A dog named Scout

A dog named Scout

Page 1.

     Mary Frances O'Brien was an ambitious High School senior with a bright future and a desire to succeed. She was beautiful, intelligent and popular in school with a passion for science and mathematics. With a 4.5 grade point average she had already been accepted by a number of prestigious universities making her family extremely proud. She worked part-time as an assistant manager at a nearby pharmacy after school and used the money to pay for her first car. It was a 1965 Red Volkswagen Bug recently restored as an Auto Shop project at her school. Mary downplayed her position at the pharmacy pointing out to her parents that she and the owner were the only employees as well as the owner being a close family friend.  Life in Mary's eye's was a gift from God in her world and she cherished her family and friends never allowing the sometimes harsh negative realities of the world to overtake her loving spirit. She was an old fashion girl of sorts for a young woman not yet eighteen and her mother often commented that Mary was an old soul at heart. This relationship often brought mother and daughter closer together when life’s many challenges meant the most. Mary was an only child, however; her two dearest friend's a horse named “Cinder” and a golden retriever named “Scout” made up for that. At almost 10 years old Scout still had the spirit of a puppy and shared all of Mary's deepest secrets, losses and greatest triumphs.

Scout just wasn't a family pet but a loved and adored member of the O'Brien family. He was Mary's best friend and the center of her life through thick and thin. They grew up together with pictures of their adventures hanging in just about every room of their home. There was one of Scout when he was six months old surly not enjoying one of his first visits to the Veterinarian for something more than vaccinations. On this occasion he received four sutures just above his left eyebrow after an encounter with a neighbors pig who refused to play ball? And there was another when Scout brought an uninjured baby skunk into the kitchen and dropped it into his water bowl and immediately returned with another. But the best was two summers ago when on one particular Sunday afternoon Scout drug a fallen tree branch into the living room with a large hornets nest attached to it. Mary's Dad was attacked and stung by several angry hornets during his favorite football game. To make matters worse he was accidentally sprayed in the face with hornet spray when Mary's Mom came to the rescue on full auto? 

Cinder on the other hand was Mary's anchor to nature and a horse she and her father rescued from Nevada almost 9 years ago. Cinder was one of those “Chestnut Mare Beware” type of horses but Mary knew different and so did Cinder. Cinder was fearless but did have her moments but she bonded to Mary and accepted Scout as one of her own.  Everyday after school and before work both Mary and Scout cared for Cinder on the families fifty acre ranch just a mile south of town. Often the trio rode the property together with Cinder at times allowing Scout a ride on her back while sitting right in front of Mary. Sometimes Scout would run ahead of them chasing ground squirrels which he could never catch but he did alert Cinder of their hazardous leg breaking mounds and dens. Together on some lazy summer days they watched the slow moving clouds drift across a pale blue sky or spend many a late evening under a silvery moon lit night eating S'mores cooked over a camp fire and watching the stars. They were more than just a girl with a horse and a dog, they were what was good about life in this world.

Animal Crackers page 3

Animal Crackers

Page 3.

Tim zipped up the front of his green jump suit and slipped the five dollar bill into his pocket and met Will who appeared nervous standing in the hallway. Just then a bell began to ring rather loudly as Will turned the Tim and said, “ we can’t be late or else, we’ve got to hurry. Will darted down the hallway and entered through a set of double doors  marked mess hall with Tim right behind him. Twenty boy’s about Tim’s age where all seated at a large oak table very similar to a picnic table with Sergeant Collins standing in the corner of the room smoking a cigarette and watching intently. Before the two had a chance to sit down Sergeant Collins yelled out, “ Jones and the new kid, come here”.  Will looked frightened as he glanced at Tim as they both came to attention in front of Sergeant Collins. “You know the rules Jones”, barked Sergeant Collins as he deliberately blew cigarette smoke into Will’s face causing him to cough.  “As you know Jones”, he continued, “ tomorrow just happens to be Friday, and that’s clean up day at Crittenden Zoo”. 

