Finders Keepers
When my daughters reached the third and fourth grades,I occasionally allow ed them to walk to and from school alone,if the weather permitted.It was a short distance,so I knew they were safe and no trouble would befall them.
One warm spring day,a small friend followed them home after school.This friend was different from any other friend they had brought home.She had short stumpy1) legs and long floppy2) ears,with a fawn-colored coat and tiny freckles3) sprinkled across her muzzle.She was the cutest puppy I had ever seen.
When my husband got home that evening,he recognized the breed――a beagle puppy,not more than twelve weeks old,he guessed.She took to him right away and after dinner climbed into his lap to watch TV.By now the girls were both begging me to keep her.
She had no collar or identifying marks of any sort.I didn’t know what to do.I thought about running an ad in the lost-and-found but I really didn’t want to.It would break the kids’ hearts if someone should show up.Besides,her owners should have watched her more closely,I rationalized.
By the end of the week she was part of our family.She was very intelligent and good with the girls.This was a good idea,I thought.It was time the girls took responsibility for another life,so they would learn the nurturing skills they’d need if they decided to become mommies when they grew up.
The following week something told me to check the lost-and-found section in the local paper.One particular ad jumped out at me and my heart pounded with fear at what I read.Someone was pleading for4) the return of a lost beagle puppy in the vicinity5) of our grade school.They sounded desperate.My hand shook.I couldn’ t bring myself to pick up the phone.
Instead,I pretended I hadn’t seen the ad.I quickly tucked the paper away in the closet and continued with my dusting.I never said a word about it to the kids or my husband.
By now we had named the puppy.She looked like a Molly,so that was what we called her.She followed the girls everywhere they went.When they went outside,she was one step behind them.When they did chores,she was there to lend a hand(or should I say,paw).
Homework proved a challenge with her around.More than once the teacher was given a homework page that the dog had chewed on.Each teacher was understanding and the girls were allowed to make it up.Life was definitely not the same at the Campbell household.
There was only one problem with this otherwise perfect picture:my conscience was bothering me.I knew in my heart I had to call that number and see if our Molly was the puppy they were desperately seeking.
It was the most difficult thing I‘ve ever done.Finally,with sweaty palms,I lifted the receiver and dialed.Secretly I was praying no one would answer,but someone did.The voice on the other end was that of a young woman.After describing the dog to her in detail,she wanted to come right over.
Within minutes she was at my door.I had been sitting at the kitchen table,head cradled in my hands,asking God for a miracle.Molly sat at my feet the whole time,looking up at me with those big puppy-dog eyes――eyes the color of milk chocolate.She seemed t o sense something was wrong.
A thousand thoughts crossed my mind before the woman rang the bell.I could pretend I wasn’t home or tell her,“I’m sorry,you have the wrong address.”But it was too late;the bell rang and Molly was barking.I opened the door,forcing myself to face my fear.
One look at Molly and the woman’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.“Here,Lucy,”she called.“Come to Mamma,girls.”Molly(Lucy)instantly obeyed,wagging her tail in delight at the sound of the woman’ s voice.Obviously she belonged to the woman.
Tears stung at the back of my eyelids and threatened to spill over at any moment.I felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest.I wanted to grab Molly and run.Instead I smiled faintly and asked her to please come in.
The woman had already bent over and scooped Molly up into her arms.She awkwardly6) opened her purse and stretched out a twenty-dollar bill toward me.“For your trouble,”she offered.
“Oh,I couldn’t.”I shook my head in protest.“She’s been such a joy to have around,I should be paying you.”With that she laughed and hugged Molly tighter to her bosom as if she were a lost child and not a dog.
Molly licked her face and squirmed with delight.I knew it was time for them to go home.Opening the door to let them out,I noticed a little girl sitting in the front seat of the van.When the child saw the puppy,a smile as bright as a firecracker on the Fourth of July exploded across her face.
My glance turned to a small wheelchair strapped to the back of the van.The woman saw me look at the chair and offered an explanation without my asking.Molly(Lucy)was given to the child to promote emotional healing7) after a car accident had left her crippled for life.
When the puppy disappeared from the yard,the little girl had gone into a deep depression,refusing to come out of the shell she was in.Molly(Lucy)was their only hope their daughter would recover emotionally and mentally.
“She formed a special bond with the puppy and Lucy gave her a reason to live,”her mother explained.
Suddenly I felt very guilty and selfish.God has blessed me with so much,I thought .My heart went out to this family that had been through such a terrible time.As they pulled out of the drive,the smile on my face was genuine.I knew I had done the right thing――that puppy was exactly where she belonged.
