by Lois Lenski
The afternoon passed quickly. Soon it was time for the workers to go home. Mother and Mei Gwen and baby Susie walked part way with Grandmother Yee. She lived only three blocks from the factory, in a small apartment with Aunty Kate and Uncle Fred. Downstairs Aunty Kate had a beauty parlor which kept her busy.
On the way home, Mei Gwen kept looking for Frankie and Freddie. Mother insisted on walking through Portsmouth Square. But there was no sign of the two little boys on the swings or the slides, and the benches were filled with old men with hats on. Mei Gwen and her mother stopped at the Lotus Garden Restaurant, but Father had not seen the boys and they were not at home when Mei Gwen got there.
It was nearly eight o’clock when Felix, tired and hungry, came back from Chinese school. Father met him at the door.
“Where are your younger brothers?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” said Felix. “I went on my paper route with Roger Loy.…”
“Go and look for your younger brothers,” said Father sternly. “Do not return until you have found them. You should know by this time that they are your responsibility.”
An hour later Felix returned, holding Frankie tightly by one hand and Freddie by the other.
“Where were they?” demanded Father.
“Hiding in the playground on Sacramento Street,” said Felix. “They made me hunt and hunt for them. At last I heard them laughing. I looked up and there they were, hiding in the branches of that big tree by the gate. They said they were pigeons learning to fly. They held their arms out like wings, but they were afraid to jump. They were happy because they had found a tree to climb in San Francisco.”
Frankie and Freddie had been standing silent, hanging their heads. Now they began to giggle. But when the saw the stick in Father’s hand, they stopped. After they were punished, they promised not to run away again.
CHAPTER V
The Lost Dog
Felix stood by the high brick wall on the roof of the apartment house. He could see boats coming and going in San Francisco Bay. His eye could follow the Bay bridge over to Yerba Buena Island and beyond, where the shore line melted in a blue haze. If only he had a telescope, he could see all the way to Alameda. Maybe he could even see Uncle Marvin’s pigeons flying.
“Frankie! Get down!”
Mei Gwen’s loud scream woke Felix up from his daydreaming.
He turned and looked across the roof to the street side. There was Frankie, stepping on a box, climbing to the top of the wall, in danger of toppling over. The next minute, Mei Gwen had pulled him down.
“Did you see him? Did you see that man down on the street?” cried Frankie.
“What did you do, Younger Brother?” asked Mei Gwen sternly.
“I threw a comic book down on his head.” Frankie laughed. “He didn’t know where it came from!”
“You are not to get up on that wall,” said Mei Gwen. “If you fell down into the street, it would not be funny at all.”
“It is well you threw the comic book away,” said Felix. “Father says he will not have that trash in our house. If he catches us reading one, he will punish us.”
It was warm up on the apartment house roof in spite of the wind. The roof was the next best thing to a real yard, and the children liked to play there. The boys could run and jump around, except when the Yicks in Apartment No. 7 below complained. There were chimneys and skylights and water tanks on the roof. There were clotheslines where Mother hung her clothes to dry. There were radio and television antennae.
In one corner of a small fenced-in yard, Father had several salted fish hanging on a line to dry. Baskets of shrimp and other seafood were spread out in the sun. Behind the chimney Mei Gwen had a dollhouse made from a cardboard carton. Father had told her to give her dolls to Susie and Grandmother said she was too old to play with them. So she kept them hidden up on the roof. Now she got them out and began to play.
Suddenly a girl came up the stairs from below. It was the girl from Apartment No. 3. Her hair was uncombed and she was not very clean. She had a little brother and sister behind her.
“My name is Sandra Sung,” she said. “What’s yours?”
Mei Gwen looked at the girl’s dirty dress.
“How many dolls you got?” asked Sandra.
Mei Gwen did not answer the question.
“If your father runs a laundry,” she said sternly, “why don’t you wear clean dresses?”
The girl’s eyes filled with tears. She took her brother and sister by the hand and went back down the stairs.
Then Mother Fong came. “Why is that little girl crying?” she asked. “You didn’t hurt her, did you, daughter?”
“No, Mother,” said Mei Gwen, but she felt ashamed inside.
Mother called Frankie and Freddie, and they helped her bring up a basket of wet clothes, ready to hang on the line. Seeing Felix standing alone, looking so sadly across the water, Mother went over to him. She spoke softly so the others could not hear.
“You must not grieve so much, my son,” she said. “Only time will ease the pain of homesickness. All of us who were born in the old country have felt it, too.”
Felix made no sign that he heard her words. His lip quivered—that was all.
Aloud, Mother said, “Go to the grocery store, my son, and get me a box of soap powder.” She handed him some money. “I still have all the blue jeans and shirts of Father and my three boys to wash. They will make another washer full.”
Felix turned and went slowly down the steps.
Did Mother really want soap powder, or did she just want him to go for a walk? Felix was not sure. There were grocery stores in almost every block, but he just kept on walking. He would take a walk anyhow, and pick up the soap powder on his way back.
