[ SHOWGSD-L ] "The New Year's Resolution (Part 1)
- From: Barbara Galasso <uwish@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 13:48:01 -0500
I've written a Thanksgiving story "A boy and his dog", a Christmas
story, "The Christmas Present", and now this one is my New Years story,
"The New Year's Resolution". This is longer than the other two, so I'm
sending it to you in a few seperate parts. I hope you enjoy it as much
as I enjoyed writing it. All of these stories that I have shared with
you are my holiday gifts to you. Best wishes, Barbara Galasso
THE NEW
YEAR'S RESOLUTION
by
Barbara J. Galasso
It is blustery cold outside. The winds are blowing around the cabin as
the snow swirls and dances across the barren land that used to be home
to momma's vegetable garden. Poppa is at the kitchen table feverishly
trying to figure out how he's going to pay the bills that are two months
past due, while momma finishes washing up the supper dishes. I help the
young ones get washed up and ready for bed so I can read them a story
that they heard one too many times from their worn out books that was
past down from generation to generation. Another piece of cinder falls
from the burning logs in the fireplace and momma quickly puts her coat
on and wraps a scarf around her head and neck to go out on the front
porch to get some more firewood.
I run to the coat rack and grab my jacket and say , "Here momma, let me
help you carry those logs in." "Oh Jane, get back in the house before
you catch your death of cold," she'd cautions me. This is an
opportunity for our dog Dusty to jump up and run to the door with us,
circling and barking in anticipation to go outside and run and play in
the snow. "This is no time for playing," momma chastises him. But he
continues to bark because he wants to come with us.
Poppa yells and says, "Someone shut that dog up, before I make him stay
outside all night". "Be quiet Dusty," I plead with him. We open the
door and the snow races in the house like it too wants to get warmed by
the fireplace. "Close that door quickly," poppa yells out. "You're
letting all the cold air in the house," he says in a irritable voice.
When we're outside, I say, "Momma, what's the matter with poppa." "Why
is he so cranky tonight?" I ask her. "Oh, he's got a lot on his mind
with the bills and everything Jane." "It's nothing for you to concern
yourself with," she tells me. Just then Dusty's eye catches a movement
to the left side of the house where he sees three deer snorting and
stomping their feet on the ground in direct conflict with Dusty's
confrontational stare. Dusty begins to chase the deer through the field
and momma leans over and says to me, "He's suppose to be a German
Shepherd protecting you and me in this night that's black as an inkwell,
and instead he leaves us to fend for ourselves while he goes chasing the
deer that are way too cunning to ever let him catch them anyway." We
both giggle and decide not to tell poppa about what a great watch dog
Dusty has turned out to be.
Momma and I try to get back into the house without tracking too much
snow in on our feet, but alas, it's all over our coats and scarfs and
there just isn't any way to avoid having a trail of it follow us in.
Poppa asks us, "What was that fool dog barking at out there?" Before we
have a chance to answer, Dusty comes charging in behind us covered with
the white stuff on his dark coat also. He gives himself a good hard
shake and the snow falls all around him on the floor but unfortunately
he's too close to poppa and gets it all over his trousers. "That's
nice", poppa says, "Just nice," wiping the snow off his legs. Just then
Dusty sees a mouse scoot across the floor and he chases it running his
large body into the leg of the table and scatters the bills poppa was
trying to finish writing checks for all over the table. Poppa throws
his hands up in frustration and says, "Mildred, that's it, that's it."
We've got to have a talk." He tells me, "Jane go to your room
please." With my head held down, I say, "Yes sir and I join my brother
and sister who are already fast asleep dreaming their childish dreams.
