A New Home for Truman

by Catherine Hapka

  For all the shelter workers who help people find their pets and pets find their people.

  C.H.

  The Best Birthday Ever!

  “Happy birthday, Janey!” Lolli Simpson exclaimed.

  Janey Whitfield set down her lunch tray at her usual spot across from Lolli. “It’s not my birthday yet,” she told her best friend with a smile. “Not until tomorrow, remember?”

  “I know.” Lolli pushed a lock of curly black hair out of her eyes. “But tomorrow is Saturday. I wanted you to be able to celebrate here at school with all your friends.”

  Lolli waved a hand at the other people sitting at the table. Their friend Adam Santos was next to Janey. Several kids from their fourth grade class were a little farther down, talking about that morning’s spelling test.

  “Come on, everybody!” Lolli called out. “Let’s sing!”

  She led the whole table in a round of “Happy Birthday to You.” A few kids at nearby tables joined in. Janey loved every second of it. It was great having everyone sing to her!

  “Thanks, everybody!” she called out when the song was finished. She waved, and some of the other kids waved back. Soon they all went back to their own conversations. “Thanks, Lolli,” Janey told her friend. “That was fab.” Janey loved to use interesting words whenever she could. Her favorite right then was “fab.” It was short for fabulous.

  “Wait—there’s more.” Lolli reached into her insulated lunch bag and pulled out a small reusable container. Lolli’s parents liked to call themselves back-to-the-land hippies. They lived on a small farm outside of town and grew their own organic food. They bought most of their clothes at thrift stores and recycled everything. Lolli never brought brown paper bags or plastic baggies for her lunch like most of the other kids. She had a whole set of reusable bags and containers that she used instead.

  “What is it?” Janey opened the container and peered at the grayish-brown lump inside.

  “It’s a cupcake.” Lolli grinned. “Dad helped me make it just for you.”

  “Oh. Thanks.” Janey smiled. “Um, it looks…interesting.”

  “That’s a cupcake?” a new voice exclaimed loudly in Janey’s ear.

  Janey looked up. Zach Goldman had just stopped by their table. Zach was friends with Adam, but Janey didn’t like him very much. He was rowdy, loud, and kind of obnoxious. Once when Janey had received the highest grade in the class on a math test, Zach had called her “Brainy Janey” for almost a month.

  Zach leaned over for a better look at the cupcake. He was holding his skateboard under his arm, and the end of it poked Janey in the back.

  “Ow,” she said, pushing him away. “What are you doing?”

  Zach grinned. “That doesn’t look like a cupcake,” he said. “It looks like something one of my mom’s patients barfed up.”

  “Gross!” Janey made a face. Zach’s mom was a veterinarian. She treated most of the cats and dogs in town.

  “It’s a special recipe my dad made up,” Lolli told Zach. “With zucchini, kale, and oatmeal. The cupcakes are actually really healthy, and totally organic, too.”

  “Zucchini and kale?” Zach said. “Do me a favor, Lolli. Don’t make me a cupcake on my birthday.”

  With a grin, he hurried away.

  Lolli looked worried. “Does it really look that bad?” she asked Janey. “I ate one of the cupcakes for breakfast, and I thought it was good.”

  Janey didn’t like zucchini. But lots of the food at Lolli’s house tasted better than it looked or sounded. So she forced herself to take a tiny bite of her birthday cupcake. She thought it would taste like mud, but it actually wasn’t that bad.

  “It’s great,” she said. “I love it. Thanks, Lolli, you’re the best friend ever!”

  Lolli looked relieved. “No, you are,” she said. “So what are you going to do to celebrate your birthday tomorrow?”

  That made Janey’s smile get even bigger. “I can’t wait until tomorrow,” she said. “I’m pretty sure Mom and Dad are getting me something really special this year.”

  “Really? What?” Lolli was digging into her lunch bag again. While she wasn’t looking, Janey nudged Adam. Then she broke off more than half of her cupcake and slipped it to him. She put a finger to her lips, and he nodded.

  Adam popped the cupcake into his mouth in one big bite. He chewed and swallowed quickly. Then he gave Janey a thumbs-up.

