other things to do. I wonder what it takes for someone to take the time to see me, to know that I am here waiting for them to talk specifically to me! Sigh. What a waste. I could be doing so many other things.

The crazy thing is that sometimes they do see me. When they do, usually I can make them happy if only for a few moments of time. They walk up, say a couple of impersonal sentences and…bang! I usually have to act like I’m spitting on them but they get the picture, I guess. Of course, then they walk away without so much as a thank you for making them happy. But, that’s part of my job. I guess it does have it’s charms and those wonderful moments when they stand there, looking expectantly. Then I spit. Sometimes it’s really fun because I don’t always spit. My mouth gets so dry that I can’t do it no matter what. What makes me happy is the time that the person is so obnoxious because then I really don’t feel so bad after all.

For once, I just wish I could do something else though. I look at the same scenery every day. The only thing that changes are the people. So, that’s not so bad I guess. People are interesting to watch. Hey, there was almost a car wreck that time. See, I am posted right at the intersection. That’s where I have to stand. I suspect I would make a really good Coldstream Guard, don’t you think? Ah, you already thought that’s what I am? No, that would be really interesting though.

My job is much simpler and more complex than that. I have responsibilities. I cannot be short. That will not do. Once I stood so long that I turned out short. It was horrible. People milling about, no one allowed near me. I was being treated like a criminal. But it got resolved.

Oh, my name? It’s Automatic Teller Machine. I have to go now. My public awaits. Perhaps you could come back again sometime? I have lots of stories for you.

My name is Ralph. Yeah, I know. Not the brightest, most compelling name you ever heard. But I have my days….and nights. I thought I’d tell ya about me and the gang and what happened a few days ago. Not my brightest hour, I can tell you. My friends. They think I’m pretty cool. Does anyone say that anymore? Dunno about that. Now there’s a bunch of rejects if ever I saw one. Actually, not a bad group as scruffy bums go. Most of them have their good points….and bad. Wendell is my best bud. He goes where I do, eats what I eat, enjoys looking at the same females that I do. Wendell is a good guy. But he does have a problem or two. That would be why he spends all his time with me. See, the two of us are the homeless ones. The rest of the gang have places to go at night.

There’s Candy. Who the heck names a girl that, for heaven’s sake? I would have called her Dreamboat but she doesn’t like me talking to her too much. I have no idea why. Maybe it’s that I don’t take her crap the way the rest of the guys do. They are all panting after her. Animals. All of them. Thing is, she’s beautiful. Sometimes she comes around with a ribbon in her hair. She’s so great but I don’t stand a chance. Seems she has a thing for the guy down the street, what’s his name? Butch. Big hulking guy that could chew you up and spit you out. None of us want anything to do with him but Candy keeps bringing him around. Shoo fly, ya bother me.

Of course, I wouldn’t leave out Sandal. It’s sort of a nickname. Not sure how he got it unless it’s the usual way. Sandal likes to explore more than Wendell and I do. If they open up a new continent, it would be likely that Sandal got there first. I really do wish he would stop rooting around in the garbage in the alley though but that’s part of my story. Still, some things are sacred, ya know. Ben goes with him all the time. That guy is new to the gang. I guess he got somebody mad at him so he decided to hide out for a while. He hangs with us for now and pals around with Sandal when he goes exploring.

Now Bugsy can be a tad annoying at times. He is currently scratching that itch. He does that all the time. You would think that he could find a way to get rid of his problem but that doesn’t happen. Of course the people he lives with should take the responsibility, don’t you think?
Maybe I should mention here that he’s a terrier. You know, the jump-in-the-air, catch-the-ball, run-around-like-a-chicken-with-his-head-cut-off, hyper pooch type of guy. Not a bad sort as long as you like to watch someone lick everything twenty times. Personally, I get the hygiene thing over with as fast as possible. I have other things to do.

Oh, didn’t I mention that we’re dogs? Thought I had said that. Yep, grab-the-garbage, yap-in-your-face, bark-till-you-get-up-and-feed-us type dogs. Candy is a beautiful, but snooty, poodle mix. She hates the mix part. Makes her feel like she isn’t quite up to the rest of the poodle crowd. I say leave em alone and let live. Butch, her amore, is a bulldog. I hate bulldogs. They drool.

Sandal is a labrador who once chewed up several of the master’s favorite pairs of shoes. All he left were a pair of sandals. Guess that’s where the name came from. Ben is called that because he looks like Benji, you know, the movie star? Uh huh. His owners weren’t that imaginative.

