Who'll Pick Me?

by Janice Alonso

  “I’ll do better than that,” said Peri, the tears ceasing. “I’ll pray for God to send me a best friend!”

  Mrs. Lamb’s Babies

  That night after a supper of farm-grown vegetables from Farmer Dan’s Fresh Market, Peri, Aunt Susan, and Mr. Hardy relaxed on the front porch of their house. Her aunt and daddy sat side-by-side in the swing, rocking to and fro. Her daddy had spent all afternoon at the hardware store selecting new chains to replace the rusted ones. Peri sprawled on the wood-slatted floor, her legs resting on the step below, and flipped through an old magazine she’d found in the garage. Pictures of movie stars from the seventies filled the pages with images that tickled Peri’s funny bone. She laughed at the leisure suits, platform shoes, and long shaggy hair worn by many of the men. The women wore short, short skirts and were much too thin for her tastes.

  A spiral-top notebook lay in Mr. Hardy’s lap. Adjusting his glasses and tapping his chin with a pencil, he glanced over the list he and his sister had prepared earlier in the day. “We need to replace those loose boards and the wobbly handrail on the stairs before we do anything else. They could be dangerous if one slipped out of its place.”

  Aunt Susan nodded and peered over the top of her spectacles. “While you’re working on that, I’ll choose the colors for the dining room and living room, and also for the bedrooms.” She leaned in closer and looked over her brother’s shoulder, studying what he had written. “After we’ve decided on the colors, I can get a better idea of what fabrics I want to use.”

  Mr. Hardy nodded his head and then added, “We’re lucky the plumbing and electricity were in good order.”

  “We sure are,” she agreed. “It would have cost a small fortune to replace all the pipes and wiring.”

  Humidity hung heavy in the early evening air. Perspiration beaded on Peri’s upper lip and glistened on her forehead as she listened to them discussing the work list and how much money would be needed for the renovation. She reached for her glass of tea. It was what people in the South called sweet tea, tea made with sugar added while the tea was still hot. Then ice and lots of lemons were added when you were ready to drink it.

  Aunt Susan might not be the best breakfast maker, thought Peri as she turned up the glass and swigged, but she sure makes great tea.

  A plump piece of lemon pulp caught on Peri’s tongue. She bit down and a sour taste spread through her mouth.

  “Hey there!” came a voice from the end of the sidewalk leading up to the porch. “Looks like your family has arrived.”

  Peri looked up and saw a woman with long brown hair pulled back into a pony tail walking toward her. As the woman got closer, Peri could see big brown eyes sparkling behind the lens of a pair of black glasses. She wore a red sun dress and white sandals. A grin spread from ear-to-ear as she wiped sweat from the back of her neck with a damp paper towel. She stopped at the bottom of the porch stairs.

  “This must be your niece,” the woman said as she looked up at Peri.

  Aunt Susan stood and walked down the steps beside the woman. “Hi, Julie,” said Aunt Susan, giving her friend a big hug. Then she nodded and answered, “This is Peri.” She pointed to Mr. Hardy. “And this is my brother, Joseph.”

  “I’m Julie,” the woman said. She mounted the stairs and approached Peri’s daddy. Holding out her hand, she said, “Julie Lamb, Susan’s neighbor from down the street.”

  Mr. Hardy stood to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Have a seat and I’ll get you a glass of tea,” said Aunt Susan as she motioned to the empty space next to her brother on the swing.

  The woman shook her head no. “Wish I could, but Heather just called.” The woman paused and shifted her attention to Mr. Hardy. “Heather is my daughter-in-law. She and my son are going to have twins.”

  “Julie’s first grandchildren,” added Aunt Susan.

  “Yes, two little boys.” Mrs. Lamb’s face beamed. “But they’ve decided to make an early appearance.”

  Aunt Susan’s face became serious. “Is everything okay?”

  Mrs. Lamb held up her hands. “Everything’s fine, Susan, but I need to leave tomorrow so I can help Heather and David with the babies for a few days.”

  “Is there anything I can do?’ asked Aunt Susan.

  “As a matter of fact, there is.” Mrs. Lamb folded her arms across her chest. “The puppies.”

  Aunt Susan threw up her hands. “Oh, my goodness . . . the puppies!” Aunt Susan looked at Peri. “Julie’s yellow Labrador, Molly, has seven puppies.”

