by Gail Sattler
And now he was going to learn more about God. With Doreen’s help. He hugged her Bible like a teddy bear.
“There’s another reason I wanted to talk to you, Edwin.”
Edwin cringed. It sounded like a confession was coming, and he didn’t think he wanted to hear it.
“What?” he asked, steeling his nerve to take it like a man.
“I think I started something with your neighbor.”
“Neighbor?” She wanted to talk about Mrs. Primline? He tried not to be too relieved. He’d almost thought she was going to tell him she didn’t want to see him anymore. He couldn’t take that. Not now. Not ever.
“Yes, Mrs. Primline, that elderly lady you told me about who’s been giving you a hard time about Dozer. I think I kind of gave her the wrong impression.”
He shook his head back and forth so fast a lock of hair flopped onto his forehead. “What are you talking about?”
Her face turned red, and she lowered her head to stare at her feet, then rubbed one toe on the floor. “Don’t be surprised if you see her lurking around your house.”
“Pardon me?”
“I think I led her to believe that I was some sort of canine behavioral expert, and now she’s going to study your dog’s howling, expecting me to tell her what’s wrong with him.”
“There’s nothing wrong with him.”
“That’s a matter of opinion.”
He was about to rebuke her, but in the few seconds it took for him to think of what to say, they both heard the splashing of Dozer drinking out of the toilet as Gretchen drank daintily from her bowl. Doreen’s eyes narrowed as she scowled at him, but she didn’t comment. Both dogs disappeared out the doggie door in search of more adventure, but not before Dozer tripped on his way through the opening.
“I think I let her believe that once I analyze the dog’s howls, I’ll be able to stop him.”
“Don’t worry about it. He’s really not that bad, anyway. She tends to exaggerate.” A few times he’d listened to her talk about her wonderful grandchildren. Child prodigies, all seven of them.
“I didn’t mean to mislead her, but I didn’t know what to say to her.”
“I doubt that she will take you seriously. Don’t worry, she’ll forget all about it.”
“I don’t know. . .”
“Forget about it, Doreen. The dogs are already outside. Let’s carry on with the obedience lesson, before we lose them out there.”
❧
Edwin grinned as he patted Dozer on the rump. Doreen was right. With a little time and effort, the dog really was eager to learn. She freely admitted that, on every lesson, they covered more than she usually did with most dogs. With more than enough to practice, the lesson was over.
“Free for supper?” he asked.
Doreen checked her watch, then shrugged her shoulders. “I guess so,” she mumbled. He would never understand her apparent indecision every time he asked for her company. But then if she ever agreed with any enthusiasm, he would probably faint. “Just don’t say we’ll order pizza!”
“Why? Don’t they deliver out here in the wilderness?” He ducked as she halfheartedly threw a stick at him. He would have liked to tumble her down into the leaves on the ground and kiss the stuffing out of her again, but instead, he broke the stick into little pieces and threw it up into the air.
“I’d rather cook. I have to get up early tomorrow morning for the first service, so it can’t be a late night.”
“Don’t go through too much trouble,” Edwin said, raising his finger as a warning. “I don’t want you to go to any extra effort just for me. You’ll make me overridden with guilt, and I couldn’t handle that.”
“I’ll dig something out of the freezer and make it nice and simple.”
“Sounds kinda domestic.” She smacked him lightly on the forearm with the leash, then strutted to the house with her nose up in the air.
He couldn’t believe it. A woman cooking him dinner. Wait till he told his mother about this. She’d be ready to order the wedding invitations.
Edwin volunteered to help, not that he would be of much use except for pressing the buttons on the microwave, but he wanted to be with Doreen and enjoy the informal atmosphere.
He never knew that making a meal could be so much fun. Before he knew it, a nutritious dinner was cooked and on the table. This time, he followed Doreen’s example before they ate. He bowed his head and listened carefully as she said a short prayer asking God to bless the meal they had prepared together, then answered her “amen” with one of his own. Sharing a prayer in the quiet kitchen without the crowd of her church friends or the noise and chatter of the restaurant around them lent a quiet intimacy to their time together. He treasured it.
They were both so hungry they ate the meal with very little conversation. “You know why this is so good?” she asked, dabbing the corner of her mouth with her napkin.
He shook his head, wondering if she’d felt the same bond growing between them.
“Because we missed lunch.”
He laughed, then insisted on doing the dishes to repay her for cooking, but Doreen insisted on drying. Usually a chore he left until he needed something again, today washing dishes turned into a pleasant experience. Through constant banter and much laughter, Edwin was almost sorry when the last pot was dried and put in its place.
They moved to the living room to talk, and at first he felt guilty trying to stifle the frequent urge to yawn. Soon he noticed Doreen having the same problem. He decided to make a graceful exit.
Pausing to say good night at the door, Edwin stepped up close to Doreen. More than ever, he wanted to kiss her properly. Tonight was a first for him, a quiet intimate evening at home, an evening he’d never forget. He’d quietly enjoyed her company, no pressure, and in the quiet of her home, he hadn’t felt the need to impress. As far as he could tell, she also enjoyed herself. He didn’t want to blow the end of a perfect day.