Sergeant Collins instructed the two boys to return to the table but it wasn’t before he walked over to Will’s plate and grabbed the boiled hot dog and slice of white bread and gave it a rather large young man named Opus. As Sergeant Collins lit another cigarette and left the mess hall in a trail of smoke Opus swallowed the hot dog in one bite and just a quickly asked Tim if he had any money.  Opus was tall for his age and suffered with a lazy eye and a missing front tooth that added to his thug appearance and mentality. He again asked Tim if he had any money which caused Will to tell him to leave Tim alone. Opus picked up Will’s plate and licked the remaining portion of white corn and apple sauce off the plate with his tongue and pointed at Tim and said, “if I find out you got money boy, your ass if mine”. Tim was just about to give Opus his five dollar bill when Sergeant Collins returned to the mess hall and said to Tim, “I do hope you and Opus are getting along because tomorrow you’ll have the opportunity to work together at the zoo, we leave a 5 am and you don‘t want to hold me up.”.

After dinner both boys returned to their room and after a bed check and head count by Sergeant Collins Will told Tim all about the clean up day at Crittenden Zoo. “Listen Tim, Collins has got some sort of arrangement with some official at Crittenden and basically we’re being used a free labor and Collins pockets the money. Tim laid in his bed somewhat stunned as Will continued on, “ Opus is Collins muscle and I’ve seen him beat up kids for Collins who get out of line”.  Will warned Tim to never let Opus know he was holding any money or anything of value if he doesn’t want it stolen. Tim couldn’t sleep all night thinking about his Father a murderer on death row and his Mother a addict and  missing and his present situation. Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door as Sergeant Collins appeared blowing his brass whistle until both boys jumped from their beds at attention. “ You’ve go ten minutes you two, just ten minutes until the van leaves so get ready”.

Animal Crackers page 2

Animal Crackers

Page 2.

Miss Herbert seemed oblivious to Sergeant Collins behavior as he stared defiantly at Tim for the apparent interruption and walked toward them from around his desk with a slight limp. Miss Herbert turned away and said, “ Tim’s here for an extended stay, would you see to it he’s checked in and assigned a room”. Tim watched the slender middle aged woman briskly walk down the dark hallway of the building and disappear into a office and lock the door behind her. It was at that moment he found himself face to face with Sergeant Collins who reeked of cigarette smoke and cheap after shave. Sergeant Collins was a balding man with a deep scar under his left eye and a permanent bump on his forehead the size of a quail egg, he suddenly snapped to attention placing his nose just a inch from Tim’s. “I have one rule and one rule only here at Madison’s kid and that is you step out of line just once and that will be the last time you do”. Tim remained silent even though his heart was nearly beating out of his chest but he wasn’t a stranger to intimidation by others with or without any authority.

Sergeant Collins continued, “ I know all about you kid, I read your file and I know your old man is going to fry for what he did and I hope it’s soon”. Tim could barely contained himself from breaking down to either tears or escape when suddenly Sergeant Collins blew a brass colored whistle that hung around his neck. From down the hall came the sound of running footsteps and a red faced boy about Tim’s age quickly stopped at the front desk and immediately came to attention. “Look forward”, shouted Sergeant Collins, “ and why is my ashtray full again, Jones”.  The young man didn’t blink as he emptied the ashtray in a nearby waste paper basket and returned to the desk. “Don’t let it happen again, Jones or you will suffer the consequences”. The young boy with the red face again came to attention as Sergeant Collins directed him to take Tim to his room and change into the Madison uniform for dinner.

Tim followed the red face boy down the darken hallway and up a flight of stairs to the second floor where they stopped at room number ten. Inside were to beds and a writing desk with a small closet and a large picture window half covered with cobwebs. “Don’t minds those”, said the red faced boy who introduced himself as Wilfred Jones but people around here just call me Will. Tim walked across the room and sat down on one of the beds, and it was then that he spoke for the first time. “My names Tim Rogers and I never though I’d find myself in a place like this”.  Will turned to Tim and said, “don’t let Sergeant Collins scare you Tim, he’s more of a prisoner then we are you know”. Tim nodded his head and replied, “ prisoners, is this what this place is a prison of kid‘s ?’ Will stopped for a moment but didn’t answer as he handed Tim a light green jumpsuit from the closet. “I hope this fit’s you”, he said, “ now why don’t you try it on while I wait outside, it’s almost time for dinner”.