The Christmas Dog

by Melody Carlson

Avery stood and began to clear the table. “I’ll clean these things up.”

  “Thank you,” Betty said. “I appreciate that.”

  “You go put your feet up,” Avery said. “Leave everything to me.”

  “Now that’s an offer I cannot refuse.”

  For the second time that day, Betty got into her recliner and put her feet up and was about to doze off when she heard something at the door. Avery was still in the kitchen, so Betty slowly made her way out of her chair, went to the door, and realized that this time it really was that dog again. In Betty’s excitement over seeing Avery, she’d forgotten to lock the screen door, and now the dog had wedged itself between the loose screen door and the front door, almost as if he thought it was a place to seek shelter. Betty had barely opened the door and was about to shoo it away, but the dog shot between her legs and right into the house.

  “No! No!” Betty waved her hands. “Out of my house, you mongrel! Get out of here! Get out! Get out!” But the dog ran down the hallway and headed back toward the bedrooms.

  “What?” Avery came out holding a sudsy saucepan. “Do you want me to leave?”

  “No, not you. That darn dog sneaked into my house. I was yelling at it to go away.”

  “Oh, I thought you meant me.”

  “No, of course not.” Betty pointed down the hallway. “He went that way. Help me catch him.”

  They finally cornered the runaway dog in the bathroom, where it cowered on Betty’s pale pink bath mat. Or what used to be pale pink before being spotted with muddy smudges.

  “Bad dog!” Betty shouted.

  But Avery knelt down beside the dog, holding its head in her hands and looking into its face. “Poor thing. Look how dirty and cold it is.”

  “Yes, Jack Jones is a very bad man. He should be arrested for pet neglect, among other things.”

  “Can I give him a bath?” Avery asked with hopeful eyes.

  “A bath?” Betty gasped. “You mean right here in my bathtub?”

  Avery nodded.

  Betty wrung her hands. “But he’s filthy. It will be such a mess, the whole bathroom will smell like a dog.”

  “I’ll clean everything up when I’m done.” Avery looked sad now. “Look, he’s so cold . . . he’s shivering.” She touched his muddy brown coat. “And he’s so dirty and matted and sad. Please, Grandma, we can’t let him go back like this.”

  Betty got an idea. “Okay, you can bathe him, but not in here. You can put him in the laundry sink. That won’t be such a mess.”

  “Okay!” Avery scooped up the dirt-encrusted dog and carried him through the house with Betty trailing behind her, carrying the half-washed saucepan in one hand and the soiled bath mat in the other. Betty deposited these items, then dug through her linen closet to find two old towels to give to Avery. By now the laundry sink was nearly full.

  “Do you have any soap to use on him?” Avery asked.

  Betty remembered her recent doggy purchases. “As a matter of fact, I have just the thing.” She headed out to the garage to get the shampoo and returned with all the doggy items in tow.

  Avery’s eyes grew wide. “Where did you get all that stuff?”

  “At the store.”

  “For this dog?”

  “I wanted to be a good neighbor.” Now Betty felt a little sheepish to admit this, since she’d just tried to chase the mutt out of her house. “I thought Jack Jones needed some help with his dog.”

  “I’ll say.” Avery reached for the bottle of shampoo and began to lather up the wet dog. “I have a feeling this is going to take awhile.”

  “I’ll leave you to it,” Betty said. She went to finish up the nearly cleaned kitchen, then on to the hallway and bathroom to mop up the dirt the dog had tracked in, and finally back to her recliner, where she collapsed in exhaustion and closed her eyes.

  When Betty opened her eyes about an hour later, she saw a clean brown dog lying in the plaid bed, wearing a red collar and snoozing comfortably. But where was Avery? Surely she hadn’t left. Not in this weather. And not after dark. Betty went down the hallway and noticed the bathroom door was shut with a light coming from beneath it, and she could hear water running. Avery had probably discovered that after bathing the filthy dog, she needed a bath as well. Hopefully, this meant she planned to stay awhile.

