The Changing Season

by Manchester, Steven;

  His dad remained silent, abandoning his meal to offer his full attention.

  “I really care about these animals and what happens to them, Dad, and the shelter’s become more than just a temporary summer job.” He nodded, confidently. “I now know that helping animals will play a major role in my future.”

  The old man leaned back, nodding proudly. “Well, good for you, son.”

  “And I’ve decided that I’m going to help save animals on a much bigger scale. But to do that, I’m going to need a formal education…a college degree in veterinary medicine.” He shrugged. “Right now, I may not have what I need to make any real difference in the world,” he said, smiling, “…but I will.”

  “I have no doubt,” his dad said, clearly impressed. As he dove back into his pile of pasta, he nodded a few more times. “Good for you,” he repeated. “The trick is getting paid for what really matters to you.” He nodded. “Now that’s a career worth fighting for.”

  Billy nodded. “Which is exactly what I’m going to do, Dad.”

  The old man looked up from his plate again and studied Billy’s eyes. He grinned; it started slow before rolling over his face, becoming wide and proud. It was like he’d been waiting eighteen years to hear such a statement from Billy.

  As if he were seven years old again, Billy was filled with pride.

  “Do you think your car will hold up for a while?” his dad asked.

  “I’ve already decided to sell the beater to a friend,” Billy said, smirking. “Once I get my stuff moved in on campus, my buddy’s going to throw me four hundred bucks for the junk.”

  “Four hundred bucks?”

  Billy nodded. “That’s right, enough to buy three college books.” Billy shrugged again. “Freshmen aren’t allowed to park on campus anyway.” He smirked. “Besides, I can’t afford to fix it anymore.”

  The big man nodded again. “If you say so.”

  Soft music played in the background, an easy listening station that set a relaxed atmosphere. As they ate, they settled into a comfortable silence. For the first time ever, Billy didn’t feel the need to fill the dead air between them.

  Toward the end of the meal, his dad ordered, “A chopped steak to go.”

  Billy nearly gagged on his last bite of blueberry pie. “For Jimmy?” he asked.

  The big man grinned. “I’m guessing it’s been a while since he’s had one.”

  Once again, Billy caught a glimpse of his father’s kindness. Although it was random and somewhat infrequent, it existed and it was great to witness it again.

  ⁕

  Returning home, Billy and Jimmy took to the couch to relax. As Billy flipped through the channels, he happened upon a Red Sox game and left it on. “Oh good,” he told Jimmy, “it’s only the second inning and they’re up by two.” He kicked up his feet, prepared to settle in for the game when it suddenly hit him. While his heart skipped a beat, he jumped to the edge of his seat and pulled out his cell phone to check the date. “Today’s the twenty-fourth,” he said, thinking aloud. “This is the game Vicki bought us tickets to.” He looked down at Jimmy, his eyes glazing over. “I was supposed to be at this game with her…four rows behind the home dugout.” Shaking his head, he could feel the dull ache in his heart become inflamed. Tears sat waiting in the corner of his eyes. He grabbed the remote, hoping that this newest wave of sorrow would wash over him quickly.

  I miss you, Vicki, he thought, flipping through the channels again. I miss you so much. While Jimmy snuggled in closer to him, Billy tried to hold back the tears. He finally let go of the remote control, landing on some random channel. You’ve got to be shitting me, he thought. It was the closing scene from Dumb & Dumber. Although he pointed the remote at the TV again, he never clicked off the movie. Instead, he forced himself to watch the last few minutes of the slapstick comedy. This is crazy, he thought. The mindless humor which had once brought him such unfettered joy now seemed completely asinine. He looked down at Jimmy again. “I don’t think I’ll ever laugh like that again,” he said, “…not like I did with Vicki.” And the tears finally broke through, dashing down his cheeks. Something told him that he had clicked with Vicki like no one he would ever click with again. “Not ever,” he whispered.

