Patchwork Family

by Bonnie Tharp

  “Look, he’s smiling.” Megan grinned and reached out her hand.

  Blue-black with small flopping ears, he had two brown spots above his eyes like round eyebrows, a white blaze on his chest, and four brown socks on his feet.

  “His coloring is like a Rottweiler, but he’s almost the same size as Sugar.” Tad called to the dog. “Hey, boy, you’re a good-looking dog. Come here.”

  The dog’s whole back end wagged with excitement. He tugged on the leash, crossing the room to the boy’s waiting arms.

  Tad rubbed his head, scratched him down his back and under his chin. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you?” The dog leaned against his legs, his body vibrating with joy.

  Standing up, Megan showed the dog her open palm. “Hi, Turbo.”

  He gave her hand a lick and she giggled. He wagged a couple of steps forward so she could pet his big black head. “He’s soft,” Megan said.

  “Sit.” Peggy snapped her fingers.

  The dog stopped wagging and plopped his bottom down on the tile facing her. “May I give him a treat?” Peggy asked the attendant.

  “Sure.” She handed Peggy two dog biscuits.

  “Good boy.” Peggy held the treat out to the dog. He took it in between his teeth, never touching her fingers.

  “Do you know if he is house-broken?”

  “Yes, he is. We run our dogs through a series of tests, and Turbo rates very well. He’s good with kids and shows no aggression to other animals. He’s been obedience trained and doesn’t like to go to the bathroom indoors,” she said. “Because of the mix of breeds he is, he’ll be a good watch dog. Most Rottweilers bond to their families and are very protective.”

  Sam stood by and watched as Peggy and her siblings took turns petting the friendly animal. “Why did the owners get rid of him?”

  Good question, Sam, I’m glad you’re here.

  “They had to move out of state and couldn’t take him along.”

  “Lab puppies are usually very destructive,” Sam said, his arms crossed. “I had to replace the arm of my chair and the feet on one of my table legs.”

  “That usually stops once they are past a year. Turbo is nearly two and shows no signs of such behavior in his room.”

  “I like him.” Megan leaned her head on his neck.

  Tad sat on the floor scratching the dog’s chest. “He’s cool.”

  “I think so, too. Do you think Gram will like him?” Peggy thought Turbo liked them all and looked really happy to have all the attention.

  “She’ll love him.” Sam turned to the clerk. “We’ll take him.”

  The young woman smiled and stroked the dog’s head. “He’s been neutered, had all his shots and been wormed. Let’s go start the paperwork.”

  “Great, I’ll go with you.” Sam held the door open for the young lady to precede him.

  Megan looked confused. “What did she mean he’d been tutored?”

  “Neutered.” Peggy laughed. “It means he can’t make puppies anymore.”

  Tad frowned. “That’s just wrong.”

  Peggy shook her head at her little brother and sat back up on the bench. They stayed in the room with Turbo, waiting for Sam. The dog’s tail hadn’t stopped wagging since he came in.

  “Look at that tail,” Tad said. “It doesn’t go back and forth, it goes round and round.”

  Peggy smacked her forehead with her palm. “Duh. I’ll bet that’s why they call him Turbo.”

  They all laughed, and Turbo seemed to smile.

  “Can we look at the kittens, too?” Megan’s eyes pleaded with Peggy to say yes.

  Tad looked at Peggy, raised his brows and shrugged.

  “I don’t know. Gram didn’t say anything about getting a cat, too.”

  “But you heard the clerk say they had kittens, and Turbo gets along with them. Please!” Megan vibrated with excitement. “Ms. Pickles is Gram’s cat. I want one of my own.”

  Studying the pattern in the tile, Peggy said, “I don’t know if that would be fair to Turbo. He should get all of our attention since he’s new to our family, don’t you think?”

  Tad touched his little sister’s sleeve.

  “I guess.” Megan’s eyes glistened. “But she could be friends with Ms. Pickles. I like orange kittens.”