  And if Betty had her way, Avery would at least spend the night here. Not that she could force her to stay longer than that. But Betty would certainly put her foot down if Avery made any attempt to leave this evening. And so Betty went to check on the guest room, the same room Avery had inhabited so many years before. She turned the baseboard heater up, fluffed the pillows, and added an extra quilt at the end of the bed. Avery hadn’t brought any luggage with her, nothing besides an oversized bag. Was it possible she had only the clothes on her back? And if so, why?

  Betty went to her own room and retrieved a pair of pretty pink pajamas that Susan had given her last Christmas. She’d never even worn them. Not because she didn’t like them, but probably because she’d been saving them. But saving them for what? Well, she didn’t know. It’s just the way she was about some things. Perhaps she’d been saving them for Avery. Whatever the reason, she neatly refolded them and placed them by Avery’s pillow. Then she turned on the small light on the bedside table and smiled in satisfaction. Very welcoming.

  “I hope you don’t mind that I took a shower,” Avery said when she emerged from the bathroom with wet hair. “But I was kind of a mess.”

  “You did a good job of cleaning up that dog.” Betty nodded to where the mutt was still sleeping. Then she frowned at Avery’s soiled T-shirt and jeans. “But why did you put on your dirty clothes again?”

  “Because they’re all I have.”

  “You don’t have any other clothes?”

  Avery just shrugged. “I’ll be okay.”

  Betty shook her head. “No, you will not be okay, Avery. I know you’re smaller than I am, at least around, and I think you might be a bit taller. But I might have something for you to wear while we wash your clothes.”

  “Okay.” Avery smiled.

  “And the guest room is all ready for you. In fact, if you like you can simply put on the pajamas I laid out for you.”

  “Okay,” Avery said again.

  “And then we’ll sit down and talk.”

  Avery bent down to pat the dog, and he looked up with what almost seemed a grateful expression.

  “He looks like he’s got some terrier in him,” Betty said.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought too.”

  “Well, I need to figure out how to get him back to Jack now.”

  Avery frowned. “I don’t think that horrible Jack person deserves to own this dog. He’s got a really sweet disposition, and Jack sounds like a total monster. The poor dog’s hair was so matted and filthy that it took a bunch of shampooing and rinsing to get him clean. And the whole time he was totally patient. I could tell he liked the attention. But I could feel his ribs. I think he hasn’t been fed properly.”

  Betty nodded. “I’m sure you’re right about Jack not being a fit pet owner, but I don’t know what we should do about it.”

  “We should report him to the ASPCA.”

  “That thought has crossed my mind.” Betty pressed her lips together firmly. She wondered what kind of a Christian witness it would be for her to turn in her neighbor. On the other hand, what kind of a Christian allows an innocent animal to suffer that kind of neglect?

  She looked at Avery’s dripping hair and dirty clothes. “We’ll figure out the doggy dilemma later. In the meantime, why don’t you change out of those dirty things and get your hair dried before you catch pneumonia.”

  Avery patted the dog one more time, then left the room. Betty sighed loudly as she sat back down in her recliner. Rocking back and forth, she pondered over what should be done—not so much about the dog as about her wayward granddaughter. Why had Avery shown up like this? And where had she been these past months? Should Bett
y call Avery’s parents? Or should she simply encourage Avery to let them know she was okay?

  Betty looked over to where the dog was sleeping again. What was her responsibility for that poor dog? Avery was probably right, he did seem like a nice dog. Not that Betty wanted or needed a dog—she most definitely did not!

  And then there was Jack to consider. Betty leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Only yesterday, her biggest chal- lenge was to stop envying her friend’s new coat and to make an attempt to love her unlovable neighbor. But her problems seemed to have multiplied. Now she had not only Jack to contend with but a neglected dog and a troubled granddaughter as well. Oh my!

  5

  “It will serve him right,” Avery said. They had just agreed to keep Jack’s dog overnight. Perhaps he’d be worried about his animal and want to take better care of him. Or so they hoped.