  Janey smiled gratefully. Adam was pretty skinny, but he ate a lot. And he liked almost everything, including the cafeteria’s baked beans. Even Lolli’s dog, Roscoe, wouldn’t touch those!

  Thinking about Roscoe reminded Janey of her big news. She turned back to Lolli. “I think my parents are finally getting me a dog,” she said.

  Lolli’s head snapped up in surprise. “Huh?” she said. “But your dad is so allergic to animals.”

  Janey’s father’s allergies were the reason Janey had never had a pet, even though she was crazy about animals of all shapes and sizes. Whenever Mr. Whitfield was around any creature with fur or feathers, he started wheezing and sneezing. His eyes turned red, and his nose turned redder. He sniffled nonstop. It even happened when he was around Janey’s aunt’s poodle. Janey had read that poodles weren’t supposed to bother people with allergies as much since they didn’t shed. But her parents had explained that it didn’t really work that way.

  “I know. But I figured out a way to compromise,” Janey told Lolli. “See, I did some research on the Internet. I found out there are allergy shots for people with animal allergies! Isn’t that great?”

  “Allergy shots?” Lolli looked uncertain. “You want your dad to get shots so you can have a dog?”

  “Uh huh. I printed out some articles about the allergy shots.” Janey broke off a tiny piece of cupcake and ate it. “I started leaving them lying around the house about a month ago. I figured that would give Dad plenty of time to talk to his doctor about getting the shots. I also left some pictures and information about my favorite dog breeds.”

  “Really?” Adam looked up from his lunch. “What breeds did you pick?”

  Adam was very interested in dogs. Even though he was only nine, he’d been running his own successful pet-sitting business for over a year. He fed and walked people’s dogs for them after school and any other time they needed him. He also helped people train their dogs sometimes. He’d taught Roscoe how to shake hands and balance a dog treat on his nose.

  “I was thinking about a Maltese or a papillon,” Janey told him. “They both seem really cute and fun. And I thought maybe a small dog like that would mean Dad needs to get the shots less often.”

  Adam nodded. “I walked a Maltese once. I liked her.”

  Lolli laughed. “You like every dog you walk, Adam,” she said. Then she turned to Janey. “Maybe you don’t need a fancy breed. What’s wrong with a nice all-American mutt like Roscoe?”

  “That would be fine, too. Roscoe is totally fab,” Janey said. She meant it, too. Roscoe was a big, lovable goof who had come from the local animal shelter as a puppy. He was part rottweiler, part Labrador retriever, and part who-knew-what. Janey had spent many happy hours at Lolli’s place playing fetch with Roscoe, swimming with him in the pond, or just lying in the grass rubbing his belly.

  “I bet you could find a dog just as great as Roscoe at the Third Street Animal Shelter,” Lolli said. “The dogs and cats there all really need homes. My parents and I go there sometimes to volunteer. Actually, Mom said we might go tomorrow to drop off some homemade dog and cat toys we made last weekend. I could help you look at dogs then if you want.”

  “That would be awesome,” Janey said. “I’ll mention it to my parents if they haven’t gotten my dog yet. Come to think of it, they might be thi
nking the same thing. They donate money to the shelter every year.” She sighed happily. “Anyway, I don’t really care what kind of dog I get. I just can’t wait to have one of my very own!”

  She’d been dreaming about this day ever since she could remember. Janey had always loved animals—all animals. She read books about dogs, hung cute pictures of cats on her walls, and doodled horses and elephants and rabbits all over the margins of her school notebooks. She loved spending time with Roscoe, Adam’s dog-sitting clients, and any other animal that came along. But nothing would compare to having a pet of her very own, to cuddle and snuggle with any time she wanted.

  It was going to be so great! She shivered with excitement, wondering how she was ever going to wait until tomorrow.

  Birthday Surprises

  Janey woke up early the next morning. For a second she couldn’t remember why she was excited. Then she smiled.

  “Happy birthday to me!” she said, jumping out of bed.

  She pulled on her bathrobe and raced downstairs. The smell of banana pancakes and bacon greeted her.