Just then a cable car came clanging along Mason Street from Fisherman’s Wharf. They had seemed strange to the boy at first—these little open trolley cars carried along by an underground cable that clicked and rattled in the little ditch between the two rails. But Felix was used to them now. Once he rode on one to Market Street with Mother, and once Father took the whole family to Golden Gate Park for a picnic on a Sunday afternoon.
How about a ride? Felix had money of his own in his pocket, so he got on at Jackson Street. At Washington, the cable car turned south to Powell. Near the corner, the grip man released the grip on the cable and let the car coast, shouting, “Look out for the curve!” The passengers held on tight as the car shot around. When it stopped at Sacramento, Felix jumped off.
He walked down Sacramento Street. The hill was so steep that traffic was one-way and cars were parked going up only. People could go both ways on the sidewalk, but it was hard to walk up the hill on windy days.
Hearing shouts, Felix looked behind him. Two boys were coming down on a new kind of scooter. They had been to the library, and each boy had placed his library book on a single roller skate, and was sitting on it, with knees bent up in front of him. Felix stepped out of the way, laughing. What fun to do that! He knew the boys, too. They were in his class at school—Ronnie Chow and Ralph Hom. They rolled on past him, gathering speed as they went.
Then all at once, another boy came zooming from behind on a soap-box scooter. Felix heard him coming and jumped out of his way. It was Sammy Hong and he whistled like a diesel engine to let people know he was coming. At Stockton Street, the three boys waited for a green light and crossed over. Felix followed them to the playground.
Sometimes when Roger was there they let him play, for they knew he was Roger’s partner. But Roger was taking the paper route today, so Felix knew he would not be there, but perhaps they would let him play just the same.
When he came in, Ronnie and Ralph and Sammy were throwing a basketball. Sammy tossed it to Felix, shouting, “There, Dumbo, see if you can catch it!” It was unexpected and Felix was not ready for the ball, so it landed on the back of his neck and bounced off. Ralph Hom caught it and threw it back to Sammy. The boys began to call Felix names—Sap and Dumbo and Do
pey. It was no use—Felix walked away and sat down on a bench.
It was then that he saw the dog come running into the playground. It was a small dog with long light brown hair and floppy ears and short tail. The boys teased the dog with sticks. They chased it, saying, “Get out of here. We want to play our game.” The dog ran into the street and Felix ran after it. It came to him when he called. He sat on the curbstone and patted it.
“What’s your name, doggie?” he asked. “Where is your home? Are you lost in the big city?”
The dog wagged his tail and looked at Felix with his big brown eyes. Oh, if I could only keep him, thought Felix, how happy I would be. I would not mind living in the city, if I had a dog of my own. He held the dog in his arms, and it seemed contented there.
“That’s not your dog,” someone said.
Felix looked up. Sammy Hong was standing near, leaning on his scooter.
“I know he isn’t,” said Felix, “but I like him.”
“He’s got a collar with a tag on it,” said Sammy. “That means he belongs to somebody.”
“If I can find the owner,” said Felix, “I’ll give the dog back to him. But if I can’t, I’ll keep him myself.”
“Take him to the police station,” said Sammy. “They’ll find the owner for you.”
“Where’s that?” asked Felix. “Where should I go?”
Sammy told him where the police station was, then he whizzed off down the street on his scooter.
Felix thought about it for a while. He wished he could see Policeman Mike and ask him about it, but the policeman was nowhere in sight. Felix wondered who the owner could be. Maybe the dog was homesick for his master. There was only one thing to do—take him to the police station.
It was a long walk down to lower Washington Street. Felix carried the dog across the streets, then let it walk on the sidewalks at his heels. The police station was next door to the morgue, the prison and the Hall of Justice. Felix was timid, not knowing where to go. Police cars and ambulances were coming and going, and once a police siren went off. The noise hurt the dog’s ears and he howled. Felix saw an open door and went in, with the dog following close behind. A policeman sitting at a desk asked him what he wanted.
“I found a lost dog …” began Felix.
The policeman got up and started toward the door. When the dog saw him coming, he barked at him and would not let him pass.
“Take your dog and get out of here,” said the policeman gruffly. “Go to the office round the corner.”
Felix grabbed the dog hastily and went out. In the next office there were five policemen, all talking about robbers and thieves. They looked at the boy and listened to his story, but they said they had no time for lost dogs.
Felix went out feeling very sad. He put the dog down on the sidewalk. Should he go to the Lotus Garden Restaurant and ask Father what to do? Father would put the dog outside the door and make Felix stay and wash dishes for a while. No, he did not want to go there. Back up Washington Street he went, then up the hill again to the playground. Maybe by this time the dog’s owner would be there looking for him.
On the corner he saw Policeman Mike, the friend of all the school children. Felix told him his story and showed him the dog. Policeman Mike patted Felix on the shoulder and said, “Why don’t you keep him, sonny?”
“But if he’s homesick …” began the boy.
Felix went into the playground and sat on a bench. The boys saw the dog and began teasing him again. They threw balls at the dog to see if he could catch them. They threw sticks and tried to get the dog to bring the sticks back. They kept the dog running in circles and barking loudly.