  “And when I return the dog to him tomorrow morning, I’ll warn Jack that this neglect cannot continue.” Betty stirred the simmering rolled oats, relieved that Avery didn’t mind having oatmeal for dinner. It was one of Betty’s favorites.

  “Tell Jack that you’ll report him if he doesn’t treat his dog right,” Avery said.

  Betty nodded. “I’ll try to make that clear. But I don’t want to be too confrontational with him.”

  “Why not? He’s a total jerk, Grandma.”

  “Yes, he is a jerk. But he’s also my neighbor. And the Bible teaches us to love our neighbors.” Betty turned off the stove and removed the pan.

  “Even when they’re jerks?”

  “Even when they’re jerks, and even if they’re our worst enemies.”

  “That doesn’t sound possible.”

  Betty smiled. “Yes, I’ve felt like that myself. It’s a challenge.”

  Avery was studying the calendar that was taped to Betty’s fridge. “Wow, is this what day it is?”

  Betty looked to where Avery’s finger was pointing and nodded. “That’s right.”

  “It’s like eight days until Christmas.”

  Betty spooned out the oatmeal and set the bowls on the kitchen table. She’d already put out brown sugar, raisins, walnuts, and milk to go with it. “I can hardly believe it myself,” she said as she sat down.

  “Whose fiftieth anniversary is this?” Avery asked as she continued to study the calendar.

  “My good friends Marsha and Jim Deerwood.”

  “Oh, I thought maybe it was yours.” Avery kind of laughed and joined Betty at the Formica-topped table. “But I guess you don’t celebrate anniversaries if you’re not both around.”

  “To be honest, I do.” Betty bowed her head and said a quick blessing over their oatmeal. When she looked up, Avery had a curious expression.

  “You celebrate your anniversary?”

  “I know it sounds silly. In fact, I’ve never told anyone before. But yes, I do. I fix a special little dinner, set the table for two, and think about Chuck, and I remember our wedding day.”

  “What day did you get married?”

  “June 20. Last summer would’ve been our fiftieth anniversary.”

  “Wow. That’s a long time.”

  Betty nodded as she chewed a bite.

  “Why didn’t you ever remarry?”

  Betty considered this. It was a question she used to get asked a lot. But not so much as the years piled on. “I just never met the right man. It was hard to measure up to Chuck.”

  “But don’t you get lonely?”

  “I suppose . . . a little. Especially after I retired from the electric company. But I’ve had plenty of time to get used to being alone. Also I have my church, my friends, my neighbors.”

  “Some of your neighbors sound awful.”

  Betty forced a smile. “The neighborhood has changed over the years.”

  “So, are you going anywhere for Christmas?” Avery asked.

  “No. I plan to stay home this year.” Betty poured more milk on her oatmeal. “I offered to help with my friends’ fiftieth anniversary, and it’s just a few days before Christmas. Then I’m scheduled to go to Susan’s shortly after the New Year.”

  “Oh.”

  “What about you, Avery? Do you have special plans for the holidays?”

  Avery stirred her oatmeal without looking up.

  “I know that you had a fight with your mother.”

  “Did they call you?”

  “No . . .” Betty wasn’t sure how much she should press Avery.

  “Well, I guess I’m kind of like Jack’s dog.”

  “How’s that?”

  “If you don’t treat me right, I run away.”

  Betty chuckled.

  “Do you know how many times my mom’s been married?”

  “I thought Gary was her second husband.”

  “That’s what she wanted you to think.”

  “So, he’s not?”

  “Nope. She was married three times before Gary. He’s her fourth.”

  Betty tried not to look too surprised.

  “Gary knows about it now.”

  “But he didn’t before?”

  “Nope.”

  Betty wondered how Gary had reacted to this news but didn’t want to ask.

  “And I’m the one who told him.”

  Betty lifted her brows. “And how did your mother feel about that?”

  “That’s what started our big fight. Actually, the fight was already in motion, but that’s what made it really take off. Mom told me to leave and never come back.”

  “Your mother said that?”

  “Pretty much so.”

