Ethan's Reception, a Story of Hardship and Acceptance

by Kathleen J. Shields

  Ethan didn’t notice his mommy smiling at him. “If you would like to take the duck home, you can.”

  He gazed up at her smiling face with adoring eyes. Carefully, he picked the duck back up with his mouth, being sure not to squeeze it hard enough to quack.

  He held his duck proudly as they made their way to another aisle, where they stopped again. He wasn’t sure what his mom was looking at. There were long flat rope-looking things of different colors and patterns. Some were short, some long. They kind of reminded Ethan of the nylon leash he was wearing but these were so much nicer. He watched as his mommy picked one, then clipped it together around his neck. He was getting a collar! A real collar of his very own! He sat up proudly with the largest smile on his face. She then found a matching leash and clipped it to his new collar.

  By the end of the day, Ethan had a shiny new collar and tags and a brand new toy he could call his own. He watched as his mommy picked up quite a few more toys that he showed an interest in and put them in her basket, but he never let go of his new duck toy. In fact, when he noticed another young guy behind the counter closest to the magic sliding door start to reach for his duck, he couldn’t help but pull it away.

  “I’m sorry.” His mommy spoke to the man. “It’s his first toy.”

  “I understand.” The man smiled. “That’s why we have the codes on this piece of paper. It happens all the time.”

  Ethan’s tail wagged the whole ride home. The jingling of the tags on his collar were like music to his ears and he never once dropped his duck out of his mouth, even though it was drowning in drool.

  Chapter 5

  That evening there was a thunder storm. It was a loud, colossal monster of a storm with heavy winds, lightning and booming thunder. A bolt of lightning was so close to the house, the transformer on the power pole reset. The lights went out as a clap of thunder shook the walls and rattled the windows. The sound startled the humans, but terrified Ethan. He leapt atop the bed and plopped down next to his mommy’s head, trying to hide himself under the shelf of the headboard. He was trembling so violently, her body shook the bed

  “Shh, little one. You’ll be okay.” She spoke soothingly.

  “Little one?” the husband scoffed. “He weighs eighty pounds!”

  “He’s terrified. Can’t you feel him shaking?”

  “I don’t blame him, that bolt of lightning was close.”

  The conversation and quiet outside allowed Ethan a moment to relax. His trembling slowed to occasional tremors. However, in the distance another rumble of thunder transpired, and his trembling began again.

  “Awe Ethan, you’ll be okay. You’re safe with us.”

  He gave a quick lick on her forehead then glanced over the edge of the bed at FiFi, laying on the floor. She peered up at him, rolled her eyes and laid her head back down.

  “What is it boy?” The mommy asked noticing him glance at FiFi. “Do you think the sound is her growling?” He shuddered. “She’s not growling at you. It’s the sky.”

  “Oh yeah, that makes it better.” The father spoke. “Tell him the entire sky is trying to keep him away from the toys.”

  “That’s not funny.” She scolded as the husband laughed. “The sky is growling. That is an interesting way to put it.”

  Ethan slept next to his mommy all night. She kept her arm around him, and he kept his paw around his duck. When his mommy got cold, she covered him with the blanket. Ethan found he liked sleeping under the covers with his head on the pillow. These humans are pretty smart.

  The next morning, Ethan awoke from his sleep and lifted his head from the pillow. His mommy, patted his head, rubbed his ears, and his tail wagged so much it pulled the covers right off of him. When the covers shifted, his duck rolled off of the bed and fell to the floor. It let loose a tiny quack. Ethan leapt off the bed and retrieved it, then laid his duck on her lap and gazed up at her with a smile.

  “Are you sharing your duck with me?”

  He poked it with his nose.

  She squeezed, and it squeaked out a quack. Ethan tilted his head to look at, then retrieved it back into his mouth. The high-pitched noise attracted FiFi’s attention. She stood, stretched and meandered over to Ethan and sniffed the duck in his mouth. He stood there, letting her sniff it.

  What is that? She asked.

  It’s my toy duck. Mommy gave it to me.

  The two of them left the room, FiFi heading downstairs, and Ethan following his mommy to the bathroom. Again, he wouldn’t leave her side. The mommy went to the bathroom, he and his duck followed. She went to the kitchen, he and his duck followed. She went outside, he and his duck were surprised when she stopped them at the door.

  “I’m sorry Ethan. You have to leave the duck inside.”

  He tilted his head at her curiously, his duck gripped carefully in his mouth.

  “We don’t want to get the duck dirty. It needs to stay inside.”

  He tilted his head to the other side.

  “Drop the duck, then we can go eat.”

  Hesitantly, Ethan placed the duck on the floor. As his mommy turned to open the door, he briskly retrieved his duck. When she saw he had the duck in his mouth again, she giggled. “You don’t get breakfast until you drop the duck.”

  He gave her his most soulful puppy dog eyes. Please mommy? I’ll keep it clean. She melted.