  “I’ll ask Sam what he thinks.” Peggy left Tad and Megan with the dog and crossed the foyer to where Sam stood going over the adoption papers. “Sam?”

  “Hi, kiddo, what’s up? Did you change your mind?”

  “No, we love Turbo. He’s a great dog. But Megan would really like an orange kitten. Do you think Gram would mind?”

  “Do you have any orange kittens?” Sam asked the girl behind the counter.

  “As a matter of fact, we do. There’s a litter of two-month-old kittens. One of them is orange with yellow eyes. It’s the cutest little thing.”

  “Why don’t you call your Grandmother and ask her?”

  Peggy pulled out her cell and punched in the number. “Gram? Hi. We found a dog. He’s perfect. He’s two years old and trained and everything. He’s mostly black with brown eyebrows and feet.”

  “Does he have a name?”

  “Turbo, because of the way his tail spins around. It’s really funny.” Peggy leaned from one foot to the other.

  “He sounds fine.”

  “Would it be all right if we brought home a kitten for Megan? They have one like she wants.”

  “I don’t know, Peggy . . .”

  “They said he isn’t aggressive with other animals at all.”

  “Well, Ms. Pickles will probably have a fit, but okay. I don’t know how I’m going to pay Sam back for two animals,” Annabelle wondered aloud. “We’ll figure something out. Don’t forget, taking care of them is you kids’ responsibility.”

  “Okay, thanks, bye.” Peggy snapped the cell phone shut, her eyes shining. “She said yes. Could you get the orange kitten? We need to see how it gets along with Turbo.”

  “Sure.” The girl in green went through a different set of double doors and emerged with a tiny kitten in her arms a few moments later.

  “She’s precious.” Peggy took the kitten and stroked the tiny head. The kitten rubbed its nose under Peggy’s chin and purred. “Oh my, she’s soft and so tiny. I hope Turbo doesn’t sit on her.”

  “I’ll take her.” Sam scooped the kitten into his palm cradling it against his chest.

  They walked back into the meeting area and found Megan and Tad sitting on the floor with Turbo lying on his back getting his tummy rubbed. They stopped and watched as Turbo rolled onto his feet. Sam knelt down. “Come, Turbo. Here, boy.”

  The dog’s nails clicked as he walked over to Sam and sniffed the kitten. He pushed it with his nose and the kitten batted away the big black nostril. Turbo licked the kitten’s head. The kitten mewed and purred in Sam’s arms.

  “Good boy, Turbo.” Tad grinned at his little sister.

  Putting her hands on her hips, Megan stared. “What’s going on?”

  “Gram said we could have a kitten, too,” Peggy responded.

  “Really?” Megan took the tiny kitten in her arms. “Hello, little one. We’re your new family.” The kitten’s motor thrummed as she snuggled into Megan’s neck. “I’ll call you Tang.”

  Her brother rolled his eyes. “What kind of a name is Tang?”

  The little girl stood tall, her chin high. “She’s the color of Tang orange drink.”

  “You know, I think you’re right,” he said, rolling his eyes again. “Come on Turbo. Tang. Let’s go home.”

  Chapter 23

  THE NEXT SATURDAY, Regina pulled up in the drive of the Riverside house and honked, watching for signs of life behind the curtains. Megan peeked out with an orange fur ball under h
er chin and waved. Waving back, Regina smiled. “Such a cutie,” she said aloud.

  The front door opened and Peggy came out wearing white shorts and a red tank top, her flowered bag over her shoulder. “Bye,” she called before she closed the door. Peggy skipped down the porch steps and crossed to the passenger door, opened it and plopped into the seat.

  “Hi, how are you?” She put on her seat belt and smiled.

  “Hello, young lady. I’m just fine, thank you. I was thinking we might head to Old Town?”

  “I’d love to go to Lucinda’s. She has the coolest stuff.”

  “Good. I can always find a pair of earrings I like there.” Regina turned the car towards the middle of town.

  “They have a sale on shirts, skirts, summer dresses and shoes—well, everything. Plus they have silly stuff we could get for Tad and Megan.”

