(1)
— Originally published in Scribble, April, 2000
Fred eased onto the park bench, short of breath. “Beans, Lulu. We’ll
have beans. Okay?”
Lulu cocked her head and peaked her ears. Her tail wagged twice.
“I don’t want beans, either.” Fred bent over,
ignoring the pain in his hip, and scratched Lulu behind one ear. With a sigh, he slid back on
the bench. Active. Stay active. The doctor said so. “Tell you what. I have
a half-price coupon for the Pizza Carousel. How about pizza tonight?”
Lulu wagged her tail.
“Okay. Pizza it is.”
The May breeze moved through the beeches and oaks and made the
dogwoods curtsey and trail their long flowered arms. They always made him
remember how Lisa looked at her first ballet recital. Betty was all proud and
grinning. Then Tony wouldn’t sit quiet, so Fred had to take him out and
missed the second half. So long ago.
Fred gave his head a fast shake. No more of that. The old life was
gone. Ended the day Betty left. He filled his lungs with the scent of new
growth. Maybe they should head toward the pizza shop at the top of the hill
on the far side of the park. No hurry. They’d just stay here as long as they
felt like it. They’d eaten lunch less than two hours ago. Hot dogs and canned
sauerkraut. Cheap and nourishing. Like beans. Ah, pizza!
Lulu danced in place and yipped. Fred heaved to his feet and started
down the walk. Lulu trotted ahead of him, nose to the ground, tail high. Her
tawny hair echoed the rhythm of her feet. Half Shepherd and half Collie. Or
maybe half Border Collie. The pound didn’t know how old she was. All Fred
knew was that she was spayed and liked children. And she was beautiful.
They came out of the woods to the softball field with its gentle slope
down to the creek. Lulu bounded across the grass, her hair flying. Suddenly
she veered, then stopped. She smelled a spot in the grass, splayed her hind
legs, and pissed. Fred grunted. Wouldn’t life be easy if you could hook up
with folks by leaving tinkle messages? Lulu ran on to the far edge of the
field, turned, and looked back. He trudged across the infield. As soon as he
reached her, Lulu loped on, over the scraggly weeds, through the
underbrush, past the playground.
TOM'S TALES