| |
Karma whined, unable to move much beyond standing and turning in a tight circle. The hard pet carrier bumped every once in a while, and the sound of heavy engines and rushing wind hurt a good-dog’s ears. She tried not to be frightened. After all, Karma was a brave dog trained to track down bad people and protect her family.
But her family wasn’t here.
Lia had brought her to the strange place and hugged and talked with lots of words Karma didn’t understand. But Lia tasted of salt and loss when Karma washed her face. So Karma wriggled and jumped and rolled on her back with a Rottie smile to make Lia happy, and they hugged some more.
But then, Karma got shut into a dog crate with her wooly lamb toy, and Lia was gone. Strange people picked up the crate and placed it with other boxes and luggage in a big room. That was a very long time ago, though, and Karma needed to take-a-break. She needed a drink, but the bowl of ice had all melted. She sighed and tried to sleep some more. Karma wished Lia would come get her out of the crate, so they could go home.
Karma loved raising her puppies at the kennel. They romped in the grass and chased bunnies and birds. She helped Lia teach them all the special words like “come” and “find” and “trip” games that make a good-dog’s life so special. She’d been sorry when Gonzales came with his kids and took away one of the puppies, and Lia’s Grandfather claimed another one. But Karma still got to play with Shadow when he and September came to live with them. Her puppy Magic and strange tree-climbing daughter Gizmo kept her tail wagging. At night she slept against Lia’s back with Magic and Gizmo snuggled together.
Now, Karma was alone and far from home. Home was safe, home was fun, home was love and familiar smells and snuggles and games that made a good-dog’s heart beat fast and tail write joy into the air.
Karma wanted to go home!
When the big room gave a sudden bump, Karma yelped with surprise. The big car moved and bumped along until the loud engine noise stopped.
Maybe Lia would let her out and she could go home again? Karma barked, and then barked again. She needed to take-a-break. And for the first time, her tummy flip-flopped, even though she was very brave.
Men moved her crate out of the big storage place and took her to another area that smelled of dogs and cats and pee and fear. She looked and looked but didn’t see Lia anywhere. The cold air smelled different, too, like a city but with snow in the wind. How strange!
Suddenly, Karma heard voices that made her short black fur stand up with excitement. One voice, especially, someone she’d missed and wondered about and pined for the weeks and weeks they’d been apart. It hurt her heart when family she loved went away. But maybe...maybe the long day meant an extra special treat? Not a bacon-kind-of-treat but something (she could hardly imagine!) that was so much better? Karma stood up in the cramped crate and couldn’t contain herself.
Whines and yelps spilled from her throat. She recognized the distant silhouette of a small figure, who stood silent and frozen for a long moment. And then Tee ran, ran, ran to the crate, fingers reaching through the front grillwork to touch Karma’s cold nose, and hot slurping tongue.
“Honey-girl!? Oh my God, it’s Karma, you’re here!”
Karma shivered with joy, wagging so hard her hips banged and shook the carrier. She’d found her purpose—to love and to serve and protect this woman, this piece of her heart, no matter what.
Home wasn’t a place. Home was Tee.
Read the first three chapters of