  “How about I hold onto it while you eat?” She held out her hand. Ethan thought it was a good compromise, so he placed the duck in her hand. Then they went outside.

  “What a good dog.” She spoke to no one necessarily, but Ethan knew she was happy with him.

  They proceeded to the back deck where the four-footed creatures ate breakfast. Ethan noticed how his mommy stayed to watch over him as he ate so he didn’t have to worry about FiFi or his duck.

  Of course, when FiFi had devoured her meal, she approached Ethan’s bowl, but the mommy put a stop to it real quick. “FiFi don’t even think about it.” FiFi glared at her mommy, slouched and then walked away to sulk.

  Once they were back in the house, Ethan was given his duck. He wagged his tail with glee.

  While his mommy worked at her desk, Ethan slept at her feet. When she sat down on the couch after work to watch TV, Ethan plopped down on her lap and slept with his chin on her knees. She was his mommy. He wanted to be with her at all times, to show his appreciation and love. When she stroked his fur, he knew, she felt that love completely.

  The next morning when Ethan approached the door for breakfast, his mommy again reminded him that he had to leave his duck inside. He placed it on the floor and sat down.

  “Good boy.” She kept an eye on him as she went to open the door, but he didn’t try to retrieve the duck again. “Aren’t you the smart one!” she praised.

  The pair ate breakfast without incident. However, when they came back inside, FiFi rushed in to grab Ethan’s duck and run off with it before he could see. When Ethan came inside with his mommy, he immediately sniffed the floor where he left it and looked up at his mommy sadly. Where’s my duck?

  “Where is your duck, boy?” She asked seeing the sadness and confusion on his face. Just then they both heard a loud quack come from upstairs. Then it happened again. Quaaaaak! The duck was being tortured!

  They both ran upstairs to find the duck under FiFi’s paws. She pulled on its neck with her mouth. It scream-quacked again as she pressed on its body with her paws. Ethan skid to a stop not sure what to do to help his little duck friend.

  “FiFi! That’s not yours!”

  FiFi saw the gaze of worry on Ethan’s face. She couldn’t help but play on that emotion. She squashed the duck under her paw again, making it quack, as if in pain.

  Please don’t hurt him.

  What are you going to do about it?

  Just don’t hurt him, please.

  Come and take him. FiFi dared.

  Ethan wasn’t sure what FiFi was capable of, but he knew he had to save his friend.
He ran to the duck and latched onto the body as FiFi gripped tight of the head in her mouth. Both dogs pulled until the duck cried out again in a long quaa-aaa-ck.

  Ethan realized he was hurting his duck and reluctantly, released.

  FiFi spun around with the duck in her mouth and held her head high. He’s mine now. She declared.

  To the rescue, FiFi’s mommy held her favorite teddy bear directly in front of her. “I’ll trade you.” She waggled the fluffy pink bear before FiFi’s nose.

  FiFi tried to take it but the duck completely filled her mouth. She had to make a choice; her bear or Ethan’s duck.

  “If you want to play with the duck, then it is only fair that Ethan play with your bear.” She spoke as she held the bear before Ethan’s nose. He sniffed it curiously but looked back at his duck.

  FiFi couldn’t stand the idea of sharing her bear with Ethan. She dropped the duck and took the bear in her mouth. When she did this, mommy took the duck to hand back to Ethan. Desperate to control all the toys, FiFi dropped the bear to regain the duck.

  “FiFi, you made your choice. This is your bear,” she held the bear by FiFi, “and this is Ethan’s duck.” As the two of them carefully took their toys, they both walked away in different directions.

  That was a close call, Ethan thought as he followed his mommy back down the stairs. I’ve got to keep a closer eye on my duck.

  Chapter 6

  It took a couple weeks before FiFi really got used to Ethan being in her home. She realized how much he loved her mommy, and she began to appreciate that. The time he spent with the mommy gave her time with the father. Soon, she realized she could ask for anything from him and more than likely get it. This was working out well for her.

  FiFi was indifferent to Ethan – not friends, but not enemies either. She simply tolerated him in her home. While Ethan wished they could be friends, he was content to have the love of his mommy.

  As Ethan slept by his mommy’s feet at her desk, FiFi slept on her couch in the other room. She had seemed content with being by herself most of the day. She felt a bit lonely but didn’t know how to change things.

  As she lazily opened her eyes and rolled over, she heard movement under her couch. She peered over and under only to be surprised by a large snake slithering out and across the room. She yelped loudly, frightened by the slimy intruder. She leapt to her feet on top of the back of her couch and began barking for help. Arf, arf, ar, ar, arf, she barked in a fretful panic.

  Ethan and his mommy ran into the room. They skid to a stop at the sight of the large snake slithering across the room. Ethan’s mommy screamed at the top of her lungs and too jumped on top of a nearby couch. Ethan, seeing how scared his family was, realized it was up to him to save his family!