  “But she was probably speaking out of her emotions, Avery. I doubt that she really meant it.”

  Avery shrugged as she stuck her spoon back in her bowl. “I think she meant it.”

  Now Betty didn’t know what to say. Really, what could she say? It wasn’t as if this was her business. And she’d heard enough about Avery’s adolescence to know there were probably two sides to this story. Still, Betty felt disappointed that Stephanie had deceived her as well as her son. She really was curious as to how Gary had reacted to this bit of news. She knew Gary loved Stephanie. But she also knew he had a strong sense of propriety. He would not like discovering he’d been lied to.

  “Anyway,” Avery continued, “I do not plan to be home for the holidays. I doubt that I’d even be welcome there.”

  “You’re welcome to stay with me.”

  Avery brightened. “Thanks!”

  “But on one condition.”

  Now she frowned slightly. “What?”

  “Let your parents know where you are.”

  Avery seemed to be thinking about this.

  “I realize you’re not a child, Avery. How old are you now, anyway?”

  “I turned twenty-three in September.”

  Betty shook her head. “And I completely forgot to send you a card.”

  “That’s okay.”

  “But as I was saying, you’re not a child. You’re an adult, but that means you need to be responsible. And a responsible adult lets family members know that she’s okay.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  “So if you take care of that, you’re welcome to stay here during the holidays.”

  Avery nodded.

  Betty wasn’t sure what more she should say to the girl. She certainly had questions, but she didn’t want to make Avery feel like she was participating in the Spanish Inquisition tonight. Nor did she want to lecture her or drive her away. Betty suspected that Avery was broke. And it appeared that she had nothing more than what was on her back and in the oversized bag she’d tossed into the guest room.

  Betty knew enough about Avery’s past to know that, much to her parents’ dismay, she’d dropped out of college at the end of her junior year. Avery had claimed that a degree would not guarantee a job. But since leaving school, her employment history had been splotchy at best. According to Susan—Betty’s best news source since Gary preferred to keep his mother in the dark—Aver
y had held a variety of low-paying and unimpressive jobs. And she seemed to bounce back and forth between living at home and staying with friends. Now she was here.

  But the truth was, Betty was grateful for the company. And she didn’t mind that Avery would be with her through the holidays. Just as long as she informed her parents of her whereabouts. Betty did not want to find herself in the center of a family feud.

  Betty glanced at the kitchen clock to see that it was past seven. “I suppose you should wait to call your parents until tomorrow since it’s pretty late where they live.”

  Avery looked relieved. “Yeah. I’ll call in the morning.”

  Just then the dog wandered into the kitchen, going straight to Avery as if they were old friends. “I think we should set the dog’s bed and things up in the laundry room,” Betty said.

  “Is it okay if I feed him again?” Avery asked. “He seemed pretty hungry.”

  “I’ll leave that up to you. Just make sure he has a chance to go out and do his business before you tell him good night.”

  Betty awoke to a high-pitched whining the next morning. It took her a moment to figure out that the sound was coming from the laundry room, more specifically from the dog. And then she realized that the dog needed to go outside for a potty break. She let him out into the backyard and watched from the open doorway as the dog started to hike up his leg on the trunk of the dogwood tree again.

  “No, no!” Betty yelled from where she was standing in the house. The dog looked at her but didn’t seem to understand. She just shook her head, tightened the belt of her robe, and waited for him to finish his business.

  Betty let the dog back in through the sliding door. “Don’t get too comfortable here,” she warned as she attempted to usher him back to the laundry room. But since he didn’t seem very eager to go, she resorted to using an opened can of dog food to entice him. Holding it in front of his nose, she led him into the room.

  “Now, as bad as your master may be, he’s still your owner.” Betty spooned some food into the bowl. “And like it or not, you’re going back to him today.”

  Betty went to check on Avery, only to discover that she was still sound asleep. Probably exhausted from her travels or whatever it was she’d been doing. Betty decided to just let the girl rest. Besides, it might make it easier to return the dog without Avery around to stir things up.