Grade 6 Unit 1 EA2
Jude
She found him on an unusually cool, breezy evening just before suppertime. When the factories closed down at five every evening, her small country town was abandoned as everyone went home to be with family. Walking through the nearly deserted streets near her home, she heard a rustling and a tiny whimper coming from the garbage dumpster. At first she thought it was her imagination, or perhaps a mouse, but as she tiptoed forward, she became certain that some THING was definitely alive in that large, rusty bin. Always too curious for her own good, Amelia climbed her way carefully to the top and peeked in. A few rumply, brown sacks were stirring ever so slightly. Timidly reaching down, she scooped up the soggy clump of bags, with one eye closed, her small body poised to drop her treasure and take off in a flash if needed. But what she discovered as she unwrapped the contents of her squirming bundle amazed her. She sank to the ground, gingerly holding him to her chest so he could feel her heartbeat. Big brown eyes stared back at her. The puppy couldn’t be more than a few weeks old, if that. Considering her options, Amelia snuggled the small furry animal tightly and headed towards home, slowly at first, but sprinting with excitement before she knew it.
“Mama, mama, mama…come quick!” The screen door slammed behind her as Amelia burst into the kitchen.
Her mother, always calm and matter-of-fact, strolled into the room dusting her hands on her apron. “What is all this chatter about? I hope you’ve washed your hands young lady and are ready to set the….wait…what is that?” her mother stopped mid-sentence when she saw that Amelia was not completely alone.
“Mama it’s a puppy…the sweetest, cutest puppy in all the world! Can I keep him, please, pretty please? I found him all alone and abandoned!”
“Amelia Davina Brown! Where in the world did you find a puppy? And why did you bring him here?” her mother questioned. “He’s filthy! And I do believe quite smelly!”
So Amelia began to re-tell her story. As her father and sisters came in to eat, they, too, seemed curious about her guest. She proudly displayed him for all to see by placing him onto some newspaper she’d spread out across the old wooden floorboards. For the first time she noticed that he appeared unable to stand by himself. He simply pawed at the ground trying his best to move, but it was as if an elephant was sitting on his back, smushing him flat. Examining him more closely, Mr. Brown glanced worriedly at his wife and began to shake his head.
“Amelia, I have some very bad news for you,”her father began. He explained thatthe little pup seemed to be a swimmer puppy. He would never be able to walk or run or jump or play. He continued to talk, but Amelia zoned out. She could not believe it. Her entire life she had wanted a dog so badly. It had been the only thing on her birthday list for the past two years! How could this be happening? A heavy weight pressed down on her shoulders as her father went on. And then she snapped back to reality as she heard him declare, “The proper thing to do is call animal control tomorrow morning.”
The world was quickly spinning out of control. As tears welled up in her eyes, Amelia begged for a chance to keep the puppy. Her mother argued that they simply did not have the money for all of the veterinarian bills an animal like this would accumulate. Her father added that a twelve year old simply isn’t ready for the level of responsibility this puppy would demand. Even her older sisters chimed in by pointing out that he could be diseased, so that’s why his owner had thrown him away. “He’s a lost cause, Amelia. Don’t waste your time.” Their words stung. No one believed in her or this helpless animal. How could her own family be so cruel and narrow-minded? Regardless of their reasoning, Amelia could not let this puppy be taken away from her. He was abandoned and tiny and hungry. She carefully scooped him up and ran up the stairs to her bedroom without even eating her dinner.
After crying herself to sleep with the warm puppy tucked under her chin, Amelia awoke to a tickling feeling on her shoulder. Her little puppy was softly licking her. His smooth, velvety tongue was warm and moist. Over and over he expressed his gratitude and love with kiss after kiss. There was no way she could let him be taken from her, this she knew for sure. Tossing her calico print quilt aside, Amelia took him into the bathroom she shared with her sisters and locked the door. “I’m going to give you a bath and make you feel better,” she softly whispered into the puppy’s ear. He quietly yapped, as if he understood. Once she had the water at a comfortable temperature, she slowed it down to just a trickle and placed her new friend into the sink. Usingher soap that smelled like lavender, she worked the suds into his fur, causing foamy bubbles to envelop him as she tenderly massaged his frail body. “I simply won’t let anyone hurt you, little one,” Amelia reassured as she rinsed and towel dried her guest. But she wasn’t sure if she was saying this aloud to comfort the puppy or herself.
Amelia snuck into the kitchen and selected a variety of foods; she was certain he had to be hungry. Choosing soft, chewable items, she crept back to her room, placed the samples in her hand and lowered them down so her puppy could sniff them. As she watched him nibble at his meal, Amelia devised a plan. Online, she researched swimming puppy syndrome and learned that, with persistence and repetition, a dog suffering from this condition could actually be taught to walk and lead a full, healthy life. She nearly screeched with excitement when she stumbled upon sites that taught pet owners HOW to do therapy with their own young dog, without spending a great deal of money. Amelia immediately showed her parents the websites and begged to keep the puppy and train him to crawl and walk. Seeing the energy and desperation in her eyes, they reluctantly agreed.
“Amelia, since school has just finished for the summer, and you will have more time to dedicate to a pet, you can have until August, at most, to prove that you are capable of caring for him,” her father announced.
Then her mother added, “But we must see you working with him as often as recommended by sources you’ve found. And you’ll need to call a local vet to ask questions about caring for him properly.”
Amelia jumped up to hug them. She was ecstatic and couldn’t wait for the next morning to put a plan into action. Realizing everyone was skeptical of her drove her determination even more. She would prove everyone wrong!
Over the course of the next two months, Amelia diligently followed all of the guidelines she’d researched to help her dog. She first made him a bed in one of her emptied drawers. She carefully lined the bottom with scrunched up newspaper, and then placed a piece of old, thin carpet over top so that he could grip it with his paws rather than slide around on newspaper. When sleeping, she would place the puppy on his side and tuck his legs in underneath his body, and during the day she created a sling from a polka dotted pillow case that she turned inside out. She placed the dog in the makeshift sling periodically, vigilantly watching his legs to make sure they weren’t splayed out to the side, but in the proper position for recovery. But her absolute favorite part of working with her eager patient was when she massaged him to strengthen his muscles. Gently rubbing his legs and ribs, she’d place him on her lap and move his legs slowly around in all directions. She knew this relaxed him by the way he went completely limp and his breathing slowed to a restful pace.
Amelia watched for signs of improvement every day. Her growing puppy was eating well and becoming more energetic witheach passing week. First, he started pawing at a knotted rope Amelia found for him, and later he even began to crawl in army fashion to his milk bowl! Then, one bright sunny morning, it happened. Slowly, but steadily, she saw him get his legs underneath him and clumsily stagger towards her as she sat in the floor holding his favorite chew toy. With tears in her eyes, she screamed for her parents and sisters to come into the room. She was absolutely delighted to see the miracle that was taking place! Against old odds, her little patient was walking on his own! She knew this was just the beginning, but it was a crucial step in his journey to moving independently. At that moment, it came to her. Feeling certain she would be permitted to keep her mate forever, she felt it was safe to give him a name. She would call himJude, after the patron Saint of lost causes.