Take off your hat, I want to stand up.

Chapter Eight: The nameless puppy.

Chapter Eight: The nameless puppy.

Where is the dog?

Ev was an uncommon ambassador for the unbelievable. One crispy hot summer afternoon we were squeaking along down the road, the 52' Chev bounced as we carved the uneven street. For what ever reason she spotted a hand lettered bill hanging on the side of a brown picket fence. In big, uneven letters the sign read, dogs $5.00. This appealed to my mom. She hefted on the binders with both feet, held her arms out straight and swung a u-ball right then and there.

We were not wearing seat belts or any other type of restraint, so naturally we all landed on the floor, tumbled under the dash. Now, she said hang-on, too late.

The car tires smoothed against the curb as it lurched to a stop, wait here. She lite as cigarette on her way out, the car door squealed in protest, Ev always thought better with a smoke in her hand. There were times at home she would have more than one smoke going at a time. I asked about this one day as I spotted a cigarette going in a downstairs ash tray and another in the upstairs ash tray. She said she was going back and forth with the laundry that day and took a smoke break each time she climbed the stairs. That was Ev, ever the athlete, but back in the day we did not understand smoking was bad for you. Even Doctors of medicine recommended smoking as a measure to calm your nerves. People used to smoke in theatres, on air planes, on the job and even the hockey games. It was a different time, back then.

Four or five minutes later she came back carrying a box. She had just purchased a puppy. A five buck puppy, nice. We were so excited.

What should we call it? We did not know if it was a boy or a girl. What do you know when you are eight or nine and still think Santa is cool, the Easter bunny sets out chocolate eggs and fairies flap about at night.

As soon as we pulled up the drive way at home I looked in the puppy box and immediately bonded with the little fur ball. Discovering a puppy is like suddenly falling in love. When it happens you know it is real. The same as when a tiny spark lights a brilliant flame, your life has changed forever. I ran down the street to tell my good mates George Miller and John Renouf about our new dog.

George took a few minutes to collect himself to go see the new puppy. He was busy trying to hook up some wires to his door bell which he had extended to the fence by his sidewalk. Now you can ring the door bell from the curb, he thought that was pretty neat, it was. We ran across to the street to John's house, collected him and aimed our little troop toward my house.

Together we walked down the dry as dirt alley. Around the metal garbage cans and passed the backyard fence, up the drive and into the house. All the while I talked about how smart my new dog was and how cute he or she was, there was one problem, no dog.

I looked high and low for the new puppy. It was no where to be found. George and John went home, they were already on to the next topic of idle conversation.

Where did the puppy go? I went in the house, made myself a pickle, peanut butter and jam sandwich and settled in to watch the Munsters. I loved Herman, he was a funny Frankenstein with a lovable laugh and a smiley face.

Half way through the show I heard the Chevy pull to a stop. I rushed to the door where is Frisco? Did he or she go with you to the store?

Ev looked glum. I had to take the puppy back. It had fleas. I took it back to the owner and got my five dollars back. He was not happy giving me back my money, but I said the dog had fleas and I was not going to have it in the house. That was that, we owned a puppy for about an hour. Long enough to get excited but not long enough to get attached. George and John thought we were all nuts. They were probably correct.