SEPTEMBER WAS COMING quickly and the children would be in school after the Labor Day weekend.
The nights were now warm, the hot days smelled of pine pitch, dust, and ripe fruit from the nearby orchards.
August was the time for family barbeques, community dances, and picnics. The Madisons were having fun getting to know the people in their small town.
Tom and Marty found a swimming hole nearby, where a sturdy rope was hung from the branch of an ancient maple, stretching its strong arm across the slow moving creek, in a deep spot where the water course turned a corner on its way downstream.
The family spent as much time there as they could, playing, swimming and picnicking. Tyler and Sam amused themselves there almost every day, while the Davenport children joined them on the sleepover days.
The five children would walk down the road, pass by the old Rockland farm, the three oaks, and then over the embankment to their swimming hole.
Aggie was in charge when an adult wasn’t there, because the child was the oldest and most mature. The young girl didn’t mind, because she was having so much fun. She was outside, doing what children do and enjoying the summer. The best one she’d ever had.
She enjoyed leaning up against the big, old, tree near the water, resting in its shade. She watched the boys throw rocks and play or swing from the rope screaming and hollering, before falling into the cold water below.
Aggie at times would wade with Missy, or go deeper teaching her sister to swim. She was always careful with her near the water, being too young to be on her own. But, because Missy was shy, the little one rarely left her big sister’s side and was content to play in the dust beside her. Or sometimes she’d bring Jetney, her rag doll and played.
One day, the children were lying about drying in the sun after a swim. Some with their eyes closed, while others watched the soft white clouds floating in the blue sky. They were still and quiet. So much so, that a small, black dog came down to the water to drink. It was so skinny, you could see its ribs, and it looked around in fear.
Sam was the first to see it, “Look, a dog!”
At the sound of Sam’s voice the dog vanished into the woods before the others became aware of what he had said.
“A dog! Where?” Tyler asked excitedly.
“Over there! I saw it over there,” Sam continued to point.
The children called and called, trying to coax the dog to come out, but nothing happened. The forest remained silent and seemingly empty.
Sam worried about the dog. He was determined to find it, so the next day the brothers went back with a bit of food and waited quietly, hoping the dog was still there.
“Do you think he’ll come back?” Sam whispered.
“I don’t know. If he’s there, he may be too scared to come out. Where did you see him exactly?”
Sam pointed, indicating the other side of the creek.
Tyler looked, trying to decide what to do. “What if I go over and put a piece of food on the ground where you saw him? He might come out if I leave it there and come back here. We’d have to sit here real quiet.”
“Let me do it!” Sam insisted, his voice getting loud. “I saw him. I know where he was.”
“Hush. Not so loud. Besides, it’s too far for you to go by yourself,” Tyler whispered.
“No it’s not. I kin do it! I’m a good swimmer. I can walk almost all the way, anyway. It’s only deep under the tree,” Sam insisted.
“Okay. Keep quiet, you’ll scare him off!” Tyler gave in, trying to keep his little brother from getting too excited.
Tyler gave him a big piece of the sandwich and whispered, “Be careful and I’ll be right here if you need help.”
As Sam got up, Tyler advised him softly, “Now, don’t move too fast. Go slow, gentle, like you would want someone to do if you were in the woods, scared and hungry.”
Sam nodded in agreement. He walked softly and gently toward the water, entering it so gradually, he hardly made a ripple. Eventually the water was up to his chest. As he held the food over his head with one hand, he dog paddled across the deep part, until his feet touched the soft mud on the other side. Slowly he got out and sat on the bank for just a moment, looking around.
Peeking from the bushes, Sam saw the poor dog. His heart leaped with excitement.
“Hello boy,” he said softly, gently. “Come on… Come here… I’ve brought you something to eat,” he said kindhearted, as he stretched out his hand.
Patiently he sat, talking tenderly.
The nose of the dog worked hard, smelling the offering in the boy’s hand. Slowly it came out, while Sam coaxed it with a loving voice.
Cautiously the dog came and tentatively took the food from the boy’s hand and gulped it down in one swallow.