Wendell is a run-of-the-mill, nobody-knows-what-the-heck-he-is dog. Looks like sort of a shepherd, cocker spaniel, lab, doberman, kitchen sink sorta guy. But he’s my friend and that counts for a lot. Now me, I’m an Australian Shepherd. I look pretty good on most days. The hygiene thing. They like me to take charge because of my herding skills. Hey, I’m pretty good at that. Anyway, I ran away from a master that wanted to hurt. No more! Nuff said.

Anyway, the gang wanted to go behind that food place that smells so good but I wasn’t sure that was such a good idea. Shoulda listened to my instincts. That’s what I got em for. Anyway, Wendell saw a couple of catchers over there a bunch of days before. Got this one dog that was minding his own business getting burgers out of the dumpster. They put a net around him and took him away. Every time somebody puts a net over someone, they never come back. Never! We don’t know what happens to them. But the net people always smell bad. That means they aren’t good for us at all. But that burger place smells good. Well, I thought, maybe we should try to get into the dumpster. The whole gang wants to go there. Nobody will notice it. Boy was I wrong.

Wendell and I decided to scout the place just to make sure there weren’t any net people. All clear! We all went for the great smelling stuff right on top. It was kinda hard to get up there but what the heck, the food’s good. About that time, the net people threw that blasted thing over us all. The good thing was that everyone was able to get out from under the thing…..everyone but me. I was caught and got all tangled up. No gettin’ out of this without help. Yeah, and I know what kinda help I’m gettin. I started to panic. Barked my fool head off. Didn’t work. Bared my teeth. They got scared. Not bad. They put a rope around my neck and pulled tight. I got the message.

After they put me in their truck, I thought if I pouted enough, that would work. It worked on other people before when I wanted something to eat. Worked every time….except this time. The ride took us to a big building that smelled a lot like more dogs………and CATS! I hate cats. Cats are so rude and arrogant. All I want to do is bite one and………oh, who the heck cares. I got into a mess.

They hauled me into a big cage. If I hate anything more than a cat, it’s a cage. Can’t go get my favorite snacks from all the people that feed me and Wendell. I guess Wendell will do our rounds by himself now unless I could get out of this place. It was terrible at night. All the dogs in with me howl and bark sort of like they think if they make enough noise that somebody would come and let us loose. Yeah right. Nobody came.

Every night they would do that. Every night, I missed going to sleep. Too much noise. Maybe some day I would be desperate enough to sound like that. So, I ask them, ya know? What’s all the racket for? A couple of guys said that if you stay long enough, they take you away and never come back. Then, there’s this place out back where it smells like a lot of dogs but you can’t see them. Really bad smell like they are there but not there. I began to bark and howl too. My throat hurt.

And that’s where I am right now. Stuck in a cage. Been here for days. I lost track. One of the guys says that I don’t have much time since I don’t have a real owner to come get me. Well, I did but I ain’t expecting to see him. Sometimes happy looking people go looking in the cages. Once in a while, there’s a kid or two with them. They get so excited when they see a dog. But it doesn’t seem to be just any dog. Got to be the perfect one. I guess they dance and pant better than everybody else. Who knows. I don’t get that at all. What’s the big deal?

I was sleeping nicely when I got woke up because I smelled her. She came in looking kinda lost, like some of us in the cages. She didn’t look happy like the rest of them that come in. She looked in lots of cages but I guess none of us were the right one. I forgot to pant like a fool this time. What’s the use anyway?

Hey, she’s stopping in front of my cage. As I looked up at her, she gave me the biggest smile I ever saw. ME? She wants me? Of course, I got very dignified all of a sudden. Stood up carefully, took a long look at her. Man, she smells great!!! Hamburger? Flowers? Not sure. No cats. I always check for cats! I’m really checking her out, very carefully walking close to the cage door. The guy with her, one of the net people, opens the door. My escape! I can get out!

No. Wait. She calls me to come to her. I can’t. I want to go back to my neighborhood where my friends are. I feel stuck to the floor. Her smile sort of goes away. I don’t know. Maybe I should see what she wants. I cautiously walk to her, smell her hand. Not bad at all. She decided to pet me. Hey, I like that!!!! Time to take a lick to see if she tastes good!! OH YES!!!! I couldn’t contain my happiness. I’m not one to demonstrate my feelings….usually but this is a special occasion if ever there was one!!! She smiled brightly and told the guy something. He is putting a leash on me. I don’t like the leash. The other guy slapped me with them all the time. When I backed up, she said something that sounded so nice. She took the leash and put it on that collar I had on. I don’t mind walking with her.

Today, I got my freedom back! And now I understand that she is my new master. We are going to be best pals, I can tell. She put me in her car and off we go. I love hanging my face out the window! Smells good. Wait a minute. I smell my neighborhood!! There’s Wendell!! I bark and bark at him. He barks back. He knows I’m okay. The day turned out pretty good after all.