  He ran to the snake, clamped on its tail and flung it. He did it again and again. The snake hissed and struck, but Ethan dodged its advances. He bit down on the intruders tail, and flung it across the room again. He fought valiantly with the snake until it was no longer a threat. When it lay on the floor not moving, he poked at it with his paw to verify it was dead.

  When his mommy felt sure the snake was dead, she carefully padded past Ethan to the door. He knew what she wanted without her even saying a word. He took the limp snake in his mouth and carried it outside and dropped it on the lawn. Once back inside, the threat neutralized and his family safe, he was surrounded by love and affection from both his mommy AND FiFi!

  “Ethan, you are such a brave boy!” his mommy gushed, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’m so proud of you!”

  FiFi seconded the sentiment with slobbery licks to his face.

  That afternoon, the three of them sat on the couch. Ethan’s mommy, still wary of unwanted guests, kept her feet up on the couch. FiFi, lay next to Ethan, and Ethan on his mommy’s lap. The trio watched daddy and an exterminator locate where the snake came from and rectify the situation so it would never happen again!

  FiFi had a newfound respect for her brother. She knew that she hadn’t given Ethan a fair chance. She knew she wasn’t brave enough to face a snake, and if Ethan hadn’t been there, the duty of protecting her family would have fallen on her paws. She may be a dog, but she wasn’t bred to fight snakes.

  While FiFi cared about her home and loved her parents, the feelings were muted compared to Ethan’s. Ethan knew well what it felt like to be homeless and abandoned; scared in a large world filled with people who had very little concern for his feelings. He’d spent months in doggy jail, never quite understanding why he would be looked at by humans and passed by day after day.

  He wasn’t as pretty as FiFi, nor did he have papers of pedigree, but he had something more to offer a family - an appreciation for his home and family that was greater than FiFi could imagine.

  Ethan had seen life from the other side of the cage door. So when he was finally adopted, finally given a home and a family to love, Ethan felt he needed to prove his love every day not just because he was afraid of losing it, but because he wanted them to know how incredibly important they were to him.

  So the next time you think your home is large enough, your love strong enough and your heart big enough to bring an animal to your home for a life-long adventure…. Consider adopting from a shelter. You both, will be glad you did.

  ~ Kathleen J. Shields

  If you liked this story be sure to check out some of this author’s other books!

  Other Great Books By this Author:

  Ghost Dogs

  As a toddler Jamie develops an amazing gift, the ability to see Ghost Dogs. They look just like our past pets, just a bit more transparent.

  Dream World Defenders

  Ryan and his friends enter the dream world where they can do anything they can imagine – except wake up.

  The Painting

  Gerald is given a blank canvas, so he paints a world, one that he loves so much – it comes to life!

  Ally Cat, A Tale of Survival

  Allison Catsworth gets knocked off of a cliff and instead of falling to her death, transforms into a cat!

  Dandy Lion, A Legend of Love & Loss

  Dandy loses a strand of hair each time he does something. He sews the seeds of love by doing good deeds.

  A Rainbow of Thanks

  Kate walks into a rainbow and is transported to various places on the planet as she tries to get back home.

 

  The Dog Who Cried Woof

  Riley takes it upon himself to announce Daddy’s return home, but turns it into a game that goes horribly wrong. - Short Story eBook

  Also be sure to check out

  The Hamilton Troll Adventures

  And for Young Adults: The Kaitlyn Jones Trilogy

 

  About the Author

  Kathleen J. Shields is an award-winning author having won first place for “Best Educational Children’s Series” from the Texas Association of Authors for the “Hamilton Troll Adventures”. This series is educational and inspirational, teaching young children social skills, animal characteristics and how to handle real-life situations.

  While awaiting illustrations, Kathleen loves to write imaginative stories for youth as well as Christian Fiction. Shields’ has 25 published books now, with many more in the works!

  During the work week, Shields’ runs Kathleen’s Graphics; a website and graphic design company. She designs colorful, eye-catching websites, custom logos, flyers and advertisements for various businesses and new entrepreneurs. Kathleen also uses her talents to help new authors with formatting, book covers and an online presence for sales and marketing.

  Additionally, Kathleen writes an inspirational and educational blog regarding her endeavors as an author, a business woman and Christian. Her views are always light-hearted and thought-provoking and are intended to get the reader thinking.

  For more information about the author, and her books, please visit:

  www.KathleensBooks.com or follow her blog at www
.KathleenJShields.com

  has published various genres of books for numerous authors. Their portfolio consists of a 1200 page Vietnamese to English Dictionary, an award-winning children’s series, multiple adult novels and memoires as well as Christian fiction. Their objective is to promote literacy and education through reading and writing.

  www.ErinGoBraghPublishing.com

  Canyon Lake, Texas

  This short story is a fictional interpretation of a collection of situations that are true.

  © Copyright 2017 Kathleen J. Shields. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

  Canyon Lake, TX

  www.ErinGoBraghPublishing.com