Natalie Wants a Puppy

by Dandi Daley Mackall

  Granny, this one likes me!

  The Adopt-A-Pet lady walks closer to where we are.

  The big brown puppy sticks out a paw. I think it wants to shake hands. Its foot is so big it makes me giggle. And just like that, I know this is the dog Im supposed to pick. Like maybe that puppy prayer worked already.

  What kind of a dog is this one? Granny asks.

  The lady bends down and stares into the cage. Your guess is as good as mine. But you dont want this one. Look at the size of those paws. That puppys going to grow to be one giant dog.

  Ah. Better keep looking, Nat, Granny says. I promised your folks Id get a dog that would fit in the house.

  But Words wont get past the chokey in my neck. I want this puppy. This puppy picked me. And I picked her. And we picked each other.

  And if I cant have this puppy, I dont want a puppy. Thats what.

  Chapter 12

  Name That Puppy

  Come on, Nat, Granny says, moving to the next cage. There are lots of cute dogs here.

  But I really want this puppy, Granny. Inside, I am telling this to God. On account of Granny listens to God more than to me. Please make my granny want this dog.

  On the plus side, the Adopt-A-Pet lady says, this ones housebroken already.

  Granny wheels around. Housebroken? This big puppy is housebroken?

  Only one here Im sure of, the lady says.

  Granny looks at the puppy, then looks at me. Sold! Nat, you got yourself a puppy.

  Yippee! I shout. The puppy shouts too. Only with barking.

  The lady unlocks the cage and hands me my puppy. Shes kinda heavy and squirmy, but I can carry her myself.

  My puppy and I have to wait in the Adopt-A-Pet office so Granny can sign more papers. I whisper a big, fat thank you to God for the best dog in the whole world.

  I wish Mommy and Daddy could see my puppy.

  Granny walks out with a little cage. Bought your dog a kennel, she says.

  We load my puppy into the kennel. All the way home, I try to think up a name.

  What about Brownie? Granny says.

  Its not special enough, I tell her. And not Fido or Pickles or Jill or Mary Kay, either.

  When we get to my house, I take my puppy out of the kennel. She tickles her wet nose against my neck. And I feel something inside of me that Im pretty sure is love.

  I love my puppy, Granny.

  Looks like it goes both ways, Nat, Granny says.

  Im surprised that love can happen that fast. I love you, Puppy 24, I whisper. That name just comes to me out of nowhere. Granny, thats it! Ill call her Puppy 24!

  Not bad, Granny says, scratching my puppys floppy ear.

  We can call her Puppy for short. I am loving this new name. On account of I go by the name of Natalie 24. And my cat, Percy, goes by the name of Percy 24.

  Puppy 24, I say, while Granny and I walk to the house, just wait until you meet Percy 24!

  Yeah, Granny says really soft. Just you wait.

  Granny unlocks the front door, and Puppy and I race inside. Percy! Percy! Where are you?

  Percy does not come running.

  Percy never comes running unless its his idea.

  Ill bet hes in my room, I tell Granny and Puppy. That cat loves my room best of all. I love that about my cat. He could sleep anywhere in our whole entire house. But he picks out my bed. With me in it.

  Percy 24, have I got a surprise for you! I carry Puppy to my room. And there is Percy curled up on my bed. Found you! I shout.

  I scootch in next to Percy, with Puppy on my lap. Percy 24, meet Puppy 24.

  Puppys tail wags so fast that it thumps my arm. She slides off my lap and tries to touch noses with Percy. They are exactly the same size. Except Puppy is bigger.

  All of a sudden, Percy wakes up. He jumps to his feet. His white fur stands up on his sticking-up back. Ffffft! Percy hisses. Yeowl! Percy says.

  Percy! I shout.

  Percy hisses again. Then he jumps off my bed and runs out of my room.

  Chapter 13

  Percy 24 vs. Puppy 24

  Percy! Come back here! I cant believe what my cat just did. Thats so not nice! I call after him. Bad cat!

  Puppys tail stops wagging. She hides her head under my arm. She is shaking like a scaredy-cat.