  As the TV went off, the old mutt low crawled even closer to Billy, where they sat together in silence.

  ⁕

  On Billy’s last day of work, he walked in and found Arlene cleaning out the kennels. “Hey, that’s my job,” he said, grinning.

  She turned to face him. “No, sir, you’ve done your job.” She smiled, studying his face for a moment. “So you survived the pound, huh?”

  He smiled, thinking, A few of them. “And the shelter too,” he answered.

  Arlene laughed. “You got it, kid.”

  “So what do you want me to do today?” he asked.

  “I want you to spend some time saying goodbye to the animals.”

  He started to laugh when he realized she was no longer smiling. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “Of course I’m serious,” Arlene said, “and it’ll be as good for you as it will be for them.” She winked. “The trick to a happy life is to expect change and then try to make each transition as smooth as possible.”

  While Arlene pretended not to watch, Billy spent the next hour going from cage to cage, visiting his furry friends and bidding them a fond farewell.

  “Feel better?” she asked him when he’d completed the peculiar task.

  “Actually, I do,” Billy said, surprised that he did. “But where’s Major?”

  “I decided to take him to my house and finish up the healing process there.”

  Billy smiled. “As another family member?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  Considering how she feels about her animals at home, Billy thought, she must really trust him. “I wanted you to know before I left that I made all the updates to your social media pages. The monthly newsletter and website are also up to date.”

  “Of course they are,” she said smiling. “You really have no idea how many animals your online campaign has already saved, do you?”

  He shrugged, blushing.

  “That’s amazing, considering the enormous difference you’ve already made,” Arlene said, before changing the subject to stop Billy’s face from turning blood red. “So did you learn anything at our summer school?” she asked, referring to the shelter.

  He grinned. “I learned everything at summer school.”

  She laughed. “Well, that’s probably not true but…”

  “I learned that we all have the power to make a real impact on the world, whether it’s some person’s world or an animal’s.”

  “Very good, Billy Baker.”

  “…and that you have to stand for something, or you’ll watch your whole life drift by.”

  “Very good,” she repeated in a whisper. “So where do you go to from here?”

  “College,” he answered confidently, “to become a veterinarian.”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her eyes filled. “Are you serious?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life, Arlene,” he said, “and I have you to thank for it.”

  She shook her head, as she tried to speak again. She couldn’t.

  “It may take me a year or two to get into the program, but I plan on getting the grades for it.” Surprising them both, Billy wrapped his arms around Arlene and gave her a tight squeeze. “Thank you for inspiring me this summer, Arlene,” he whispered. “I never imagined being this excited about the future,” he said. “And now I can’t imagine a future that doesn’t include me helping animals.”

  “A veterinarian?” she thought aloud. “That’s like an eight-year commitment, Billy.”

  “I know,” he said. “Tha
nk you for showing me the way.”

  She hugged him back, nearly emptying whatever air remained in his lungs. “You’re welcome,” she said as they parted, her voice muffled from emotion. “And in case you were wondering,” she added, changing the subject again, “Sadie also found a great home.”

  Billy studied her face. “You’re keeping her too, aren’t you?”

  Arlene shrugged. “She’s probably napping on my pillow as we speak.”

  They both laughed.

  “Then Sadie found the best home,” Billy said.

  Blushing, Arlene opened her mouth to reply but her words were clearly stuck again. While her eyes glassed over, she shook her head and turned her back to Billy. “I’m going to really miss you around here, Billy Baker,” she muttered, before walking away.

  “Me too,” Billy forced from his lips, emotion raising his voice a full octave. I’m going to miss everything about this place, he thought and started for the front door. As he grabbed the doorknob, he looked back. “Hey Arlene,” he said, “any chance I can work here again next summer?”

  She stopped and turned. One of her eyebrows rose until it reached its peak. “You’d better work here again next summer,” she said, shooting him the season’s final wink.