The dog was yelping so, Felix knew he was unhappy. He picked him up and went out the gate, starting for home. He carried him all the way to the apartment. He began to hope he would never find the owner. Then he could keep the dog himself. Would Mother let him keep a dog in the crowded apartment? What would Father say? Would he approve of having a pet in the city?
The dog ran all the way up the three flights of stairs. He followed Felix and came when he called. At the top, the door stood open and there was Mei Gwen.
“Did you bring the soap powder?” she asked. “Mother has been waiting hours for it.”
“No, I forgot about it,” said Felix. “I found a dog. Look what a nice little dog I found.”
Mei Gwen remembered the barking dog called Terry at the Walnut Creek ranch. “A dog!” she cried. “What do you want a dog for?”
“Of course it’s not my dog,” said Felix. “I suppose it belongs to somebody.”
Hearing voices, Mother and little Susie came to the front room. Mother asked for the soap powder. Maybe she really needed it after all. Felix had to explain all over again. Little Susie put her arms around the dog’s neck. The dog stood very still while she patted him on the head.
“He likes Susie,” said Felix.
“Have you looked at his dog tag?” asked Mother.
Felix looked at the tag dangling from the dog’s collar. “It’s got his license number,” he said. He turned the tag over. “It says, ‘If this dog is lost or injured, please phone Market 11701 for name and address of owner.’”
“That must be the dog pound, the place where they keep lost dogs,” said Mother. “You should telephone that number.”
“I don’t want to,” said Felix. Deep in his heart, he did not care to find the owner, because he wanted to keep the dog.
“You must find the owner quickly,” said Mother. “When a dog gets homesick, it will not eat or drink. It will die.”
“I will feed him,” said Felix. “What does a dog eat?”
“Dog food,” said Mei Gwen promptly. “I have seen it at the Fat Lung Grocery. They sell it in tin cans. All the cans have pictures of dogs on them.”
“I have my own money,” said Felix, looking at his mother. “I will buy him dog food. I will buy you the soap powder too.”
“Let me go with you,” said Mei Gwen.
Mother said nothing, so the children started out. The dog followed them to the store and back again. Mei Gwen gave the soap powder to Mother. Felix opened the can of dog food with a can opener and smelled it.
“My dog will like this,” he said. “It smells something like pressed ham.”
Felix put some of the food on a dish. He set the dish on a newspaper on the floor. Mei Gwen brought a pan of water. The dog ate and drank. Felix was happy because now he knew the dog was not homesick.
Mother came down from the roof, bringing some of the clothes that were dry. She asked, “Have you telephoned the dog pound?”
“No, Mother,” said Felix. “The dog likes it here. He is not going to die of homesickness. See how he eats! I will spend all my paper route money to buy him good food.”
Mother spoke crossly, “Mei Gwen, what was that number on the dog’s tag? Go to the telephone and call it. Find out who owns this dog, so he may be restored to his owner.” She turned to Felix. “When a dog is lost, it is a kindness to restore it to the owner. If you try to keep a lost dog, it is the same as stealing it.”
Felix’ heart sank. Now he knew—there was only one thing to do. It was a hard thing to do, because already he loved the little dog so much. I would like to keep him if the owner did not want him, he thought. Maybe the owner will say that he does not want him—then he will be mine. But Felix knew this was a foolish hope.
“I will take him for a little walk on the street, Younger Sister,” said Felix, “while you do the telephoning.”
Felix hated the telephone. He could never get used to it—talking into a little black thing sitting on the bookcase. Father never had a telephone in Alameda, because he had no use for such a thing. When he wanted to talk to people, he went to see them and talked to them face to face. Felix did not like the idea of talking to people you could not see. But Mei Gwen liked it, as she liked all city ways. She was always telephoning her girlfriends and having long visits with them, until Mother made her hang up.
“What’s that?” asked Mei Gwen.
The lady explained that it was the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Mei Gwen gave the dog’s license number, and the lady told her the owner’s name and address. Mei Gwen looked up the owner’s number in the telephone book. She called the number and a man answered. She asked him if he had lost his dog and he said yes.
Meanwhile Felix sat in the downstairs doorway and held the dog on his knees. At first he thought of saving the dog by running away with him. But where could he go to keep the dog safe? Then he remembered his mother’s words. He patted the dog and talked to him.
“I am trying to bring you back to your master as fast as I can,” he said. He told the dog this, so he would understand. He wanted the dog to know he was trying to help him.
A man came walking down the street. He was an old, old Chinese man with a stick across his shoulder. Tied to the stick were chairs, two hanging in front and two in back, a heavy load. He was taking them to the chair factory for repairs.
The man was a stranger to Felix and to the dog. The unusual sight frightened the dog. He jumped up and down and barked at the old man, who turned around in anger and spoke to Felix in Chinese.
“Who is your unfortunate father,” he said, “who has not properly instructed his son to show respect to his elders?”
Felix bowed his head, ashamed. Then he spoke.
“Please, grandfather, would you please walk on the other side of the street?” he asked timidly. “This little dog is lost. That is why he is barking so loudly.”
Felix could not catch the dog because he kept on jumping and barking. A Negro man carrying a live chicken walked by. The little dog forgot the chair man and barked at the Negro.