19.

THAT SUNDAY MORNING on Columbia Street was peaceful as Emma got up out of bed. Nina was still sleeping, so Emma was quiet leaving their room. A dream from the night before followed her as she went down the stairs. There had been a snake, who had winked at Emma from underneath Just Jack’s car. She had been about to blow him a kiss in return, but when she put her hand to lips, her teeth began to loosen, then fell out like hail to the ground. The dream followed Emma through the house, tugging at her nightgown as she went out into the backyard to look for Barney. Things for Barney hadn’t been going so well lately. His whole face was grey now and his eyes had started to go a bluish white. He never chased the ball anymore when Mr. Purvis threw it. He moved slowly around the yard, spending most of his time sleeping under the porch.

It was the first morning without frost, and the sun was shining strong. Emma had put her rubber boots on before going out, but was still chilly in her nightgown. She looked next door, and was relieved to see Barney in the yard, lying on the warmed patio stones. He lifted his tail, and brought it down hard repetitively, thumping out an angry pulse. Emma closed her eyes, and saw the inside of a veterinarian’s office. Oh no. No wonder he was so grumpy. Emma called his name, but Barney refused to turn around. Maybe he didn’t hear me, Emma thought. Barney didn’t hear so good most of the time these days. The thumping grew harder and his leg twitched. Not in a dreaming chasing squirrels sort of way, but more like he hated the world and would kick you if you were close enough.

Mr. Purvis opened the door, “Okay, okay. But you know we’ll be early if we leave now,” he said over his shoulder, shaking the leash in Barney’s direction. Barney lifted his head, looked towards the door, and lumbered off into the house.

By the time Mr. Purvis and Barney pulled out of the driveway, Emma had forgotten all about the snake and her teeth falling out. She went inside, got changed and had Cheerios with Lester, and then the two of them went out the front to ride around in the sunshine. Emma on the red scooter, Lester on the banana seat bike – back and forth, back and forth, up and down Columbia Street.

Just when her legs started to turn to jelly and her belly started to rumble for lunch, Emma began to feel Barney talking to her, began to hear his little old man voice inside her head. She couldn’t see him at first, but then, a moment later, she saw the Purvis car come around the corner. She dropped her scooter and stared. It must be important if Barney was sending her words. Most of the time, he just sent pictures.

Betrayal, Barney said. I knew we weren’t going to the beach. Does he think I’m stupid? No, I was being cooperative. I thought that might make it better this time. But no, it was just the same as always – the smell of unhappy strangers, and being stabbed in the rump. A handful of chew treats aren’t enough to make up for that! I’m not going to get any sleep tonight, I know. Not with this completely unnecessary incessantly throbbing pain in my behind.

As the car approached the house, Emma tried to tell Barney to calm down – that it would be okay. But, it was like Barney couldn’t hear Emma at all, even though she was right inside his head, in his body, soaking up every feeling he had, every word and thought that went through his head. The car pulled into the driveway, and Barney and Mr. Purvis got out. Emma was standing on the sidewalk, where Lester had started playing hopscotch. Lester was about to toss his beanbag, when they saw Barney hobble out of the car and follow Mr. Purvis into the house.

Emma picked up Lester’s beanbag, and rushed through the rest of the game. She let Lester win, then went through the house and into the backyard to look for Barney.

Barney was there under the porch, but he wasn’t himself. He looked over at Emma standing by the fence, but didn’t move from where he was. Instead, he sent her pictures of what happened at the vet’s office, and another one of him waking up under the coffee table in a puddle of his own pee.

Emma told Barney that he was a good dog, and it wasn’t his fault, but he wasn’t listening at all.

That’s it for me. No more sneaky trips to that place. I’ve had a good life. When one gets to this point – the accidents on the rug are bad enough. No, it’s time.

Then Emma remembered the snake and the teeth, and started to cry. She didn’t know why thinking about the dream would make her cry, but she couldn’t stop.

Barney stopped talking after that, and stayed under the porch with his back to the fence. Emma sat on the grass, trying to coax him out.

There was the sound of a car in the driveway. A door. Mamma Shirley’s favourite 45 played on the stereo, “Midnight at the Oasis.” Emma listened as Mamma Shirley sang along. When the song was over, it was quiet again. Emma didn’t move from her spot by the fence.

“Come on, Barney, you’re a good boy,” Emma said as the late afternoon darkened. From Barney, nothing but silence.

Lester called to Emma outside the front of the house, Mamma Shirley joined in from inside, and then Nina’s face was at the kitchen window, peering out into the backyard.