I know I shouldn't be disobedient, but I leave the bedroom door open
just a crack, so I can hear what poppa has to say to momma. "Mildred,"
poppa says, we can't afford to pay the mortgage again this month because
if we do, I won't have enough money to put food on the table for you and
the young ones." "Jane is going to be 16 next month, and Robby is 8
already and then there's Penny who's 6 now." "It's getting harder to
feed a growing family," poppa tells her. What I have left over is
barely enough to pay the electricity and it's getting harder to find
trees to cut logs for the fireplace." "I'm going to have to make some
unpopular decisions here Mildred and I'm going to need you to back me up
with this now." Momma, brings her head up to meet poppa's eyes and
says, "What is it Henry, that you need from me?" "Well," he continues
we're going to have to start cutting back on some things that we're used
to having around here." "Instead of always having the electricity on
all the time, we're going to have to use some kerosene lamps, use less
firewood and maybe keep our coats on in the house and double up on our
socks". "We'll have to eat more soups to keep us warm and less meat
because it's more expensive", he continues. "I know this is a lot of
sacrifice for you and the children Mildred, poppa shakes his head in
embarrassment, but I'm going to need your cooperation with this."
Momma touches and taps poppas hands to reassure him and says, "Don't you
worry Henry, we'll get through this." "We always have before".
Poppa clears his throat and says, "There's one more thing Mildred".
"What's that Henry?" she asks him. "It's Dusty," he says clearing his
throat. "Dusty's got to go too", he reluctantly says. "What do you
mean Dusty's got to go", momma says in disbelief. "Just what I said
Mildred," he continues. "The dog has got to go" he repeats himself.
"We just can't afford to feed another mouth around here, no less a
dogs," he tells her. "Oh no Henry, not the dog", momma said. "Dusty's
like part of the family," she adds. "What will we tell the children,?"
she says. "They love him so much", she pleads. "I know Mildred, I
know, he softly whispers and with a catch in his throat says I care for
Dusty too, but I just can't afford to keep him any longer". "Old Mr.
Harken's down on that little back road over the mountain wants to buy
Dusty to help him with the heavy loads of wood he needs pulled in on the
sled to bring in the house and other hard labor that he's no longer able
to do." He's offered me a fair price for him and I told him I needed to
talk to you about it and I would get back to him this week". "Oh that
grumpy old man, I've never been particularly fond of him," Mom says
rather strongly.
"Now my mind's made up Mildred, so please don't make this any harder
than it already is," he tells her. "Oh Henry, is there no other way?"
momma asks. Poppa looks rather rejected, and say's with with his head
held down, "I'm afraid there's not". Momma begs poppa one request.
She says to him, "Okay Henry, if you see no other way around this, then
I ask you one favor." He turns his head to her and listens as she says,
"Please don't tell the children until after the new year." "Let them
enjoy their Christmas and New Years without the knowledge of this sad
news." "That's all I ask of you Henry", she says, adding,"For the
children's sake." "Okay Mildred, poppa says, repeating her words, For
the children's sake.
Momma turns to look at Dusty who's laying on the rug in front of the
fireplace who's staring back at her and say's to him "Oh my boy, how am
I going to tell the children?" Dusty lets out a whimper and sensing the
sadness in momma's voice he gets up and comes over to where momma and
poppa are sitting at the table. Momma reaches down to pat him on the
head. He whimpers again and goes over to dad, who ignores his big head
that begs for a reassuring pat from him as well. Instead dad turns away
and gets up and with his shoulders rounded quickly walks into his
bedroom closing the door behind him.
I silently close my bedroom door and gently lay upon my bed. I begin to
cry but muffle my sobs in the pillow as not to wake the little ones.
Sleep escapes me this night as I toss and turn to find a comfortable
spot on my bed that does not welcome the rest I desperately want to
escape what I just heard momma and poppa talking about. "How will Robby
and Penny react to this sad news about Dusty?", I ask myself. In the
far off distance, I hear a coyote beckon for its mate and hear the low
growl of Dusty from the living room on the other side of the door. I
cover my head with my quilt and the sleep that my thoughts have robbed
from me , finally submits to the shelter of the dark and safe haven
under my blankets.
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