  “Fred is coming with me.” Then Mrs. Lamb looked at Peri’s daddy once more. “Fred is my husband,” she explained. “So I need someone to take care of Molly and her litter. The puppies won’t be ready for the owners to pick up until next week when they turn eight weeks old.”

  “The Lambs are breeders,” explained Aunt Susan. “All their puppies are sold before they’re even born,”

  “But I don’t release them until I feel they’re old enough to be away from their mother,” said Mrs. Lamb.

  Peri leaped up, her magazine tumbling to the ground. “I can do it! I love puppies!”

  Mrs. Lamb looked at Aunt Susan and lifted her eyebrows.

  Aunt Susan nodded and placed her arm around her niece. “I think Peri would be perfect for the job. She had a dog before and knows exactly what to do.” She continued, “And if she needs help I can always add an extra set of hands.”

  A look of relief flooded Mrs. Lamb’s face. “What a blessing! My mind would be at ease if I knew someone I can trust was looking after them while we are away.”

  “Then it’s settled.” Aunt Susan placed a hand on Mrs. Lamb’s shoulder. “When do you want Peri to come over and get instructions?”

  Mrs. Lamb looked at Peri. “Why don’t you come over tomorrow morning after breakfast? Say, around eight-thirty? That’s not too early, is it?”

  Peri shook her head no. “I can be there earlier if you want.”

  “Eight-thirty is fine,” assured her neighbor.

  “Are you sure you won’t stay for a few minutes?” Aunt Susan asked.

  “Thank you, but no,” said Mrs. Lamb. “I need to get home and think about what we need to pack.” Mrs. Lamb’s faced flushed. “I’m so excited! I can barely wait to get my hands on those twins!”

  Aunt Susan hugged her friend good-bye and wished her a safe trip.

  “Do you think you can handle those puppies?” asked Mr. Hardy. “You’re going to have to remember to do everything Mrs. Lamb asks you to do.” He gazed intently into his daughter’s eyes. “It’s a big responsibility.”

  “Oh, she’ll be fine, Joseph,” said Aunt Susan. “I have all the faith in the world in Peri.”

  Peri nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll give the puppies the best care in the world.”

  “You can’t go forgetting,” warned Mr. Hardy.

  “I won’t,” promised Peri.

  And Peri meant it. She was excited, too. She had missed Gigi terribly after she died. Now she was going to get to take care of seven puppies and the mother, as well. She’d be able to prove to her daddy that she was trustworthy again. That she could be depended on to remember things. Even better, she’d be helping someone. Maybe Mrs. Lamb would turn out to be one of her new friends.

  Wiggle, Wiggle, Nip, Nip

  The following day Peri leaped from her bed and pulled on her clothes. She gobbled down her breakfast so quickly she barely noticed that Aunt Susan had mixed diced chicken and broccoli into the pancake batter that morning. Peri’s mind was aflutter with thoughts of taking care of the puppies. Mrs. Lamb lived two houses down in a one-story brick home. A chain link fence ran around the perimeter of the backyard, making it the perfect playground for a litter of Labrador puppies. Peri left her house and walked through the space where the gate to the fence would be once her daddy replaced the hinges. The scent of the honeysuckle vine that wrapped around the picket fence tickled her nose. Bees dipped and hovered over the tiny trumpet-shaped
flowers, sucking out the sweet nectar. Her sandals crunched on top of chinaberries that lay scattered across the sidewalk as she practically ran to see Mrs. Lamb and meet Molly and her eight puppies.

  When Peri arrived at the Lambs’ driveway, Mr. Lamb was loading baby toys and suitcases into the back of their station wagon. She couldn’t see his face because he was hunkered over, trying to jam a huge bag into a small space. She walked up to him and tapped him on his arm.

  “Hi, I’m Peri Hardy,” she announced. “I’m here to take care of Molly and her puppies.” She smiled and squinted into the hot brightness of the sun.

  “Good morning, Peri.” He turned around and patted her back with a rough, freckled hand. “You sure are a lifesaver! Julie and I were worried to death what to do about Molly and her babies.” Mr. Lamb had gray hair that was thinning on the top and blue eyes that seemed to sparkle when he smiled.

  “Well, you don’t have to worry anymore, Mr. Lamb. I’ll take good care of all of them.” Then for good measure, she added, “And I’ll get your mail and water your plants, too.”

