Bobby’s Lucky Break

It was a beautiful fall day. He witnessed it with his nose pressed to the window’s cold glass. Brief patches of fog upon it blurred his vision with every breath. Beyond the fog, crimson and gold leaves dropped by one’s and two‘s from the Maples and the Birch into an Autumn collage on the lawn. Beyond the falling leaves were kids playing touch football in the street. Bobby watched them out the window, out beyond the falling leaves as they threw and caught and yelled in their play. It was crimson, and green, and gold outside. Inside, it was only blue. He sat on the sill alone, wondering why it was that some boys got to play football in the street while others had to watch from their windows.

Bobby had gone outside before, but it never ended well. Sometimes he was ignored, which was all right, he could play alone while stealing glances at the other kids, the “real” kids, those kids who were made to be outdoors, the ones who were made for fun, and were good at having it. Other times he became the center of attention. Those were the bad times. Those times were the reason he sat inside alone, watching, and blue. It was usually AJ that started it, but soon all of the kids pitched in. The meanness seldom got physical, but it didn’t have to. The exclusion and the torment were enough to keep Bobby inside, to keep him blue.

On a whim Sheriff Brown picked up the phone and dialed his sister. “Yea, Diedra! He’s a full bred collie, looks just like Lassie. He killed a farmer’s sheep outside of town. They want to put him down, but he seems like a good dog, Diedra, and I remembered you saying that a dog might be good for Bobby? What do you think?

“I don’t know, Ollie... he killed a sheep? What if he attacks Bobby?”

“Let me bring him over, he seems like a great dog, he just doesn’t belong around farm animals. Let’s put them together and see how they get along, I really hate to see him get put down.”

“Ok, Ollie, but tell Bobby it’s your dog. I don’t want him to get his hopes up, you hear?”

“Yea, I hear. I’ll be over around five... you are going to love him, Sis!”

Diedra set her phone down. The trouble her mouth got her into!

Ollie was right, the dog did look just like Lassie, and she did love him, right away. Once inside it came to her for a moment, allowing her to stroke his head before sniffling at the air and heading straight for Bobby on his window sill. The big dog laid it’s big chin on Bobby’s skinny-little knee and batted soft brown eyes at him as though he knew who it was that he was here for. Diedra’s breath caught when her sad, lonesome little boy reached a hand for the dog’s head. “We’ll try him, Ollie, but no promises.”

It was not original, but they called him “Lucky”, as he was lucky to be alive, but it turned out to be a great name for other reasons. Bobby quickly took to feeding Lucky, and Lucky thrilled him by choosing to sleep at night on the rug beside his bed. It was their third day together that Bobby and Lucky came upon the football game. AJ broke away from the game long enough to snear at Bobby and his dog.

“What you got there, ‘Booby-head‘ Bobby?” AJ wasn’t the biggest of the “real” kids, but he was the one with the mean eyes. It was always AJ that started it, and he was starting it now. Bobby felt that familiar coldness in his chest, and the lightness in his head as the blood flushed from his face. He didn’t speak, as he knew from past experience that speaking would only make him begin crying, and then the teasing would get even worse. He tried to walk away, but AJ followed while the others began to wander closer.

“I said, what you got there, Booby-head?” AJ laughed and looked back over his shoulder to make sure the others were watching.

Lucky started towards the bigger boy, walking slowly, but deliberately. Bobby tried to pull him back, but he was not strong enough. Being behind the dog, Bobby could not see the curled lips, nor the long, white teeth, nor the blackened gums that AJ saw, but he did see the flush in AJ’s face, and he did see the bully’s quick retreat. AJ took several slow backward steps before turning to run.

Over time the walks grew longer, and even longer yet. The boy reveled in being outdoors, where he and his dog found no end of marvels, and adventures. His world had grown to unlimited proportions. At times they passed the other kids, the “real” kids, but no one shouted Bobby’s way as they continued their games, letting Bobby and Lucky pass in peace.

And then came the day that one of the kids did walk over. “Hey Bobby, can I pet your dog?”

Bobby shrugged. That familiar coldness crept to his chest, and face, but the other boy just smiled and put his hand down for the dog to sniff. The “real” boy dropped to his knees and happily scruffed at the big dog’s mane. Soon the other kids were there, gathered around Bobby and Lucky, each taking their turn sliding hands along Lucky’s silkened back. Eventually the kids all stood, and turned to go. The first one looked back, “Cool dog, Bobby!”

“Yea,” Bobby felt a different feeling spread through his chest, a warm feeling this time as it swelled with pride. He was suddenly, and unexpectedly, the “luckiest”, and the “realist” kid in the world. “Yea,“ Bobby whispered, so that only Lucky could hear. “Yea, he is the coolest dog!”

Bobby and Lucky walked quickly away, before the “real” kids could tease him for crying.