  Granny walks in. I just met Percy in the hall. What did I miss?

  Percy scared Puppy, Granny. Why would he spit and be so mean to my puppy? I keep petting the soft brown fur.

  Granny sits down with Puppy and me. That cat of yours has ruled the roost around here for a long time. I suppose having another pet in the house will take some getting used to.

  But all Puppy wanted was to be friends, I tell her. I am very aggravated at Percy.

  Try hard to understand, okay, Nat? Granny asks. That cat has given you a lot of loving.

  I know, I admit. Percy stayed with me when I was sick for almost a whole week.

  And remember how he let you and Laurie dress him up and push him around in Lauries doll baby buggy? Granny adds.

  Plus, he was my helper detective. Kind of.

  So give him some time to get used to the idea of another pet, Granny says. And I agree with her.

  Granny and I have to go out and buy puppy food. Plus a puppy food dish. And a water dish. And a collar. And a leash. And puppy toys.

  When we get back, Percy is sitting on our front step. I hold him while Granny opens the door. And guess what. Percy purrs.

  Inside, I set down my cat. Then I run to free my puppy from the kennel.

  Arf! Arf! Puppy jumps against her kennel. When I open it, she jumps on me.

  I carry my puppy to the living room. Percy? I call.

  But Percy already isnt there.

  That night Granny and I put Puppy to bed in her kennel. Then Granny tucks me and Percy in.

  Granny, do you think Mom and Daddy will love Puppy 24? I ask.

  Granny sits on my bed between Percy and me. Im sure they will. Those two have a lot of love in them.

  We say our prayers. Granny goes first. She prays for Mommy and Daddy and China. And for her new grandson.

  Granny prays more stuff. Only I stop hearing after that word, grandson.

  Nat? Arent you going to pray? Granny asks me like shes been waiting forever.

  I start out with God bless everybody. Only I wonder if Mommy and Daddy are praying this right now too. Only in China. And my head is wondering if right now they are tucking in their other kid. And praying with that kid.

  And I wish they were doing that with me.

  Charley the Chevy takes me to school the next morning early. Plus, Granny lets Puppy come along for the ride. When we pull in, Jason is running circles around a bigger kid.

  I open the car door and yell, Jason!

  Jason waves and runs over to us. Hey, Nat! Whats up?

  I take Puppy out of the kennel and hold her up. I have a dog! Thats what!

  Cool dog! Jason shouts. Is it coming to kindergarten?

  I make my eyes big at Granny. On account of I think Jason has a great idea.

  Granny shakes her head.

  Nope, I answer Jason.

  See ya! Jason runs off.

  We wait until Lauries mom drives up. She parks right next to us.

  Hi, Nat! Laurie calls, getting out of their van. Why didnt you call me last night?

  I did! I shout back. Brianna said shed tell you.

  Brianna gets out of the backseat. Im not your answering service.

  Come and look, Laurie! I cry.

  Laurie runs over. You got a puppy! She makes a squeaky noise like Charlotte the Chevrolet used to.

  I let Laurie hold my puppy. Her tail whacks both of us in the face. Her name in Puppy 24, I tell my bestest friend.

  I love that name! Laurie says.

  We both say good-bye to Puppy 24. And this is a hard thing. Bye, Puppy! we shout, walking backwards from the car to our school.

  Granny shouts out the window, Hey! What about me?


  Bye, Granny! I shout.

  You are so lucky! Laurie says.

  I know! Without closing my eyes, on account of I dont want to run into anything, I whisper a thank you to God for my puppy.

  A puppy and a little brother all in the same week! Laurie says.

  That stops all my happy from bubbling up.

  We walk down the hall without talking. Only I have the feeling that God is still hanging around and waiting for me to whisper thank you again. Only this time for my little brother. So I kinda do. Only I dont really mean that one. And I know God knows it.

  Chapter 14

  Not So Fun with Math

  Kindergarten is pretty much wild again. So we get to do more talking in class. By lunch, Ive told everybody in my classroom that I got a puppy.

  After lunch, we are even more filled with noise.

