Fast friends

Teddy was up and out before Mama woke up – not easy to do since she was always awake before the sun, feedin’ the wood stove, huntin’ down eggs in the chicken coop to make with bacon – when they had it – and grits for Teddy’s breakfast. She couldn’t say no if he didn’t ask was how he thought about it.

With a small bundle of bread leftover from supper, Teddy slipped out the door with nary a sound, and ran bare foot into the nearby woods. He’d left his fishing pole and bucket by the old sycamore, so he grabbed them almost without stopping. He would have whooped for joy if he weren’t afraid it would wake Mama. Sometimes he thought she could hear ants crawling.

Teddy was goin’ fishing. They was gonna have fish for supper tonight.

When Teddy got to his favorite spot, the sun was just coming up over the Blue Ridge. He dug around a bit, found a few worms, put one on the hook and tossed it into the water; then lay back with his hands behind his head, watching the sky come alive.

It was his favorite time of day.

Teddy and Mama lived alone in their little lean to, quite a ways from town. His daddy died fightin’ in some war, Mama said, kind of proud-like but always real sad. They didn’t have much, he knew, but they always made do. Mama was magic like that.

Today, Teddy was five. Almost a man, he had thought as he lay awake staring in the dark last night. So I should help Mama, his thoughts continued. I’m gonna catch us some dinner, that’s what I’m gonna do, he decided just before he drifted off.

Teddy heard a little splash. He looked towards the water and saw his line jerking.

“Well, hot dog!” he exclaimed, grabbing his pole and pulling. “Well, ain’t you a sight!” he said, pulling the fish out of the water and dumping it in the bucket after removing the hook. “One more like you and Mama and I will have the best birthday dinner ever!”

Teddy had been sittin’ there a spell when he heard movement in the brush nearby.

“Hello?” he said peering into the high grass. “Mama?” he said. No one else would be out this way so early.

Before he had a chance to wonder himself into a fit of the heebie jeebies, dontcha know, a big ball of fluff came sniffing – heading straight for Teddy’s bucket.

“Well, my my my. Whose doggie is you, fella?” Teddy said eying the dog eying his fish.

The dog wagged his tail as he slowly made his way closer to boy and fish.

“You awful far from home, doggie. Ain’t nobody live ’round here but Mama and me.”

The dog sat and looked at him, head tilted as if listening…or asking.

“You hungry, fella?”

The dog’s tail just thumped the ground.

“Well, I don’t think you’d like raw fish, but you can have a piece of my bread. You want some bread, fella?”

The tail thumped again.

Teddy took a small piece of bread from his loaf and put it on the ground between him and the dog. Before he sat back on his heels the bread was gone and the puppy was sitting watching him, head tilted, tail pounding the ground.

Teddy laughed.

“You eat faster than I do, boy. Your name Lightning?”

Thump.

“That’s what I’ma call you. Lightning. You want to come home with me, boy?”

Thump.

“You can be my best friend.”

Thump, thump.

“I ain’t never had a friend. Mama said when I go to school, I’ma have lots of friends. I don’t know though. I’d rather stay home with Mama.”

Thump.

“I don’t know if Mama will let me keep you, though, boy. I’m a handful, Mama says. But I’ll take care of you. Real good. I can even come fishin’ every morning so we can have enough food for all three of us. You’ll see.”

Thump.

“You could be my birthday present! Mama couldn’t say no to that.”

“Well, Teddy, you got that right,” Mama said as she came out of the woods, “since this little ball o’ nothin’ is your birthday gift.”

“Mama! Mama? What? Mine? Can I name him Lightning? Can he sleep with me? Can he come to school with me, too? How did you know where I was?”

“Boy, you could make a top spin with all your questions,” Mama said sitting down and pulling Teddy on her lap. Lightening lay looking at them, tail swishing side to side.

“Where’d you get’im, Mama?”

“Last month, old Mr. Sheffield’s dog had some babies. He offered me one for you last time I went to his store. I had mentioned you were turning five soon and he said, a boy like that needs a dog. And I thought, that might be right nice,” Mama said, hugging Teddy close. “He dropped him off at sunup to surprise you. ’Course, you surprised us instead,” Mama chuckled. “It didn’t take me but a minute to know where you must’ve gone.”

Teddy heard a splash in the water.

“A fish!” he squealed jumping out of Mama’s lap and snatching his pole. Grabbing the fish he held it up as Lightening pranced about yipping. “I caught us dinner, Mama!”

“Aren’t you my little man,” Mama said, tearing up. “Thank you, baby. Why don’t we all go home for breakfast, now?”

Pole and bucket in one hand, Mama’s hand in the other, Teddy looked at Lightning, all smiles, and said, “C’mon boy. We’re going home.”