Chapter Six

 

“You almost had a dog?” Emery said as he and Philip walked home from school on Tuesday.

“Almost.” Philip told him the story. “He stole our dinner, put muddy footprints all over the sofa, almost broke a lamp, and peed on the bathroom floor.”

“I guess you’ll never get a dog now,” said Emery in a sorry voice.

“How’s Hansel?”

“He’s fun. My mom lets him sleep in my bed, but he keeps licking my face in the morning when it gets light. My mother doesn’t have to wake me up any more.”

Philip wished something would lick his face every morning.

“Well, I gotta go walk Hansel. Want me to come and get you when I’m done?”

“Yeah.” It was a beautiful day—so beautiful it had been hard to pay attention in school.

“Want to ride our bikes to the park?” Emery called before he turned up his walk.

“Sure.”

Philip thought of Emery entering his house and of Hansel being so happy to see him and running up to him. Emery would pet Hansel and play with him for a few minutes before putting on the collar and leash and taking him for a walk. Even dealing with the plastic bag didn’t seem like too much trouble if he could only be doing what Emery was doing now. He sighed and looked around. He passed by Angel’s house as a car pulled into her driveway. Angel’s mother got out of the car on one side, and Angel got out on the other.

“Wait for me to come around,” Angel’s mother called to her.

“Hi, Angel,” said Philip.

Angel smiled and waved. “I’m okay, Mom.” She beckoned Philip closer. “Did it work?” she asked.

“Well, it’s a long story.”

“Want to come in for a minute? Mom, this is Philip. Okay if he comes in a little while?”

“Well, not too long, honey. You know what the doctor said.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

The woman took Angel by the elbow and started walking toward the front door.

“Mom, I can walk, for Pete’s sake. Go and take care of the groceries.”

“All right. All right,” the woman answered.

Philip followed Angel into her living room.

“Would you like something? Apple juice?” Angel’s mother asked, a plastic grocery bag in each hand.

Philip looked at Angel.

Angel nodded and sat wearily on the sofa. The woman disappeared. “Two doctors’ visits this week. So, did the dog show up?”

Philip sat on a chair and told Angel his story. Angel started smiling in the middle of the story, giggled twice near the end, and laughed for a long time when the story ended.

“Well,” she finally managed, “I know the dog is glad he met you and your mother even if your mother isn't glad she met him. You gave him your dinner?”

“We didn’t give it to him. He grabbed it in his mouth and ran out with it.”

Angel’s mother brought the apple juice and left the children alone.

Angel laughed quietly. Philip guessed it was kind of funny, but thinking about it didn’t make him laugh. His mother hadn’t said much to him since then. She only talked to him to give him orders. This morning when she said good-bye before he left for school, she’d said, “And don’t bring anything home from school. Just yourself.” And going out the door in the morning his father asked him whether everything was all right. Philip had nodded but thought, Except I don’t have a pet.

“So you got any other plans?” Philip asked. “Your first plan would have worked good, but the dog . . .”

Angel took a drink of juice. She moved around on the sofa.

Philip noticed a funny look go across her face while she squirmed.

“You could always mention the dog after your parents calm down. Tell them you saw the poor dog again, and it looked so skinny and helpless and tell them how much you’d take care of it. You’d know what to say.”

Philip shook his head. “Impossible. The dog is out. Every dog in the world is out. Every pet in the world is out.”

“Too bad. I wish I could have him. Shep’s not a bad name.” Angel’s mother called and Angel made a face. “You have to go now. I have to get back in bed.”

“Bed? Now?”

Angel shrugged. “Doctor’s orders.”

“Why do you go to the doctor’s so much?”

Angel made a funny twist of her head. “Oh, I have to do what they tell me. Sometimes I get sick. But I’ll think about your problem. It’s a tough one, but it’ll give me something to do.”

Angel’s mother called again, and Angel slid slowly off the sofa.

“Let me know if you make any progress with the dog story.”

Philip shook his head. “It won’t work.”

Angel walked Philip to the door. “Let me know anyway. Bye.”

“Bye.” The door closed behind Philip. He looked across the street and saw Emery, Hansel scurrying here and there at his side. The dog stopped to smell something and as Emery watched the dog, Philip watched them. Hansel trotted ahead, and Emery followed him to his house, opened the door, and they stepped inside.

Philip walked sadly toward his own house. Emery would be over for him in a few minutes. Maybe they could do something at the park that would cheer him up. He hoped so. He really needed cheering up.