  Boys and girls! poor Miss Hines shouts. I know youre excited about graduating, but youre not out yet. We still have work to do.

  She writes on the board. Then she spins around and shouts, Time for fun with math!

  I never ever have fun with math.

  Id like to have Laurie, Sasha, and Anna come up, please.

  Their desks squeak. Laurie gives me a smiley face before she walks up.

  Good, says Miss Hines. Now, Jason, Chase, Seth, and Brooks.

  Those boys push and shove each other to get to the desk.

  Now, says Miss Hines, which group has more?

  They do, Sasha says, like shes mad about it.

  Right. How many boys? Miss Hines asks.

  Four! Peter shouts without raising his hand.

  And if we add our three girls? Miss Hines asks.

  Weve got seven, Sasha answers.

  Our teacher writes on the board: 4 + 3 = 7. The boys elbow each other while her back faces them. They stop when she turns back around. When we add two numbers, do we have more or less?

  More! we shout. On account of even I know adding gives you more. Adding isnt too bad. But subtracting is.

  We add girls. And subtract girls. And add boys. And its still not fun with math.

  In the end, our teacher gives us a worksheet. Worksheets are very not fun. Miss Hines gives us time to do our work. Only I do more talking about Puppy to my friends than I do math. So I have to take my worksheet home to finish.

  Granny tries even harder than our teacher to teach me math. We add up chocolate-chip cookies at the kitchen table. Then we subtract those cookies by eating them. But we run out before I finish my worksheet. Plus also, our tummies ache.

  How about this? Granny jumps up from the table. You and I and Puppy and Percy are in the kitchen, right?

  Puppy is sitting on my feet. I have to look around until I see that fluffy Percy curled up on the rug by the sink. Yeah.

  Granny acts like shes opening Christmas presents. All right! That makes how many in the kitchen?

  Four. I look at my math problem: 4 - 1 = ? I know that one already. Only Granny is having too much fun teaching me.

  Well take away one. Granny runs out of the kitchen. How many are left, Nat? she shouts from the hallway.

  Three, Granny! I shout back. I write the answer on my sheet.

  That just leaves the bonus problem. I never do those. Sasha is the only one who does those when her parents help. And Anna can do some of them by herself. Not me. I fold my worksheet.

  Granny comes back and sits next to me at the table. Wait! We still have one problem left.

  Thats okay. Its just an extra.

  Granny unfolds my paper. Nat, you can get this one!

  This one is: 3 - 2 + 3 = ?

  Its too hard. My voice has whining in it.

  Nonsense. Granny points to the 3. How many people have you always had in your family, Nat?

  Mommy, Daddy, and me. Saying this makes my neck a little chokey. I wish they were here now. Three.

  Granny points to the 2. Take away, or subtract, two of them as they fly to China, and that leaves?

  One, I answer. Cause I know thats what Granny wants me to say. Only I am answering louder on the inside. That leaves ME! Thats what! And my neck is getting chokier.

  Good! Granny says. So now we have one. And here come three more! Your mom and your dad and your new little brother. Now how many do you have in your family, Nat?

  I dont answer.

  Come on, Nat. You know this one, Granny says.

  I do know this one.

  Whats the answer, Nat? Granny asks.

  I dont want to answer. But my granny wont stop until I do. Four, I say soft, writing down that answer.

  Right answer, Nat! Granny shouts.

  Only it doesnt feel like a right answer. And as soon as Granny walks away, I get out my worksheet, erase that 4, and write 3. On account of I dont like adding anymore.

  Chapter 15

  Last Days

  Granny and I put Puppy to bed in her kennel. Only this time she doesnt want me to leave her. Somehow, this makes me sadder about Mommy and Daddy being gone.

  I can hear Puppy whining when Granny and I go to my bedroom. Percy is already curled up on my bed. I curl up with him.

  Granny, I want them to be home. Tears leak out of me. Why did they have to go get a baby? I liked it with just us. I dont need a little brother.

  Granny sits on my bed and hugs me. Her cheek is against my cheek. She whispers in my ear, Maybe God knew that your little brother needs you, Nat. Hes so young. But hes already had a hard time in China.