  Mr. Lamb bent over and laughed. He slapped his thighs with his hands. “We’re sure blessed that you moved in when you did.” He looked at his watch. “Run on into the house now. Julie’s waiting for you.”

  Peri didn’t have to be told twice. She raced down a path of pine straw that led to a set of brick stairs. She skipped up the steps to a small landing. The front door was ajar, halfway open so that she could see the living room. Peri craned her neck just inside the doorway and knocked.

  “Hello!” she called.

  “Good morning, Peri!” came a voice from somewhere inside the house. “Meet me in the back yard.”

  “Okay,” Peri shouted back.

  She leaped down the steps and ran around the side of the house, passing a bush that she recognized as hydrangeas. The flowers looked like big purple balls. Next to them was a bed of fuchsia petunias. Peri recognized a lot of flowers by sight, and their names as well, because she’d helped her mama when she worked in the garden. When she reached the backyard, she came to the chain-link fence. The gate was closed with a bar that held the lock securely. Peri lifted the latch and let herself inside, careful to immediately close the gate behind her in case any of the puppies were loose.

  A squeak of the door from the screened porch caught Peri’s attention. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw Mrs. Lamb walking out. She was wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes.

  “Well, Peri, are you ready to meet Molly and her puppies?” asked Mrs. Lamb. She had her hair pulled off her neck and held in place with a large plastic brown clip.

  Peri’s head bobbed up and down.

  “Come with me,” said Mrs. Lamb and she crooked her finger for Peri to follow.

  Peri trailed behind Mrs. Lamb to the far end of the yard where there was a wooden dog house and a shallow trough filled with water. Pine needles from the surrounding trees floated atop the water. As they got closer to the house, Mrs. Lamb puckered her lips and let out three short whistles. Immediately, eight little black noses poked out of the doorway of the dog house. High-pitched yips filled the air as a tangle of feet and fat bellies rolled toward Mrs. Lamb.

  One little straggler came after the others, running so fast in an effort to catch up with her littermates that she tumbled head-over-heels and into the water trough. She quickly righted herself and shook off the excess water. Then she raced right up to Peri’s feet and began chewing the buckle on her sandal.

  “Oh, I should have warned you to wear long pants and tennis shoes. They’re still little nibblers and scratchers.” As if on cue eight sets of paws began clawing at the hem of Mrs. Lamb’s blue jeans.

  Peri laughed at the squirming bodies and wagging tails.

  “Ouch!” yelled Peri. When she looked down, a puppy had her foot in its mouth, snacking on Peri’s big toe. “Stop it!” She yelled again, but she couldn’t stop laughing. In between the nibbles a soft tongue slid in and out between her other toes, tickling the bottom of her foot.

  Peri leaned over and picked up the puppy. Now the puppy chewed on a strand of Peri’s hair.

  “That’s Squirt,” said Mrs. Lamb. “She was the last one born and she’s the runt of the litter.”

  Peri held Squirt out at arm’s length. The puppy continued to nip at her hand, the bottom half of her body wiggling and struggling to get free of Peri’s tight grasp. Peri folded the puppy into her chest. She rubbed the top of her head in an effort to calm her down.

  “Come with me so I can show you what to do,” said Mrs. Lamb. Then she headed toward the lower end of the yard and bent over, slapping her thigh with the flat of her hand. “Come here, Molly.”

  A huge beige dog emerged from the door of the dog house. Molly opened her mouth and a set of large strong teeth appeared. When she yawned, an even larger tongue curled out and then inward as she let out a muffled groan. Molly ambled up to Peri, sniffed her feet, and then wagged her tail.

  Mrs. Lamb laughed and bent over, bringing her eyes level with the Lab’s. “Good girl, Molly. This is Peri and she’s your new friend. She’s going to take care of you and the little ones while we’re away.” Molly barked like she’d understood every word Mrs. Lamb had said and wagged her tail faster.

  Peri put Squirt down and leaned over to pat Molly’s massive, boxy head. Molly tilted her head upward and closed her eyes. Peri moved her hand to behind Molly’s ears and rubbed.

  “You’ll need to come over several times a day and make sure the trough is filled. In this hot weather, they drink a lot of water,” said Mrs. Lamb. Then she walked over to the fence and pointed to a shovel propped against it. “You’ll need to pick up the poop and place it behind those bushes over there.”