  They crossed over the bridge at North High School, passing by an area that had seen better days. Some of these houses had been built near the same time as her family’s home near the Arkansas River, though most had smaller yards and had been turned into multi-family dwellings.

  “We’ll see what they have and then decide. How do you feel about gelato?”

  “I love the stuff, but it is way too expensive.” Peggy dug in her bag and found a zipper coin purse, opened it and fingered the contents. “I don’t think I have enough.”

  “My treat.”

  The kids have learned to watch every penny. That’s good, but a little sad.

  “In that case, I want chocolate.” Peggy zipped her bag closed with a content look on her face.

  “Don’t you want to try something unusual like Pumpkin Pie or Cotton Candy?”

  Peggy shook her head. “Nope. Chocolate.”

  “You’re a young woman of impeccable taste. Chocolate is my favorite, too.”

  “Can we shop first? You know, work up an appetite?”

  “Sure.”

  The radio was set to an oldies station so Peggy punched in the numbers for a station that played more modern music. The thumping bass filled the air around them.

  No parking was available in front of the store, so they opted for the parking garage.

  “Do we have a budget today? I don’t want to overspend. Just tell me what you’re willing to pay and I’ll make sure I don’t go over.”

  “As a matter of fact, no. We’re open to whatever possibilities present themselves.”

  The young woman’s eyes widened. “Really? I like that. But I also like a sale. You get more for your money.”

  They found a place to park on the first level, locked the Caddy up tight and headed into the square. The bell above Lucinda’s door jingled as they entered.

  Regina gestured to the lovely brunette behind the counter. “Hello, Ellie.”

  Returning Regina’s smile, Ellie walked around the counter and extended her hand. “We haven’t seen you in a long time. Wait until you see the summer things we have on sale.”

  “I’m here for earrings. It’s past time for a new pair.”

  “Of course.” Ellie led them to the glass case.

  Peggy walked past the jewelry counter, through the archway to the part of the shop filled with clothing, shoes and handbags. Racks and displays crowded the aisles. Accessories draped over hangers and wire mannequins adding color and glitz to the scene. Regina watched Peggy finger through the rack of eclectic colored summer dresses, pulling out one after the other. She held a sundress up against her body and swung around smiling.

  “Look at this one, Regina. Isn’t it fabulous?” Peggy held a turquoise dress, patterns of pink and purple swirling along the bias.

  “Those are great colors on you. Go try it on.”

  Peggy didn’t waste a heartbeat before going into the dressing room and pulling the curtain.

  “Show me what earrings you have in those colors,” Regina said to Ellie. “Nothing too large or flashy, but they have to be fun.”

  “I have just the thing.” Ellie went to the earring display and returned with a pair of earrings sporting a short dangle, and a bead for each color in the dress.

  “Excellent.” Regina took the earrings to the dressing room door as Peggy emerged swirling around in the crinkly cotton dress.

  “What do you think?”

  “Hum. I think you need these to go with it.” Regina held the earrings up against the fabric and smiled at the shine in Peggy’s eyes.

  “The colors are perfect.” Peggy hugged Regina and returned to the dressing room to change back into her shorts.

  “Now Ellie, let’s find something equally fun for me.” Regina scanned the beautiful displays, her eyes drawn by the sparkle and color.

  After choosing a pair of Vintage Swarovski Crystal earrings that flashed blue, gold, or red depending on the light, Regina joined Peggy where the most unusual and funny gift items were displayed. Peggy had already picked out bacon-flavored toothpicks and skull and cross bones bandages for Tad. She held a small beaded heart-shaped box and a decorative hanging with butterfly wings on a half-moon for Megan. Across the moon there was a saying about dreams by Eleanor Roosevelt.

  “Good choices.” Regina felt warmed by the pleasure in Peggy’s eyes. “Now what about your Gram?”

  “They used to have some great lotion that has bees in the name.”

  “And here it is.” Ellie handed Peggy a bottle with yellow bees on the label.