  ⁕

  Billy returned home from work. Not only did Jimmy not greet him at the front door, but he noticed that the dog’s bowls were still full. Neither one of them have been touched, he thought and headed straight to his bedroom to find Jimmy already in bed. Back to the sleeping patterns of a puppy, Billy thought, placing both bowls at the foot of the bed. He patted Jimmy’s neck. “How about dinner in bed tonight?” he said.

  The dog struggled to get up and finally did, lying at the foot of the bed where his buffet had been placed.

  “But let’s keep it between us,” Billy whispered.

  Jimmy ate a few small bites before cleaning up with a wet paw across his face and ears.

  Ignoring his video games, Billy ran his hand along the length of the dog’s arthritic back, massaging him for a long time.

  When it was time to turn in, Jimmy lay down on his belly, ready to sleep.

  “No belly rubs tonight?” Billy asked, reaching under Jimmy’s undercarriage to give him a few scratches.

  The dog remained uninspired and just lay there, exhausted.

  “Okay, buddy, we’ll just go to sleep then,” Billy whispered, placing his chest against his best friend’s back and wrapping his arm around the dog. “You’ll feel better in the morning after a good night’s sleep.”

  The loving mutt licked Billy’s hand.

  “But you’re never too sick or tired to bring the love, are you, Jimmy?” Billy said. For the next hour, he watched and worried about the silver-haired mutt. While Jimmy tossed and turned, his eyelids twitching to the mercy of his dreams, Billy held him close.

  ⁕

  In the morning’s first light, Jimmy barely climbed out of the bed. He stretched once and nearly went down on his arthritic legs.

  “Go slow,” Billy told him, yawning, “there’s no fire.”

  Jimmy hobbled straight to the kitchen door and circled a few times; it was his signature move when he really had to go relieve himself. But the few minutes it took for Billy to open the back door were too much for the old-timer to take. Half-squatting, the dog urinated on the linoleum floor.

  “Jimmy!” Billy began to scold him.

  Whimpering, Jimmy’s tail went straight down and his head slumped in shame. Even now, at his advanced age, the dog was an adult pleaser; when he was met with anything less than approval, he had a tough time handling it.

  Billy immediately stopped, feeling badly.

  His mom entered the kitchen and quickly grabbed the paper towels. “It’s okay, buddy,” she told the mutt sympathetically. “It happens. We’re all getting older.” She looked at Billy. “When you see that he has to go, you need to open the door right away. He can’t hold it in anymore.”

  Nodding, Billy grabbed the paper towels from her. While he cleaned up after his friend, Jimmy headed straight to the corner of the kitchen to pout. “It’s okay, buddy,” Billy repeated, “it was only an accident. There’s no need to punish yourself.”

  Jimmy looked out of the corner of his eye and sighed heavily, before turning back toward the wall—where he stayed for a solid two minutes in a self-imposed time-out.

  Chapter 15

  Billy was out with Jimmy for their morning walk when they spotted Vicki again. Jimmy barked a brief greeting. Vicki glanced over at them, but never responded. Billy realized that while she refused to look at him, he couldn’t look away. Jimmy barked again, leaving it at that. As Vicki ignored them both, Billy also realized that the wound still hurt as badly as that life-changing afternoon on her front stoop. He wondered when it would start to clot and the healing process would begin. But our relationship was the real thing, he thought, not some failed experiment that I might forget anytime soon…if ever. He turned to Jimmy. “Come on, boy,” he said, with an aching heart, “let’s go home.”

  Jimmy turned his nose up at Vicki and followed Billy’s lead, with his tail held high.

  ⁕

  It was an overcast afternoon. Billy was at the kitchen table tallying all the money he’d made over the summer against his first year’s college expenses. I’m going to live like a pauper on campus, he thought.

  “Make sure you put money aside for your meals too,” his mom told him.