  Peri nodded and kept rubbing Molly’s ears while the puppies yapped and snapped and lapped and leaped. Squirt wasn’t interested in the water trough or her puppy friends. She stayed at Peri’s side and licked her toes.

  “Come up to the porch,” said Mrs. Lamb.

  Peri followed behind Mrs. Lamb and behind Peri trailed Squirt.

  When they got to the screened in porch, Mrs. Lamb turned around. “The puppies aren’t allowed in here.” She opened the door and went in.

  Peri looked down. “You have to stay outside, Squirt.”

  Peri used her foot to block the open space of the door and then quickly shut it behind her. The puppy struggled up the steps and whimpered as she watched Peri through the mesh screen.

  In one corner of the porch sat an aluminum garbage can with a tight-fitting lid. Mrs. Lamb pulled off the top, reached inside, and pulled out a scoop. “This is the tricky part. Each puppy needs to get about one to two cups of this food twice a day. Molly gets two and a half cups a day from that plastic trash can over there.” Mrs. Lamb extended her arm. “The puppies eat a different kind of food because they’re growing and have different needs from an adult dog.”

  “I understand,” said Peri.

  Squirt clawed at the bottom of the door that led into the porch. When Peri turned around to look at her, the puppy arched back her head and barked. Then she looked back at Peri and whimpered.

  “Not now,” Mrs. Lamb scolded Squirt. “Anyway, I usually let Molly in the kitchen and feed her there so she can eat and have a little peace and quiet while I attend to the puppies outside on the patio. I feed them in the morning and again in the late afternoon.” She pointed to a small bowl. “I bring the puppies up one at a time and feed them, and then I play with each one for a few minutes after they eat. They usually gobble up their food in a minute or two and are eager to go back and play with the other puppies.”

  Mrs. Lamb put the lid back on the trash can and pushed down hard, snapping the top securely.

  “It sounds like more work than it actually is,” Mrs. Lamb reassured Peri.

  “When do you want me to start?” asked Peri.

  “They’ve been fed this morning, so they won’t eat again until this evening,” said Mrs. Lamb. “But you’
ll need to check in on them to make sure their water trough is full throughout the day.”

  Peri stood straight, squared her shoulders, and jutted out her chin. “You can count on me!”

  Mrs. Lamb smiled and peered down. “There’s no doubt in my mind. I’m positive I can depend on you.” She placed a hand on Peri shoulder. “Your Aunt Susan has only the best things to say about you.”

  What’s in a Name?

  After lunch, Peri sat on the front porch, shelling peas and enjoying the cool breeze stroking her forehead. One thing she’d learned from her few days in Bell Buckle, the weather could change quickly. One day it could be so hot you didn’t want to stick your nose out in the broiling afternoon sun. Then on a cloudy day, the temperature would drop and winds would blow down from the mountains and give an appreciated break to the humidity and heat.

  Peri reached into the basket and picked up the remaining snap peas. Breaking off the small stem at one end, she pulled back a thin string and peeled it from the edge of the pod. She threw the spindly curl into the pile on the newspaper that lay spread out by her feet, and the edible part she tossed into the bowl in her lap. Aunt Susan was making fresh vegetables to go with the meatloaf they were having for dinner. Along with the snap peas, her aunt was cooking creamed corn, steamed okra, and fried green tomatoes.

  When she finished with the last of the peas, Peri stood and carried the bowl into the kitchen where her aunt was preparing a cobbler from the blackberries they’d picked the day before. A heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream would be placed on top of the cobbler while it was still warm from the oven.

  “All done?” asked Aunt Susan as she craned her head around to face Peri. Flour sprinkled down the front of Aunt Susan’s bib apron as her hands continued to break the stick of butter into small pieces. Then she scattered the butter bits over the brown sugar and flour topping.

  “All done,” echoed Peri, setting the bowl on the counter beside the sink. “What should I do next?”

  “Get the colander from under the counter and wash the peas for me.” Aunt Susan smiled and added, “Please.”

  Peri squatted by the floor cabinet. She moved things around, clanging pots and pans together until she found the colander. She stood and placed it in the sink. She rinsed off the colander, dumping the bowl of peas inside and running cold water over them to remove any grit or stray strings.