  “That’s it!” Peggy grinned and turned her loaded arms towards Regina. “Is it too much?”

  “No, it’s just right.” Regina took a few items and handed them to Ellie.

  Taking the rest of their purchases to the cash register, they laughed at the funny magnet display while Ellie rang them up.

  “One twenty-five, thirty-two, today.”

  Peggy gasped and froze in place, her eyes watching for a reaction, but none came.

  Regina handed over her credit card. “I think it’s time for gelato.”

  It feels good to surprise them once in a while.

  “Thank you, Regina, this is so cool,” Peggy whispered. She shook herself and gave Regina a quick hug. “I’m having a great time.”

  “Good. Thanks, Ellie.” Regina stowed her wallet in her purse and took the bag Ellie handed over the counter. To Peggy she said, “I thought we needed a bit of girl-time.”

  They crossed the cobblestoned square and went into the café that advertised gelato on the sign. In the entry area there was a large glass top freezer with compartments that held different flavors. It was circular and twirled around like a carousel.

  “We’d both like chocolate and I think we’ll eat it outside under an umbrella.” The handsome middle-aged woman motioned for the waitress nearest the doorway and smiled.

  “Cherie will seat you while I fill your order. What size would you like?”

  “Medium for both of us, please.” Regina and Peggy followed the waitress to the door.

  “Very good. Chocolate is the best,” the waitress said. The young woman’s stark black hair matched the studded collar she wore around her neck.

  At least her face didn’t look pierced like a pincushion.

  She smiled and took them to the fenced off patio. “Would this be all right?”

  “This is fine, thank you,” Regina said.

  It was a calm day, a pleasant surprise for Kansas in late June, which had often been known to reach nearly a hundred degrees with thirty-mile-per-hour wind gusts. In the shade, it felt cool and comfortable.

  The waitress brought out their gelato and glasses of iced water. “Here you go. Enjoy.”

  “Oh, we will.” Peggy took a bite and closed her eyes with pleasure.

  Regina chuckled. They ate the first few bites in silence, savoring the creamy chocolate flavor and the cold smoothness
sliding across the tongue.

  “How are you doing?”

  “What do you mean? I’m doing great. Mmm.” Peggy took another bite.

  “That’s good. Have things been okay around the house since . . . ?”

  The young woman’s eyes grew large. “Oh, you mean since Dad came by?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s kind of spooky. We’re all super-conscious of noises and constantly checking the windows when a car drives by.”

  Taking another luscious bite, Regina waited for it to melt down her throat. “How do you think Tad and your grandmother are doing?”

  “I don’t think Gram sleeps much. Tad is trying to be all manly and bossy.”

  “What can I do to help?”

  The teenager took another nibble before speaking. “I don’t know. We’ve got Turbo now, and he seems to be settling in okay. I think he senses our fear ’cuz he growls whenever he hears something outside.”

  “That’s good. Do you think Sam and I should move back in for a while?”

  Peggy shook her head. “No. There’s too many people around for the bathroom now.”

  “I see.” Regina laughed.

  “That’s not really it. I just wish . . . I dunno. I guess I wish Dad was like he used to be when I was little. Do you think that’s silly?”

  “No. We all want to relive the good times. Did Tom answer some of your questions?”

  The teen put her spoon down on the napkin and looked at her cousin. “He said he’d been in jail for running over a guy when he was drunk. Do you think that’s true?”

  “Yes.”

  “But why wouldn’t he call or write or something? Mom would’ve said so, right?”

  Possibly not. Your mother had some serious problems, too. Merde, this is so hard.

  Peggy’s troubled face softened Regina’s heart.

  “I don’t know, honey.”

  “He said he wrote to us. If that’s true, where are the letters? We would’ve found them in Mom’s stuff if she hadn’t told us, right? Am I right?” Peggy’s fisted hands lay on the tabletop.

  “I don’t know, sweetie.”

  She sighed and picked up her spoon. “I wish . . .”