Chapters (65)
“You’re lucky,” Becky says as she stops in front of a closed door all the way at the end of the hall. “This room has a nice, big window.” I see in my mind the tall, sun-filled windows in our house back home.
Becky pulls out a ring with about a million keys on it. She slips a key in the lock and pushes open the door.
At first, I don’t see the window. I see two cots piled with blankets and pillows, an old chest of drawers, and a chair. That’s it.
Then I see it: a small window high above our heads.
I hear Becky telling Mama about the bathroom down the hall and what time they lock the shelter doors at night and where the community dining room is.
But I’m looking at the piece of blue outside the window and wondering how this can be the same sky, the same piece of blue, I knew back home.
8
Fancy Dog
Later
in their park
under a sun-dappled sky,
Baby sees a fancy dog,
a live-inside kind of dog.
Baby sees this dog almost every day.
Every day
the fancy dog and her person
come from the exact same direction
at the exact same time,
the dog leading the way, tail up,
tongue out
with anticipation.
They walk the same path through the cottonwood
trees,
circle the duck pond twice,
then stop at the same bench where they always stop
and sit.
Baby remembers how it was to live in the same place,
take the same walk, see the same things
every day.
“Our home is everywhere!” Baby yips with happiness.
Parks. Streets.
Inside tumbledown buildings.
And now in this park, full of delicious smells
and friends:
Ree and Ajax
Linda and Duke
Jerry and Lucky.
“We are always together now, always
me and my Jewel.”
The fancy dog’s person unclips the leash from the
dog’s collar.
The collar sparkles like dew on grass.
The dog cocks her head,
considers the delights held
in a mud puddle.
Baby runs through the puddle, splashing mud
on the fancy dog’s perfect white coat.
The not-as-fancy-now dog’s person frowns.
She clips the leash on the sparkly collar.
Baby does not understand leashes.
Jewel walks, Baby walks beside her.
Jewel tells Baby to stay, he stays.
Why would he do anything else?
Baby hears the fancy dog sigh.
He watches as the dog and her person
walk the same path
through the cottonwood trees,
past the swings
back the way they always go.
But now,
the fancy dog walks behind,
feet dragging,
tail down.
Baby feels sad for the fancy dog until
he hears Jewel call, “Let’s go, Baby.”
Baby’s heart leaps. His two favorite words!
New places, new people,
one lucky dog.