~ …and stories can big big places ~
I really didn’t want to get involved with Keira’s plan. She kept insisting that “we” were pressed for time and it would all work out in the end.
We were standing in the hallway while Mom took a shower before her errands and Dad was wrapping up his last round of REM sleep.
So there Keira and I were, in front of the barrister’s bookcase in the hallway with my pack sister anxiously prodding me to open one of the glass doors. In her mind, I would provide access and she would pick out one book and take it Dad to read to us.
Keira believed that it was a perfect day to be read to since it was dark, rainy, and blustery cold outside and Dad would surely oblige wholeheartedly.
“Might not want to shove a book in his face first thing in the morning, Keira. You should wait till he’s had a second coffee at least,” I said while calculating my approach to opening the glass door.
“Good point Pru. Wait… don’t use your claws—Dad’ll have a fit if you scratch anything—use your nose like you do on the garden gate.”
I snorted as I don’t take to being told how to do something I don’t want to do in the first place.
With the one door not shut tight, I got it open fairly quickly but forgot that once it opens, the door would continue swinging all the way open and thud against the bookcase.
Keira and I both froze. The shower door in the main bathroom didn’t come flying open, and Dad sounded like he was still asleep. We did manage to wake up Tucker, who rose from his nap a few feet away but was content to ignore us paddling by to check and see if Dad was up yet.
We both sighed in relief, and Keira made haste to pick a book from the middle shelf. There was a problem though. The books were wedged in so tightly, Keira was having trouble pulling out the one she picked. I told her to hurry as I was thinking this is taking way too long.
She settled on a different book that didn’t have as pleasant a scent, but was already sticking partway out. Keira gave a quick tug and even though she had won her prize and was of a mind to parade around in her butt-swinging-victory-dance, several more books tumbled out and landed at her front paws.
“I’m outta here Keira,” I said. “Do… not… mention my name when you get caught.”
With that, I made haste to the kitchen to peek surreptitiously from behind the island. I was sure Mom and Dad would be in the hallway any second now demanding, “What on God’s green earth is going on?!” I was also sure that Keira, under pressure, would give me up as an accomplice.
I waited while watching Keira slightly sway side to side with the book in her muzzle—probably trying to figure out what to do next. Watching Keira being helpless and all made me impatient, so I leaped out to her.
“Hide the books somewhere for Golden’s sake. Hurry!”
I raced back to the kitchen and counted to four paws (which is the minimum time it takes for Keira to catch on to what’s just been told to her). Right on the count of four, the information made it to her muscles and off she went to the guest bathroom. She returned to see if I was watching, forgetting there was still more to do.
I raced back, scooped up a book and dropped it in the middle of the guest bathroom, then ran back past Keira encouraging her to finish the job.
“Two paws more. C’mon Keira get with it!”
I could see by her expression that she believed we had now stumbled upon a new and exciting game.
She grabbed the last two books and started prancing towards me to prove she was “on task”. Just then, we heard the shower water turn off. Keira’s eyes widened, and she bolted around and made it to the guest bathroom just as Mom came out of the bedroom.
K Bear came out behind Mom in the hallway, wagging away, until Mom stopped at the bookcase.
“Your Dad needs to latch this shut when he’s done in here.” Closing the door, she continued to the kitchen for some coffee.
Cue another pair of canine sighs of relief until… well… until Dad got up a moment later.
Dad must have thought Mom was still using the main bathroom as he headed out the bedroom (with some urgency) to the guest bathroom.
Before I could turn to make my escape to the back door, there was a muffled thunk, an exclaimed, “What the?”, and a drawn-out sound of someone (Dad) wrestling with vinyl fabric and several thin, metallic pops.
I looked over at Keira. “I think Dad found your books.”
Dad appeared in the hallway with the books in one hand and a shower curtain in the other trailing behind him.
Mom passed him in the hallway to finish getting ready for her errands and gave Dad a look, but Dad just said, “Don’t ask,” while he fitted the books back in the middle shelf, closed and locked the doors, and put the key on top of the bookcase. You could visually see the air escape from hope’s balloon written across Keira’s face.
Dad came up to the both of us dragging the shower curtain. “Let me pick the books next time. Is that understood?”
We both gave our practiced and frequently employed blank look. Dad turned away and headed to the garage muttering about where he might have stowed away spare shower hooks.
Keira flopped down on the carpet in the living room rug and moan-sighed. Recently, Dad had gathered us (the pack) and read a book to us called David Gets In Trouble, by David Shannon, and Keira hasn’t stopped talking about it.
Later, after Dad had reinstalled the shower curtain, he came into the living room where the pack was sprawled on the various points of the compass. Dad asked us what we wanted to do since it was raining pretty steady.
Keira immediately jumped up and rapidly searched every room in the house while the rest of us worried if she was having some kind of an event. Not finding a loose book anywhere—and knowing not to touch or even breathe on Mom’s office papers—Keira resorted to prying what she thought might be a round kind of book off the bathroom wall.
She proudly entered the living room and laid it on the couch. Dad looked puzzled. Keira nosed the roll towards him unfurling a… page.
“Oh, you want me to read this, Keira? Dad picked up the round book unfurlling it’s page a little further. Well, let’s see… oh, yes, here we go. There once was beautiful Golden named Keira.”
I was surprised my pack sister had randomly found a book that she was in. Was I in it too? I mean, some stories are so big, you should have someone with you.
~ Promise Prudence Pepper (Bear) ~