“Here she is,” Nina said. “She’s sitting in the dirt talking to herself.”

Mamma Shirley’s face was at the window too. Hard eyes. She frowned. Whatever she said, Emma didn’t hear.

Barney, don’t be a big jerk. Emma said using her inside words. You can’t just give up. Only a stupid head would just give up.

The patio door squeaked open. Mamma Shirley. Dinner.

Emma sat at the table with Lester and Nina and Jamie Francis. Mamma Shirley slammed down Emma’s plate. “Don’t pretend you didn’t hear us, Emma. Dinner is at the same time, every single day. I don’t have time to chase you down. And no more sitting in the dirt.”

“Sorry,” Emma said, keeping her eyes down.

After dinner, Emma didn’t help with the dishes, and instead snuck back out to the yard to talk to Barney some more. She talked silent, and out loud. She was sweet and mean and whatever else she could think of. Nothing worked. Barney hadn’t budged. It looked like he hadn’t moved at all, not even to go in for dinner.

She stayed out by the fence until Mamma Shirley yelled out the kitchen window for Emma to stop talking to the damned dog like a crazy person and get her butt in the house.

Emma didn’t say goodbye to Barney. She wouldn’t. Instead, she went to her bedroom and stood by the window, watching Barney wander around the yard. Emma’s plan was to stay awake as long as she could. Barney wouldn’t leave while she was watching him. Emma knew that much for sure. She stood by the dresser, looking out into the night.

She could hear Mamma Shirley go to bed, could hear Jamie Francis come in, slam his door, then go quiet. Emma’s eyes drooped and her legs wobbled as the night became a deep silence. Her body finally gave way, sinking down as birds began chirping. She could feel a dull cutting pain down the side of her leg as she went. Could feel her head hit the carpet floor, jarring her, but for a moment only. The urge to sleep was stronger than pain.

Later, she heard tires squealing, and for an instant she surfaced, then sank back down.

Then came daylight and Nina, screaming. “Oh my God, she’s dead. She’s dead!” Nina walked over to the window, where Emma was lying on the floor by the dresser. She gave Emma a little kick with her platform wedgies.

“Ow,” Emma said, “Knock it off!”

“Oh my God, I thought you were dead!” Nina said. “I thought, oh my God, now I’ve got to deal with a dead girl in my room on top of everything else.”

Lester bounded into the bedroom. “Who’s dead? Who’s dead?” he asked, excited.

Jamie Francis followed. “What the hell?” he said, pushing down at his pajama bottom front and rubbing his head. He looked at Emma, still there on the floor. “What happened to your leg?”

Emma looked down. There was a bright, swollen red line running down the side of her leg. Then she remembered the open dresser drawer cutting into her leg as she was falling, falling, unable to stay awake.

“Barney!” Emma screamed as Mamma Shirley and Just Jack also came in the room. Emma got up and was running to the door, when Just Jack blocked the doorway with his big bear chest.

“Barney’s dead,” he said. “Sorry Emma. I know you really liked the dog, but he got hit by a car. He was there in the street when I pulled in the driveway this morning.”

“We almost hit him!” Nina said. “Someone put a tire track right down his middle.”

Mamma Shirley, who hadn’t said anything this whole time, snapped her head around to look at Nina after that one. “What do you mean we?”

“Don’t worry though, Emma,” Nina said, ignoring Mamma Shirley. “Jack scooped him off the road and gave him back to old man Purvis, so you won’t see his guts all over or anything.”

Emma looked at Just Jack. There was blood across the chest of his shirt, and over his arms. Barney’s blood. Emma thought about how everyone was in her bedroom and that should have been a good thing, to have everyone together in her room, but it wasn’t good at all. She couldn’t breathe.

Emma pushed her way past Just Jack and went out to the backyard. She could hear Mamma Shirley yelling inside the house. “Where the hell were you all night? And what did Nina mean by we? I know that you were both out all night. Do you think I’m blind? You came home at the same time! I know, Jack, I know.”

Doors slamming and Just Jack exploding like thunder. “You’re crazy, Shirley. That’s nuts. I told you, I was playing poker. You can call Stu and ask him. Go ahead. I’ll give you the number. Now I’ve had it with the investigation, Sherlock. I’m going to bed.”

In the backyard, there was nothing. No noises, no sounds of birds chirping or even the wind blowing in the trees. Emma stood in the grass, listening.

“Hello?” she called into the sun-soaked yard.