  Billy looked down at Jimmy and said, “I’m still going to be paying for my education when I’m your age…” The truth of it hit him like a sledge hammer.

  The summer was nearly over and Billy and Jimmy had never made it to the beach. “I apologize,” he told the old dog. “We never went camping or even visited the beach, like I promised.” He thought about it, realizing, We only have a handful of moments left. “Thankfully, it’s not too late,” he said, smiling.

  Within the hour, Billy had the tent packed, the cooler stocked and was heading out to spend an overnight with his best friend. He looked up at the ominous sky and told Jimmy, “With any luck, we’ll have the whole place to ourselves.”

  ⁕

  As they drove to the beach, Billy thought about how all the days since his graduation had just flashed by. It seemed like it was Memorial Day when the Fourth of July rolled around. From there, it felt like he’d slept a few more times before waking up to Labor Day. The days had gone by so fast that he’d even confused Labor Day with Memorial Day. “So much has changed,” Billy told Jimmy.

  The mutt stuck his head out of the passenger window and let his tongue fly in the wind, splattering slobber all over the back window.

  “Thank God for you, buddy,” he told Jimmy, massaging the dog’s hind quarter.

  Jimmy kept his flapping tongue in the wind.

  “Do your thing,” Billy told him. “No worries.”

  From the look on Jimmy’s face, he had none.

  For the first time in a while, Billy’s wish had come true. The beach was nearly deserted. After erecting their tent and establishing a cozy campsite, Jimmy trotted to the water. As Billy looked on, the silver-faced mutt walked in slowly—like an old man easing himself into a warm bath—the reckless abandon he’d once been known for completely gone.

  Jimmy swam for a bit before sitting in the shallows with the water line at his chest.

  Billy waded in and took a seat beside him where they sat for a long while, looking out onto the horizon. While the tide gently lapped at their chests, Billy wrapped his arm around Jimmy’s shoulder. “This is the life,” he whispered.

  A seagull landed on the sand a few feet from them. Jimmy just sat there, watching the squawking bird with mild interest. “You must be tired, Jimmy. Back in the day, you would have chased that vulture until you collapsed.”

  Jimmy stood and took chase, but it was a haph
azard effort.

  “Half-stepper,” Billy teased the dog and stood to go for a walk and dry off.

  As they strolled along the coastline, Jimmy shook the salt water from his coat. He also took breaks, long breaks, acting like he was exploring.

  “I know you’re stalling,” Billy told him, “and it’s okay.” At least your spirit’s still willing, Billy thought, getting choked up.

  When Jimmy slowed even more, Billy headed for the campsite. The sea grasses had lost their summer hue and were now brittle, snapping in half as Billy and Jimmy walked through the abandoned dunes.

  They reached camp and sat together again where Billy discovered that the pads on Jimmy’s paws were dry and cracked. One was even bleeding, which Jimmy licked for some time. Billy pulled the big moose into his lap. “Too many miles on those old tires, huh?” he whispered, before noticing the patch of missing fur on the mutt’s hind quarter—a souvenir from a vicious fight he’d won in his glory days. A mean stray had swaggered into the backyard looking for trouble. Unwilling to let it go, Jimmy gave the growling stranger all the trouble he could handle. That one battle scar had been rubbed and patted thousands of times throughout the years, the family being forever grateful for Jimmy’s sacrificial love and fearless devotion. As they sat side by side, Billy rubbed it again.

  Resting his head in Billy’s lap, Jimmy’s eyes squinted while he enjoyed the heavy scratching.

  Billy worked his hand up the old dog’s body, stroking Jimmy’s head and kneading the scruff of his neck. “I love you, buddy,” he said. “You know that, right?”

  Jimmy licked Billy’s hand.

  “And I need to go away pretty soon…to college.”

  Jimmy licked him again.

  “The last thing in the world I want is to leave you, but I…” Billy stopped from going any further. A wave of tears was waiting to break on the shore just behind his eyes.