“So, see you at church tomorrow?”
“Sure, I’m not hard to find.”
Edwin smiled and gently brushed his fingertips along the soft skin of her cheek. He wondered if she could feel his hand shaking, so he withdrew it to avoid looking like an nervous teenager. Kissing her in the heated moment of a fit of jealousy was one thing, but now that they were alone in the dark, the pressure mounted. Worse than his own nervousness, he couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
“I’ll be listening. Playing any songs I know?”
“Probably not. You’ve got to come a number of times before the songs become familiar.”
Edwin tucked Doreen’s Bible under his arm and rammed his hands in his pockets, trying hard not to shuffle his feet. “Then soon they will be familiar. See you tomorrow.”
Abruptly, he turned and walked to his car. As he opened the car for Dozer to jump in, the word “coward” kept echoing in his brain.
❧
The music flowed from Doreen’s fingers as the piano sang beneath her touch. Her mind filled with praise and worship as the band and congregation joined together in joyful song to God’s glory.
Instead of listening to the pastor’s message, Doreen and the other members of the worship team slipped out for coffee and a donut. They would hear the same sermon during the second service. Doreen did not want to appear bored hearing it for a second time when she sat with Edwin. The group of them returned with plenty of time to spare.
The second service did not go well. Knowing Edwin was sitting out there somewhere, Doreen couldn’t concentrate. Nothing flowed as it had earlier in the morning. She struggled with every song and had to force herself to narrow her focus in order to keep together with the band.
Her hands were shaking by the time the worship leader completed the final prayer before the pastor’s message. When the rest of the worship team joined their families, Doreen sat with Edwin.
She found him in the same spot as the week before. He silently nodded a greeting as she slipped into the empty seat beside him
. Listening intently to the pastor, Edwin did not once turn in her direction, and to her disappointment, he did not hold her hand as she hoped he would. Part of the reason she couldn’t concentrate on the piano was the anticipation of the possibility that he would. It looked like the thought had not even entered his mind. Crushed, Doreen turned her attention to the pastor’s message, where it should have been in the first place.
The topic was an extension from the week before, about Christian living, and living life as a Christian every day instead of Sundays only. Edwin sat stiffly, listening, his attention never wavering. He didn’t even look at Doreen.
As they did at every service, the entire worship team quietly slipped to the front for the closing hymn and prayer. Doreen glanced at Edwin, but he appeared lost in thought and didn’t seem to notice when she left the pew. This morning, instead of his usual closing remarks, the pastor quoted Matthew 4:19 and 20, where Jesus called Simon and Andrew to leave their nets and become fishers of men. The pastor then called anyone who wanted to commit their lives to Jesus Christ to step forward.
The band began to play a low-key accompaniment as the pastor waited for a response. About halfway through the song, Doreen glanced over to see what Edwin was doing.
He wasn’t in his seat. Just then, Doreen noticed that he was standing at the front, his eyes closed, head bowed, with the pastor’s hand on one of his shoulders. Doreen almost stopped playing as she watched the pastor and Edwin praying together.
At the final chord, Doreen bolted from the front platform to join Edwin as he returned to his seat to collect their belongings. She didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing. Edwin had just responded to an altar call, to openly commit himself to following Jesus. Without her. Lost in thought, she jumped when he spoke.
“You live like that. Every day your faith in God is apparent in everything you do. You’re such a good example for me, Doreen, I’m grateful to have a friend like you.”
Doreen smiled sweetly, but her stomach suddenly went to war with itself. Friend? That was it? He considered her merely a friend?
“Thanks, I’m glad.” Her words sounded hollow, even to her own ears. “Are we going to join the group for lunch?” she asked, although at the moment, eating was the last thing she wanted to do.
“To tell the truth, I don’t feel very sociable right now. Do you mind?”
Her stomach dove into her toes. He wanted to be alone.
“That’s okay,” she mumbled, trying to force a smile. If he didn’t want her company, she would swallow her pride and give him an easy way out. “Guess I’ll see you later.” Instead of joining the usual crowd, she would go quietly home alone, and be miserable.
Narrowing his eyes, Edwin tried to guess what she was thinking, and what she meant by “later.” Did she mean later, as in after lunch, or later, as in the brush-off? His already shaky level of confidence plummeted to rock-bottom that she would rather go out with her friends from church than with him.
He swallowed his pride and refused to give up. “Will I see you at the evening service? I really wanted to ask you a few questions.” He patted his Bible, the one she had loaned him, which lay next to him on the pew. He’d done a bit of random reading before he’d left the house and shoved every scrap of paper he could find in the places where he had a question. “I feel kinda stupid asking some of these things in front of a large group, and I was hoping we could go somewhere to be alone.”
“Alone?” Her voice sounded mousy, not like Doreen at all. “With me?”
He wondered if she felt sick or something. He’d noticed that her piano playing didn’t have the same flare as it had last week. He swallowed to clear his throat. “It’s okay, if you’re not hungry we can go through the drive-thru and I’ll get something quick for myself, or I can make a sandwich at my house. But if you don’t mind watching me eat, I wanted to talk to you without interruption from well-meaning but unwelcome parties.” He paused as he gathered his courage, then picked up one of her hands, which was freezing cold. He rubbed it with both of his hands. “And,” he stated with emphasis, “I want to spend the rest of the day with you, too.” He smiled, hoping what he lacked in charm he made up for with honesty.