  How come? I ask, still staying hugged.

  He was born with his lips and mouth not quite right, Granny says. Thats why he got put in the orphanage.

  I dont want to know this part. Does his mouth hurt?

  Hes already had an operation on it. He might need more. Granny stops talking. I can feel that she loves her grandson already.

  After more hugging, but no more talking, Granny says her prayers. I say mine. Then she tucks me in. When were quiet, I can still hear my puppy doing whining in the kitchen. Puppys too lonely, Granny.

  Ill check on her, sweetheart. She pets Percys fluffy back until he purrs.

  I wish Percy would like Puppy, I say. Puppy just wants to be friends.

  Youre right about that, Nat. Seems like thats how it should work, doesnt it? Percys had a whole lot of loving his whole life. Puppy hasnt had much of it. She could sure use some of that love.

  I get it. I know my granny is talking about more than cats and dogs.

  In the morning, I run to the kitchen to see my puppy. She is already eating her breakfast.

  Natalie Elizabeth, Granny begins, would you like to explain this to me? Granny never uses that Elizabeth name. Very much.

  What? Then I see that shes dumped out my backpack. My graduation paper is on top of the pile. It isnt important, I tell her. On account of I dont even want to go to that graduation.

  Are you kidding? You only graduate from kindergarten once, you know.

  I dont want to go, I say.

  Nat, do your mom and dad even know about this?

  I shrug up my shoulders. Inside, my answer is, They dont care.

  Granny makes sure I have my math sheet. Plus also, she hands me the graduation sheet. You turn this in. You hear me?

  I nod and stick it into my pack.

  Kindergarten kids are wilder than ever. Poor Miss Hines gives up on doing work. We play games that are real fun, instead of math fun.

  I almost forget to turn in my math worksheet.

  Good job, Miss Hines says when I give it to her. What about your graduation paper, Natalie?

  I go back and get it. Do I have to come if my parents dont? I ask.

  Im sorry your parents wont be back, Natalie, Miss Hines says. She takes another look at my graduation paper. But it looks like somebodys coming to see you. Youve requested three seats.

  Granny must have messed up marking that sheet, I guess. Do I have to come?

  She puts her arm around me. Well, I sure hope you do, Natalie. It just wouldnt be graduation day without y
ou.

  Miss Hines gives me a smiley face. And even though I dont feel smiley, I know that I am going to miss my teachers smiley faces next year.

  Granny acts very funny on my last day of kindergarten. When I wake up, she is making herself a toasted cheesy sandwich. On account of shes been awake so long that it should be her lunch.

  Three times she drops stuff. A pan. Her shoe. Percy.

  I wear my favorite purple shirt I drew on with markers. Granny lets me.

  Was that the phone, Nat? Granny runs to the phone.

  No, Granny! I call after her.

  A gazillion times, she looks out the front window.

  Granny, I ask when she and Charley drop me off at kindergarten for the last time, are you okay?

  What? she asks. Then she kisses my head. Have fun at school, Nat. Ill pick you up. Deal?

  Deal.

  Miss Hines takes us one by one to work on our talking parts for graduation. I sit in the back of our class, so I am almost last.

  Finally, she calls me to sit in the kid seat by her desk. What are you going to say for the program tomorrow, Natalie?

  I dont want to say anything. My parents wont be there.

  Well, Miss Hines says, if you change your mind, I know youll come up with something wonderful.

  Laurie and I hold hands and walk out of our kindergarten class on the very last day.

  We really did it, Laurie says.

  Yep. I feel a little proud in my heart about this.

  Laurie runs to her van. I look around until I see Granny walking up to meet me. Hi, Granny!

  Thought Id never find a parking spot! Granny calls. She has a huge smiley face on anyway. Brought you a little surprise.

  Really? Granny knows I love surprises. Im already thinking of a gazillion surprises it could be. Like ice cream. Or a purple dress shell make me wear to graduate. Or even Puppy 24.

  I can see something in the backseat. Only the sun is too shining. I run toward Charley. Somebody gets out. And that somebody is my daddy.