Roaring Crowd
Winter stories of growing up
by
Charlie Close
SMASHWORDS EDITION
PUBLISHED BY:
Charlie Close on Smashwords
Roaring Crowd
Winter stories of growing up
Copyright © 2011 by Charlie Close
Smashwords Edition License Notes
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Table of Contents
Dedication
For Kathy.
Roaring Crowd
Zazo
breath clouds
moms make small talk
over free
puppies
“Frank, please help Aunt Judy set up the table. I’ll go talk to the store manager.”
Frank did as he was told. He opened the back door of the station wagon so Judy could slide out the card table and haul it to the entranceway of Big Joe’s Food Mart.
He should have caught up to her, to help her unfold the legs and stand it up, but instead he took another chance to look at the puppies in the cardboard box behind the seat. There were five of them, all pressed against each other, sleeping. He hoisted the box into his arms to carry it across the parking lot and set it on the card table.
Mom came out of the store and spoke to Aunt Judy. “He says we can stay until 4:00. Hopefully it won’t take that long.”
“I wouldn’t think so. Look how cute they are.”
“You never know. Beagles are an acquired taste.”
“I’ve never tasted a beagle. Are they good?”
“You know what I mean.”
Frank put his hands on the edge of the box and looked in. Three of them were sleeping under the blanket. One was lying down on top of the blanket and looking the other way, and the last one, was standing and looking at him. His eyes were wide and brown, set in fur so smooth it was almost skin. Frank looked into those eyes and reached out to pet his back with just the tips of his fingers. The puppy was…alive…and looking back at him. This was Zazo. Frank had named him at Aunt Judy’s house.
“You like that one, don’t you?” said Aunt Judy.
“Mom? Can I have him?” He was still stroking the puppy’s smooth back.
“No, Frank. Not until we move to a bigger house.”
Frank didn’t answer. He knew if he argued with her, she would win. Sometimes she won even when the other person wasn’t there. This morning she said that she had told Aunt Judy to keep Misty indoors, and this is what happens when you don’t.
“Are you sure?” Judy said. “That one seems to like him.”
“No,” Mom said. “Let’s give them away and go home. It’s freezing out here. Why couldn’t we have puppies in the spring like everyone else?”
“C’est la vie. I brought my thermos. You want some coffee?”
“Yes.”
“Would Frank like some coffee?”
“Yes,” Frank said.
“Just a little. He hasn’t tried it before.”
“It’ll put hair on his chest.”
“He’s nine, Judy.”
“He’s about to become a man.” She poured from the thermos into a plastic cup. “Here you go, sweetie.”
Frank held the coffee in both hands and continued to stare at Zazo.
Cars pulled into the parking lot for Saturday grocery shopping, and as the people walked past the card table they looked into the box of puppies. Most did not slow down, and Mom and Judy talked away the time. Frank didn’t listen to them. He petted Zazo and imagined what it would be like to walk him to school – right up to the school – or play fetch with him in the yard. Frank would ride his bike and Zazo would chase him to the end of the block and then turn around to go back home without being asked. He was a good dog.
They gave away the first puppy to a mother and her daughter. “Free?” the mother asked.
“Free,” said Judy.
The daughter pulled up a corner of the blanket and lifted a puppy curled around her hand with its eyes still closed. “Is this one a girl?”
“Yes, it’s a girl,” said Judy.
“I want a girl dog,” said the girl.
“We’ll take this one when we come back out,” the mother said. She took her daughter’s hand and the daughter looked back over her shoulder as Judy put the puppy back in the box.
Frank felt his stomach clench and unclench. Strangers had almost taken Zazo from him. It could have happened.
“Mom, can we give Zazo away last?”
“I don’t know, son. It depends on who wants him.”
“I want him.”
“I know, but we can’t do that. We’ll be giving all the puppies away to good homes.”
“We have a good home.”
“Here,” said Judy. “You hold him for now.”
Frank took Zazo. He was shivering and Frank put him under his jacket where he could feel the puppy’s warmth next to him. Frank held him and walked with him to the far end of the sidewalk running along the front of the store.