Finding Love

The sky was an extra special shade of blue today, as Charlie  walked home. Charlie had never quite seen the sky look that way before. He had been lying in the field, by the river gazing at the clouds for a little too long as he played with fuzzy caterpillars. He knew he should pick up the pace, for his Mama was expecting him home for supper soon. He  started walking faster and then suddenly stopped when he heard some whining behind him. He turned around and there was a dog, sitting by the side of the road.

He was chocolate brown, but far from the prettiest dog that Charlie had ever seen. His face was shaped strangely and his hair was all matted. In fact as Charlie got closer he wasn’t sure if the dog really was a chocolate brown or was that mud? Hmm.. he could use a good bath probably, just like Mama made Charlie do, whenever he came in from playing outside in the dirt. The dog’s eyes begged Charlie to come closer. He approached slowly and held out his hand for the dog to sniff. The dog sniffed it and then whined some more as it looked right at him. Charlie felt like the dog was looking right into his soul, there was just something special about his eyes, and as Charlie looked closer he noticed something. The eyes were 2 different colors! This dog was a strange looking dog for sure, but Charlie felt compassion for it.

He sat down by the side of the road and slowly started petting him. Then he remembered that he still had half of a ham sandwich left that his Mama had made for him on for his outing to the river. He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to the dog, who gobbled it down in an instant and than gave Charlie a big lick right on his cheek and Charlie laughed.

Charlie sat by the side of the road petting it for a little, wondering what to do.  He needed to get home, but he didn’t want to leave the dog all alone.  Would it follow him? He  took a few steps and looked back and the dog sat there looking at him. Then he took a few steps more and looked back and the dog had got on its feet. He smiled and took a few more steps and soon the dog was trotting right beside Charlie, and they headed home.  Charlie’s stomach was nervous with excitement, hoping that just maybe his Mama would let him keep the dog. He pinched his eyes shut tight wishing and praying and wishing some more that he would finally be able to  have a dog of his own.

Charlie rounded the corner and saw his Mama in the yard hanging wash on the line. He had been thinking of ways to ask his Mama about the dog, but all the words left him in his  nervousness and he just ran up to his Mama and gave her a big hug.

His Mama bent down and hugged Charlie and then started to say, “What took you so long? I was beginning to ….” and that’s when she noticed the big, shaggy chocolate brown dog right at Charlie’s side. “Wha-Who do you have here?”

Charlie started to stammer out, “He-he-he followed me home, can-can- we ….” His Mama held up her hand to stop him. ‘Honey, I know you so badly want a dog, but I just don’t know, they are a lot of responsibility? And what if he belongs to someone else?”

Charlie’s  eyes lost their spark as he hung his head, but before he spoke, the dog did.

He offered his paw as he said, “Allow me to introduce myself, I am and I am so pleased to meet you and your little boy. I would love to live with you, I have been traveling alone for quite awhile now, looking for the right owner.”

Charlie and his Mama stood there speechless as they started at the talking dog.

“Many people have passed me by, but your Charlie wasn’t scared off by my looks, he came and sat beside me and even gave me some his food. He gently petted me and I just would love to have Charlie as my human? May I please keep him ?”

Charlie’s Mama was shaking her head in disbelief as Charlie was hugging the dog around its neck saying, “Mama please! Oh please! I will take care of him I promise and I’ll even eat all my broccoli and carrots,”  he said, as he made a face.

His Mama laughed, as she took her hand and tousled Charlie’s curly locks on his head. “How could I possibly say No to such a polite speaking dog?” She turned to the dog and patted his head, ” i would love to have you live with us!”

The dog wagged his tail and spun in a circle. “At last I have a human! A human of my very own! Oh Charlie, we are going to have such fun together!”

Charlie’s Mom watched as the 2 played in the yard and her heart was warmed, she felt like this was only the beginning of many adventures to come! A talking dog! Who would have ever thought! She was still shaking her head as she walked into the house.