□by Leona Campbell
狗 歸 原 主
我的女兒們上三四年級的時候,如果天氣好的話,我偶爾允許她們自己走著上下學(xué)。路不遠(yuǎn),所以我想他們不會出事。
一個溫暖的春日,放學(xué)后,有個小朋友跟著她們回了家。這位朋友跟她們帶回家的任何其他朋友不一樣,她有粗短的腿,松軟下垂的長耳朵,長著淺黃褐色的毛,嘴上有小斑點(diǎn)。我從來沒見過這么可愛的小狗。
那天晚上我丈夫回到家,辨認(rèn)出它是條長耳短腿小獵犬,猜想它不超過3個月大。那狗對我丈夫“一見鐘情”,晚飯后就爬上他的大腿,待在那兒看電視。這個時候兩個女兒都哀求我把它留下。
那狗沒有脖圈,也沒有任何有關(guān)狗主的標(biāo)志。我不知道該怎么辦。我想到在失物招領(lǐng)欄上登個廣告,可我又實(shí)在不愿那么做。如果有人來認(rèn)領(lǐng),會傷透孩子們的心。我還自我辯解地想,狗主本應(yīng)該照管好它。
到了周末,那狗已成了我們家的一員了。它很有靈性,跟兩個女孩子關(guān)系融洽。我自忖,這倒是個好主意。她們已到了為別的生命承擔(dān)責(zé)任的年齡了;如果她們長大了決定要有自己的孩子,現(xiàn)在倒可以學(xué)學(xué)撫育幼嬰的技巧。
第二個星期,不知怎么地我想到應(yīng)該看看當(dāng)?shù)貓?bào)紙上失物招領(lǐng)欄的廣告。一條獨(dú)特的廣告躍入我的眼簾,提心吊膽地讀著廣告的內(nèi)容,我的心怦怦直跳。有人央求歸還在學(xué)校附近走失的一條長耳短腿小獵犬。廣告詞表達(dá)了原主急切的心情。我的手直發(fā)顫。我沒有勇氣拿起電話。
電話非但沒打,我還假裝沒讀到過這條廣告。我趕緊把報(bào)紙塞在壁櫥里,接著撣灰收拾屋子。我對丈夫和兩個孩子只字未提這件事。
我們已經(jīng)給小狗起了名字,它長得像一個叫莫利的人,于是我們就管它叫莫利。它和兩個女孩子形影不離。她們出去,莫利就跟在后面差一步遠(yuǎn)。她們干家務(wù)活,它就助“一爪”之力。
有它在旁邊,做作業(yè)就得隨時防著點(diǎn)。不止一次,交給老師的作業(yè)紙給小狗啃過。老師們都能理解,允許孩子們補(bǔ)交。我們家的生活明顯發(fā)生了很大變化。
一切都很美好,就是有一個問題:我的良心在譴責(zé)著我。我明明知道我應(yīng)該撥打那個電話,查明我們的莫利是不是他們拼命在找尋的小狗。
打這個電話是我有生以來所做的最困難的事。終于我用發(fā)汗的手拿起話筒撥了那個號。我暗暗祈禱沒有人接,但是電話還是通了。對方是個年輕婦女的聲音。我詳細(xì)描述了狗的情況,她表示想立刻來我家。
幾分鐘后,她就出現(xiàn)在我家門口。我一直坐在廚房桌子旁邊,雙手抱著頭,祈求上帝創(chuàng)造奇跡。莫利始終在我腳旁待著,奶白巧克力色的大眼睛瞧著我,像是感覺到事情有些不對勁。
那女士按響門鈴前,千思萬緒掠過我腦海。我可以假裝不在家,或者是告訴她說,“抱歉,你找錯門了。”但為時已晚,門鈴響了,莫利汪汪叫出聲來。我打開門,強(qiáng)迫自己面對我害怕的現(xiàn)實(shí)。
看了莫利一眼,那女士的臉就像圣誕樹一樣燦然光亮。“露西,”她叫道。“乖孩子,到媽媽這兒來。”小狗立時有了反應(yīng),聽到那女士的聲音高興得連連晃動尾巴。毫無疑問,莫利的主人是她。
我雙眸充滿眼淚,隨時都會奪眶而出。我覺得我的心像是從胸中被撕扯出來。我想一把抓住莫利就跑掉??墒俏疫€是淡淡微笑,請她進(jìn)屋。
那女士早已彎身把莫利抱在了懷里。她不好意思地打開錢包,然后拿出一張20塊錢的鈔票遞給我。
“給你添麻煩了,”她解釋說。
“啊,我不能要。”我搖頭表示不能接受。“這狗給我們這么多的歡樂,應(yīng)該我給你錢。”聽到這話,她笑出聲來,把莫利在懷里抱得更緊,就好像它是個失而復(fù)得的孩子,而不是一只狗。
莫利舔著她的臉,欣喜得扭動身子。我知道她們該一起回家了。開門讓她們出去的時候,我看見一個小女孩坐在小貨車的前座。那孩子見到小狗,臉上立時綻放笑容,明亮得就像國慶節(jié)夜晚的煙火。
我的目光轉(zhuǎn)向車后用帶子束住的一輛小輪椅。那位女士看見我在瞧那輪椅,沒等我問就解釋說,車禍?zhǔn)惯@孩子終身殘疾,這條小狗是用來幫助治療她感情上的創(chuàng)傷的。
自從小狗從院子里跑丟之后,那小女孩陷入極度精神抑郁,對生活失去一切興趣。那狗是恢復(fù)他們女兒的感情和精神創(chuàng)傷的惟一希望。
“她和小狗之間形成了一種特殊的聯(lián)結(jié),露西給了她要活下去的動力。”那女孩的媽媽解釋說。
霎時間,我感到非常內(nèi)疚,責(zé)備自己如此自私。上帝已經(jīng)給了我那么多恩賜,我自忖。我非常同情這個經(jīng)歷了這么大磨難的家庭。小貨車開出車道時,我臉上的微笑是真摯的。我意識到我做得對,那狗正該歸原主所有。
NOTE 注釋:
stumpy [5stQmpi] adj. 粗短的
floppy [5flCpi] adj. 松軟的
freckle [5frekl] n. 雀斑, 斑點(diǎn)
plead for 為...辯護(hù)
vicinity [vi5siniti] n. 鄰近, 附近, 接近
awkwardly [5C:kwEdli] adv. 笨拙地, 無技巧地
healing [5hi:liN] n. 康復(fù), 復(fù)原