Sam was afraid the dog was going to run away now. He had nothing else to offer. But, instead the dog looked for more, wagging its tail.
“Here boy,” Sam asked, patting his leg, and it did. Sam was elated. He stroked the poor dog gently, lovingly and the dog responded by licking his hand and his face in gratitude, while Sam giggled.
“Sam! See if he’ll follow you. Swim back over here,” Tyler called.
“I’m afraid to. I don’t want to leave him.”
“I’ve got more food over here. Come and get it then, and bring it back to him.”
Sam caressed the dog a few more times, then got up slowly and went back into the creek.
As Sam started to swim away, the dog whined and cried running back and forth on the bank, not wanting to be left behind. And he wasn’t going to be. In he jumped and swam after the boy.
By the time Sam reached the other side, the dog was right beside him and soon both boys were feeding him and petting the hungry dog.
“Now what’ll we do?” Tyler wondered, as they got up to go home. “Do you think he’ll follow us? We don’t have anything to tie him up with.”
“He don’t need to be tied up. He’ll come. Watch,” Sam said as he started down the path.
“Come on Henry, let’s go home,” Sam called to the dog.
“Henry? Where’d you get that name?” Tyler asked.
“That’s his name. He told me,” Sam said with a big smile.
Tyler rolled his eyes at his brother’s silliness, but was smiling happily, for Henry was right beside them wagging his tail.
Marty was relaxing on the porch taking a break from her housework in the summer heat, sipping an iced tea, when she noticed the boys walking down the driveway through the pine needles and dust with a dog.
As they got closer, she could see the deplorable state of the poor thing. Her heart went out to it, as the boys broke into a run and the dog ran alongside of them, barking.
“Mom, look what we found! It’s the dog I saw yesterday! Can we keep him? Can he stay?” Sam asked beseechingly.
Marty smiled, caressing the dog, “Well see. We have to make sure the owner isn’t looking for him, first. But, if no one claims him and it’s all right with your Dad, it’s okay with me.”
The boys cheered as Henry barked and jumped around excitedly.
Marty went into the kitchen, warmed up some gravy, and drenched a piece of toast with it. Tyler got a bowl of water, while Sam took the meal his mother had prepared and both boys put Henry’s banquet on the front porch.
All of them watched as the dog wolfed down his meal in a couple of gulps, wagging his tail the whole time.
Sam sat down on the front stoop, while Henry put his nose under his arm looking for more attention. Sam happily complied.
Later that day, Tom came home to find his wife in her rocker, and the boys reading on the porch, instead of playing with their toys, or going down to the creek. Then he saw the dog curled up by Sam’s feet.
It looked up, wagging its tail, as a small woof came from deep inside. He wasn’t sure this person was part of his new family.
Both boys tried to tell their dad all about the dog, all at once. Henry just sat, his tail thumping on the
wooden floor.
“Like your mother said, if no one claims him, then I guess he can stay,” Tom told them with a large smile. “Come on. Henry needs a bath if he’s going to spend the night in your room.”
The boys yelped excitedly, ran to get some old towels and hook up the garden hose.
“Are you going to use our shampoo on the dog?” Marty asked, laughing.
“Yep. If it’s good enough for us, it’s good enough for him,” Tom stated.
“Just be sure to rinse it off well,” Marty commented smiling, as she picked up the car keys and her purse. “I’m going to the store for some real dog food for the poor thing. Henry may as well eat well while he’s here.”
And with that, Marty ventured toward the old mercantile, while Tom and the kids bathed Henry. The black dog shook, shivered and wagged his tail, not sure what to make of all this fuss.
From that day on, Henry became a member of the family. He was a good dog. His only vice being his determination to see that the squirrels stayed up in the trees where they belonged.
Though he loved all the members of his new family, Sam remained his favorite and Henry stayed by the boy’s side wherever he went. Tyler didn’t mind. The dog loved to play with him as well, whenever he wanted him to.
Henry had finally found a home, and a good one at that.
* * * *
A Tale Of True Love Page 14