Remember that story I said I would post? Here it is. Finally. :)
It Takes a Boy
“Alfred,”
Mrs. Myers screeched for the sixth time that day, “Stop it!”
As
always, 11 week-old Alfred paid no attention to what she said and kept on
rolling in the elderly lady’s late husband’s ashes. Once again he had slipped
through the bedroom door behind her back while she was cleaning another one of
his messes.
“This
dog is hopeless,” she thought, “I don’t know how long I can keep this up.”
The
little puppy had gone through four owners already, each intending to keep
Alfred as his or her own dog, but the Corgi’s troublesome energy had forced
each of them to give him away. Mrs.
Myers had seen him in the local animal shelter and like the others before her,
had taken pity on him. She had thought this was a phase that would pass but
finally decided she just could not keep him.
Mrs.
Myers slowly walked to her new little cell phone lying on the small cherry wood
side table in the spotless living room.
“Let
me see,” she mumbled while she pondered on what her daughter had said on how to
use cell phones. “Ah.” She dialed the
animal shelter. “Hello? This is Judith Myers. Yes, the one who took home the
cute Corgi. I’m sorry but I just can’t keep him. What? Why can’t you take him
back? Well, thank you anyway.” After she hung up, she turned around. “Alfred!”
11
year-old Benny Somers felt he was going to burst with excitement. He was
finally getting his own dog today! His dad had found the puppy in the Pennysaver.
“Hurry
up, Daddy,” he hollered. “I want to go get my puppy!”
“Don’t
be in such a rush,” Mr. Somers told his son.
“Did
you remember to grab the collar from the shelf,” asked Wilma, Benny’s mother.
In a few minutes they were on their way to
Mrs. Myers’s house. All the way there, Benny was tidying up the back seat to
make room for the dog.
Ding-dong!
“Hello. Are you Mrs. Myers?” asked Henry Somers.
“Yes.
I suppose you must be Mr. Somers,” replied the clearly worn out lady.
“Is
Alfred ready to pick up?”
“He’s
right in there.”
On
the way back, Benny cradled the puppy in his arms.
“Alfred
sounds too old,” he said, “Let’s call him Alfie.”
So
it was decided then and there that he would be called Alfie. When they arrived
at their home, Alfie was uncertain of what to expect. He didn’t want to upset
his new owners, but he did want to explore his new environment. When Benny put
him down, he took off toward the chicken coop and ran back and forth along the
fence line scaring the poor chickens. Benny could clearly see there was work to
be done. He ran up to Alfie and made him sit.
“Sit.
No chickens for you.”
Back
inside the house when Alfie was safely penned up in a kennel, the Somers talked
about things that would have to be done in the near future.
“First,
we’ll have to take him to an obedience class,” said Benny.
“I
think you’re right,” acknowledged his dad, “I heard they’re having one next
week. I’ll sign him up.”
“I
hope he will be easy to house train, considering his previous owners didn’t do
that great of a job,” interjected Benny’s mother as she walked into the room.
“It
can’t be that hard, Mama,” remarked Benny, “Besides, I’ll help.”
“I
don’t know, it’s harder than it looks,” she said dubiously.
After
a couple weeks, the Kids ‘N’ Pets carpet cleaner became the household’s
favorite product, and Alfie was showed much improvement in his behavior.
“Alfie,
you’re such a good boy. Come on, let’s go see if Mama has any snacks for us.
I’m getting hungry,” Benny said as they tramped across the yard into the kitchen.
After they got their snacks, they ambled over to the long retention pond to
play fetch with Alfie’s favorite blue tennis ball.
Benny
and Alfie spent day after day together. Benny grew up, and went to college;
Alfie grew up with Benny and passed on while Benny was away. Even today, Benny
will tell you that bad behaving Corgis can be trained, and he will tell you a
story about a little puppy named Alfred that came home with him that nice,
summer day.Hope you enjoyed! -Leigha
