[You will find Chapter 1 if you scroll down this page]
The hum of her parents’ voices stopped Betsy’s tears momentarily. She strained to hear what they were saying.
“…and she needs to understand that it is fortunate you were able to find this position. With your job here gone, we might have had to move to Bloomington and move in with one of our families!â€
“Now, Rachel, you’re right, I’m sure. Still, Betsy’s only eight and doesn’t understand how hard it is to find and keep a job right now. That’s the way I want it to stay for her. I don’t want her to worry. Why don’t we ask her what is bothering her? It might be something simple.â€
Betsy pushed her dark, straight hair away from her face and wiped her tears. Footsteps sounded on the wood floor of the hallway. Mom and Dad came into the room. Betsy rolled away from them on the bed.
Dad sat down on the bed and patted her back. Mom’s calm, firm voice came first.
“Betsy, you need to understand your father is very fortunate to have this new job. You and I are fortunate also. And we aren’t moving far.†Betsy knew Mom was right.
“I know. I’m sorry.†But as Betsy spoke, she felt teary again and swallowed hard, blinking, to stop.
Dad reached up and patted Mom’s hand. “Moving can be hard. You’ll be leaving your house, your school, your friends. That’s upsetting to anyone.â€
Betsy turned around and threw her arms around Dad’s neck. “Oh, Daddy! I won’t be able to read the comics in the ChicagoTribune anymore!†And she began to sob against her father’s shirt.
Pulling his clean, soft handkerchief from his back pocket, Dad gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Oh, Betsy. Of course you’ll be able to,†he said. “Did you know the Chicago Tribune is delivered in Wheaton just like it is here in Rogers Park?†He smiled. “Mom’s right. We aren’t moving far away. I promise we’ll have the paper every day so you can read the funnies.â€
“Thank you! Thank you, Daddy! And Mom,†she added, looking up at her mother. Mom smiled and turned to leave the room.
“And,†said Dad, beaming, “we will be able to get a dog.†Mom turned back from the door.
“Orville. . . .â€
“Rachel, you remember we’ve put off having a dog until we had a yard. Now we’ll have a yard. And we all like dogs.â€
Betsy held her breath. Mom could say no, and Betsy knew if she did there would be no dog.
Mom sighed. “Well, a dog is nice around the house, and we were planning to get one sooner or later.†She paused, thinking. “All right, if I have a promise from both of you that you’ll be walking, feeding, and cleaning up after the dog. And it may not get on the furniture.†She rubbed her hand across the shining table next to Betsy’s bed. Mom liked a clean house.
“Betsy?†asked Dad, eyes twinkling.
“Yes, yes, yes,†cried Betsy. “Oh, thank you! Can we get it today?â€
Dad laughed, and then Mom did, too. “Perhaps not just yet, Betsy. Over the summer, after we move, we’ll look for a dog,†Dad said.
Perhaps the move would be all right, Betsy thought, as she bounced off the bed after her parents. The comics would still be there every day, and a dog, too! She longed for a dog of their own. Her grandparents always had dogs, even bred and sold them. She knew Dad missed having a dog in the family. And Mom liked dogs, too. She just worried about messes.
Betsy returned to the living room, and flung herself down in front of the paper. Back to Moon Mullins. Secretly, her favorite in the comic was Kayo, Moon’s younger brother, who slept in a drawer in Moon’s bedroom. Though tiny, Kayo always got into scrapes of some sort, a real ruffian. The house grew quiet, except for the sounds coming from the kitchen, and the crackle of the paper in Dad’s hands. Betsy smiled, and began to read.
© Kathy Mortensen 2005