A New Life

The Wolf

I had never seen Arnold in a long time, since I was married, in fact. So I was surprised to see him again sitting on the bench opposite me on the other end of the park. Grigio was actually first to see him(Grigio is a very friendly dog). Arnold was dressed up in his police uniform, so Grigio put on that 'police-dog-face' for a second, and then barked loudly like the puppy he is.

Don't get me wrong; Grigio has never seen Arnold, has no idea who he is. He's just acting up to his puppy instincts of play-bark-friendly-play-bark-friendly over and over. Thinking he was just some stray mutt and not a German Shepard with priceless blood from both sides, Arnold pushed him aside and turned away towards me. For a moment we looked at each other-I with shabby farm clothes and an arm in a cloak; Arnold in a full police suit with a telephone and hat to go with it. He recognized me in a second, especially when the sun shone off part of my arm that had slipped from the cloak. Grigio galloped over to me and licked my face all over. Arnold knew that to be the same dog.

Immediately I got up and was about to go over when my flip phone rang. It was Jasmine calling.

"Freckio, my car broke down. Can you come pick me up?"

I took a quick look over at Arnold, who had also stood up.

"Sure, I'll come in a minute." I left the park, snapping my fingers three times for Grigio to go home.

I told Jasmine about the eventful visit as we reached the front door of the farmhouse. "I hope I can see him again." I began to say, until I heard a low growl. Salty was advancing cautiously toward the door with the same look he had had a few years ago, the first time he had met Arnold.

"Salty, come with me." I said in a stern voice, and he slunk back to me, always keeping behind my heels. A sheepdog learns to obey the farmer at all costs, and this was no exception.

I opened the door and saw Grigio inside, looking very guilty.

"Grigio! You're not supposed to be in here, and you know that. OUT." I pointed at the door. He quickly left the room, tail between his heels, with Jasmine following, to make sure he left. Someone spoke;

"You know, you're not much kinder here with the dogs than when you were at the warehouse with the dogs."

I looked at the kitchen. Someone was pouring a glass of milk from the tin can(I don't buy my milk, my present friends give me some from their cows). "Arnold, did you open the door and let Grigio come in the house? Because you know sheepdogs never come in."

Arnold looked at Salty, growling near my heels. "You let him in. Wow, you use small tin cans? Where did you get them?"

"Never mind, and he's a fully trained sheepdog, and would not dare put a paw in without me commanding him."

"So you do command him? He's not much better than the strays we train."

Salty showed his again teeth at this, and begged me to let him fight.

"You should let him do what he wants, Freckio."(Obviously Arnold can not tell what a dog is trying to say!)

I looked at Arnold with a half-humorous look. "You think?"

"Yea."

I turned to Salty and whistled. He leaped across the floor faster than lightning and bore down on Arnold, who fell flat on his back, with Salty bristling and showing his teeth on top of him. The cup fell out of his hand and the milk inside spilled all over the floor. My dog-friendly cat and her three kittens ran over to lick it up.

I whistled again, and Salty came back. I laughed, "He's been wanting to do that for years, Arnold. It's a good thing you saw Grigio and not him."