Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: The Family Pet (05/15/08)
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TITLE: Rags | Previous Challenge Entry
By
05/22/08 -
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My son, Samuel, had to wear his new tennis shoes.
“I’ll be the fastest kid in second grade now. I would have probably been faster than Rags,” he said, and immediately lowered his head. I knew what he was thinking.
“Come on, honey. Let’s get some ice cream,” I said wanting to cheer him up.
Up came his head displaying a bright, toothy smile. “At Cherry On Top?”
“Sure! It’s only a couple of blocks from here. Let’s walk so you can try out those new shoes.”
It was a short walk from the shoe store and we didn’t say much. We were thinking about Rags.
I’ll never forget that day four years ago when Samuel was three. Hanging clothes on the line, I let Samuel play in the sandbox. He was having a great time burying his toy cars. Suddenly I heard barking and turned around. When I saw the open gate, my heart skipped a beat. Sam was gone.
As I ran to the open gate I watched a strange dog herd Samuel back into the yard. Samuel ran to me, crying, but thankfully he was safe. The dog quietly laid a short distance from us, his big brown eyes pleading for friendship and possibly a home. That began the strange and wonderful relationship between a boy and his dog.
We entered ‘Cherry On Top’ and sat in a comfy booth next to a big, pane glass window. Looking out we watched people walking by. The traffic seemed unusually busy. It was almost noon and though a good mom would have insisted on a burger and fries, I decided to have the ice cream treats first. After the waitress took the order, my mind drifted back to our family pet.
Rags. Strange Samuel thought of that name. I wanted to name him something cute. Spot might have worked better, because of the several, small black spots sprinkled on a white coat of hair. It was the markings on our faithful pet’s face that was so unique. It was a black spot shaped like a flying bird.
I was brought back to the present with Samuel's outburst, “Mom, look! There’s Rags.” Surprised I looked at Sam. I thought he was joking, but it didn’t seem very funny. And there wasn’t a twinkle in his eyes, more like wonder and hope.
I knew it couldn’t be. Rags was dead. Last week, a car of teenagers, raced down our quiet, middle class sub-division, driving too fast to avoid hitting Rags.
I looked at the dog outside the ice cream shop window. His paws were up on our window, barking at us. I saw sprinkles of black spots on his coat and, yes, there was that flying bird; could it really be Rags? Sam jumped up and ran out the ice cream store. I grabbed my purse and followed, hollering, “Sam, stop! Samuel!”
Sam darted down the sidewalk with me raced after him. My heart stopped as Sam disappeared around the corner. Thinking the worse as I turned the corner, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Sam standing in the alley, alone, calling, “Rags, Rags, where are you?”
I put my hands on his shoulders and tried to comfort him with a hug. “Sam, I don’t think that was Rags. It looked a lot like him, but it couldn’t have been him."
“It was Rags, I know it,” sobbed Sam. I kneeled and held him. . I scanned the area one more time, wondering how the dog disappeared in this blind alley. Then we heard the most horrid sound of metal crunching and glass breaking.
“What was that?” We ran back to the street. An ashen colored cloud rose above the semi-circle of people crowding around the gapping hole in the side of the building.
“Mom! Look!” shouted Samuel.
The nose of a purple colored Cruiser looked grossly out of place, resting in the very spot where we had been sitting just moments ago. If we had still been sitting there, instead of chasing….”
Within minutes fireman and police arrived, took control and had the crowd move back. I quietly thanked God for keeping us from harm, and prayed no one was hurt in the accident. I felt my arm being tugged and I realized Sam was saying something.
“I’m sorry, honey. What did you say?”
“Mommy?” Samuel looked at the damage and said what I was thinking, “Can dogs be angels?’
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