Doreen opened her eyes wide and stared at him. He was holding onto her left hand for dear life. She nodded, and he led her outside to his car.
He was determined to take good care of her until she felt better.
eleven
On Tuesday, before she turned into Edwin’s driveway, Doreen cautiously checked the house across the street for any signs of activity. She’d been picking Dozer up for nearly a week, and although Edwin had warned her that Mrs. Primline could be a nuisance, she’d only met her once. She found it difficult to believe that her plan about spying on the dog had worked, but she hadn’t seen the woman since that day.
Monday had gone by without incident, although nothing could have fazed her on Monday. After the service, when she realized that Edwin had wanted to forgo the usual crowd in order to be alone with her, her appetite had returned and they had found a quiet corner in a restaurant where she had never been. They had stayed so long they were nearly late for the evening service.
All his questions had been good and valid, well thought out, proving he took everything he read seriously.
Throughout the entire day Monday, she had either pondered his comments or daydreamed about the way he treated her on Sunday. When she’d finally convinced him that she was indeed hungry, he’d sat beside her in the restaurant instead of across the table, and except for the nature of their discussion, he’d been almost romantic.
He had followed her home, claiming he wanted to make sure she arrived safely. She assumed it was to kiss her good-bye in private, but when the final moment came and his fingertips brushed her cheek, he had rested his hand on her forehead, made a lame joke about her being not so hot, and hadn’t kissed her at all.
Monday evening they had spent hours on the phone with more questions and answers. She had done her best to answer everything he threw at her. When his questions had been exhausted, he kept her entertained with more funny stories and general conversation, until she had realized it was long past her bedtime.
When she had arrived home Tuesday, she found a long message on her answering machine from Edwin. He had been reading his Bible on his lunch break, and had a question that he wanted answered immediately.
Soon he would either run out of questions, or she’d have to call in for reinforcements. Unfortunately, he missed Bible study Tuesday night due to unexpected overtime.
❧
Wednesday morning, Doreen managed to open Edwin’s front door and snap Dozer on the leash without incident, but as soon as she walked outside, she saw Mrs. Primline running across the road, straight for her.
“Yoo Hooooooo!!!!! Miss Dog Lady!!!!” she called as she ran, waving one hand jerkily in the air. “Wait!”
Doreen opened the rear of the van, secured Dozer in his travel kennel, then turned to face Edwin’s neighbor. “Good morning, Mrs. Primline. How are you today?”
Mrs. Primline waved something small and black in the air. “I did it! I taped that animal, and he didn’t know I was there.” She thrust a cassette tape into Doreen’s hand, then wrapped her wrinkled fingers around Doreen’s hand and pressed Doreen’s fingers around the tape.
Doreen stared at the tape in her hand. The woman had done it. Now she had no choice but to respond. She leaned into the van and popped the tape into the cassette player, pressed the play button, and waited.
A horrible howl exploded from the speakers, long and melancholy, and very, very loud.
Doreen covered her mouth with her hands. “Does he always sound like that?” she gasped, unable to believe what she was hearing. She couldn’t imagine the entire neighborhood having to put up with hours of this madness.
“No, usually he holds the high part at the end for longer, but I fear he may have heard me. Do you need to hear more? He started again after a few minutes if you
fast forward the tape. And I have another tape at home.”
Doreen cleared her throat. “Do you mind if I borrow this tape?”
The little woman patted Doreen on the shoulder. “I made it for you, dearie. Just like you asked. Can you tell what his problem is?”
“Well, he’s not in pain, ma’am, but he is very sad and lonely. Has he been any different since I’ve been taking him?”
Nodding, Mrs. Primline handed her the empty case for the cassette. “Yes, now he howls when you leave too.”
Doreen cringed. She had made him worse, not better. But Bulldozer wasn’t really a bad dog, only poorly trained, undisciplined, clumsy, loud, and annoying. But he exhibited great potential.
“Thanks for your help, I’ll see what I can figure out.”
“Oh!” Mrs. Primline beamed. “You’re quite welcome, young lady. And tell me, is Eddie going to visit you again this evening? Tonight is Bulldozer’s little doggie class, isn’t it?”
As if being called the dog lady wasn’t bad enough, now she ran “little doggie classes.” She also wondered exactly how much Edwin told his neighbor. “Yes, but I’m not sure if he’s coming yet. Why?” She wondered if Edwin knew that his neighbor watched his coming and going.
“My bridge club is meeting tonight, and Annabelle made some of Eddie’s favorite cookies, so she wants to know if he’ll be home.” She leaned closer to Doreen. “I think Annabelle likes dear Eddie. Dorothy does, too.”
The neighborhood grandmothers baked him cookies? It didn’t surprise her that little old ladies might want to look after him.
She checked her watch. “I’m sorry, I really have to go, but I’m sure I’ll see you around another time.” Doreen opened the van door. In fact, she was sure she would see Mrs. Primline again, and again, and again.