  “Happy birthday, sweetheart!” Janey’s father sang out. He was at the stove with a spatula. “I’m making your favorite breakfast.”

  “Thanks, Daddy.” Janey looked around the kitchen. There was a pile of wrapped gifts on the counter. None of the packages had air holes that she could see.

  But she couldn’t see her mother, either. Maybe Mom was out in the garage with the dog, waiting to surprise her.

  Then her mother hurried in from the living room. “Happy birthday, Janey, love!” she said. “How does it feel to be a year older?”

  “Fab,” Janey said. Her father set a platter of pancakes and bacon in front of her, and Janey helped herself. “I can’t wait to see what you got me this year!”

  Her parents traded a smile. “We can’t wait, either,” Janey’s father said. “Eat your birthday breakfast, and then you can open your gifts.”

  Janey loved banana pancakes and bacon. But that morning, she hardly tasted them. She ate as fast as she could.

  “Finished!” she said, gulping down some juice. “Time for presents.”

  Her parents both laughed. “All right,” her mother said. “Go ahead, love.”

  Janey grabbed one of the gifts and shook it. Even if there wasn’t a dog in the pile of gifts, maybe the packages contained dog stuff, like a collar and leash or food dishes or dog toys. Now that she thought about it, that made more sense anyway. Then Janey would be all ready to go and pick out her own dog at the shelter. She couldn’t wait!

  She ripped the paper off the first gift. “Oh,” she said in surprise.

  There was no collar or leash. No dishes or dog toys, either. Just a shirt with a sparkly collar.

  “It’s the one you liked at the mall last weekend, remember?” her mother said with a smile.

  Janey nodded. She did like the shirt, even if she wasn’t that excited about it right now. But maybe she could wear it to the shelter when she chose her dog.

  “Thanks,” she said. “Next!”

  For a second she thought the next gift was a collar, but then she realized it was a bracelet. Janey opened several more packages after that, but all of them contained non-dog gifts.

  Finally there was only one gift left. That had to be the dog gift!

  Janey picked it up. “Don’t shake that one, sweetheart,” her father said.

  Janey nodded. She had a bad feeling about this. The shape and weight of the gift didn’t seem right for any kind of dog stuff. It was light and rectangular.

  She opened it quickly. “Oh,” she said. “A tablet computer.”

  “This model just came out last week.” Her father sounded excited. “We knew you’d love it!”

  Her mother nodded. “Your laptop is getting old,” she explained. “This will be so much better.”

  “It’s already fully loaded, too,” her father said. “It’s got a great browser, a kid-safe blogging platform, and of course all your favorite games—like Puppy Playtime.”

  Janey perked up. “Puppy Playtime?” she echoed with a smile. “Yes, I do love that game.”

  She paused, waiting for her parents to say something else about puppies—like that they were taking Janey to get one! But her father just went on talking about the other software on the tablet.

  “What’s wrong, love?” Janey’s mother interrupted her husband. “You don’t look as excited as we expected.”

  Janey bit her lip. Were her parents teasing her? That didn’t seem like them.

  “What about my dog?” she blurted out.

  “Dog?” Janey’s mother traded a look with Janey’s father.

  “Oh, Janey.” Her father shook his head. “Is this about those printouts I found on my desk a couple of weeks ago?”

  Janey nodded. “Did you read them? All you need to do is get a few shots and you won’t be allergic to animals anymore!”

  “I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” Janey’s mother said. “We looked into the shots once, but the doctor advised against it because your father has mild asthma.”

  Janey couldn’t believe that this was happening. She felt her face turning red. If she didn’t get away, she’d start crying or yelling—probably both.

  “I…I need to call Lolli,” she choked out. “I think she wants me to come to her house.”

  Her mother looked worried. “Are you sure? We were going to watch a movie, or—”

  Mr. Whitfield put a hand on his wife’s arm. “It’s okay, Janey,” he said softly. “Go ahead and call Lolli. We can watch that movie later.”

  There was no answer on the phone at Lolli’s farmhouse, so Janey called Lolli’s mom’s cell phone. It turned out that the whole family was in the car on their way to the shelter.

  “We’re just five minutes from your house,” Mrs. Simpson told Janey. “We’ll swing by and pick you up. I know you love visiting the animals at the shelter.”

  “Thanks,” Janey said.

  While her father cleared the breakfast dishes and her mother picked up the wrapping paper from her gifts, Janey ran upstairs to change out of her pajamas. Then she stood in the front hall until she saw the Simpsons’ battered old station wagon pull to the curb in front of her house.

  “Lolli’s parents are here to pick me up,” she called. “I’ll be back in a while.”

  Ten minutes later, she was walking into the Third Street Animal Shelter with Lolli and her parents. Mr. Simpson was carrying a hemp bag filled with homemade dog and cat toys. Mrs. Simpson had a bag of organic kale from her garden. She’d explained that it was for some pet rabbits that had come into the shelter that week.

  The shelter was a one-story brick building tucked between the post office and a florist shop. Inside, the lobby was painted with cheerful murals of cats, dogs, and other animals. The muffled sound of barking came from beyond a door marked Dog Room.

  “I expected to come here today,” Janey said sadly, staring at that door. “But I thought it would be to pick out my own dog.”

  Mrs. Simpson put her arm around Janey’s shoulder. During the ride over, Janey had told Lolli and her parents what had happened.

  A young woman came out from behind the front desk and hurried over. She was in her twenties, with a blond ponytail and a bright smile. “Oh, you brought the toys!” she exclaimed. “Thanks so much—I know the critters will love them.”

  “You’re welcome, Kitty,” Mrs. Simpson said.

  That made Janey smile. “You work in an animal shelter, and your name is Kitty?” she asked the young woman.

  Kitty laughed. “Actually, it’s Kathleen,” she said. “But after I smuggled a whole litter of kittens into my room as a kid, my family started calling me Kitty. And I guess it stuck!”

  “It’s Janey’s birthday today,” Mr. Simpson told Kitty. “Can she play with some animals to help her celebrate?”

  “Of course!” Kitty said. “Go on into the Meet and Greet Room, and I’ll bring somebody in for you to play with. Would yo
u prefer cats or dogs?”

  “I love both,” Janey said. “But I especially like dogs, I guess.”

  She followed Lolli through a doorway across from the front desk. Inside was a small room with a tile floor. There were benches and beanbag chairs, as well as several scratching posts and a bucket filled with toys and treats.

  Soon Kitty returned. She was leading two half-grown puppies. One was a small terrier mix, and the other was a tall, gangly brown dog whose fringed tail never stopped wagging.

  “This is Buster, and this is Lyle,” Kitty said. “They’re both super friendly and playful. Go ahead and wear them out if you can—you’ll be doing me a favor!” She laughed and left, pulling the door shut behind her.

  “Oh, you’re adorable!” Janey exclaimed, falling to her knees and cuddling the puppies. For a second she felt happy, like she always did when animals were around. But she felt sad at the same time. She would love to take home either Buster or Lyle—or better yet, both of them! But that wasn’t going to happen.

  “They’re so cute!” Lolli exclaimed, giggling as Lyle licked her chin. “I bet Roscoe would love a couple of puppies to play with!”

  “Don’t even think about it,” her mother said with a laugh. “One dog is more than enough for this family.”

  “Oh, well.” Lolli smiled. “At least I can play with them here.” She turned to Janey. “That gives me a great idea. Why don’t we volunteer here at the shelter together? They let kids help out if their parents sign a form. We could come once or twice a week after school.”

  “That sounds fun,” Janey agreed. “Not as much fun as having my own pet, but better than nothing.” She hugged Buster as he wiggled onto her lap. “A puppy would be a lot cuddlier than some stupid old tablet.”

  “I know,” Lolli agreed. “Your tablet sounds cool, though. Does it take pictures? Too bad you didn’t bring it with you, or I could take some photos of you with Buster and Lyle.”

  “Yeah.” Janey tickled Buster under his furry chin. “But wait—that gives me a totally fab idea…”