Dog Heaven (7 page)

I handed the bowl to Mom.

“Thank you, Calvin. I like it when you help out.”

I smiled.

Stella tossed the dishtowel over her shoulder and squinted at me. “He’s not helping out. He wants something.”

Mom raised an eyebrow. “Is that right, Cal?”

“No, really, I’m just helping out. You know, cleaning and stuff.”

Stella smirked.

“Great,” Mom said. “Please take out the trash.”

Stella winked.

I hated taking out the trash and she knew it. The garbage can in the garage smelled worse than a bloated maggoty dead toad. “Sure, Mom.”

I reached under the sink and pulled the packed bag out of the trash can.

Stella shook her head. “Don’t you see it, Angela? He doesn’t want to help out. He wants something. I know he does.”

“I do not!”

“Just take out the trash, Calvin,” Mom said.

I took it out and dumped it, holding my breath. Who
cared if Stella ever got a letter from her mom? Not me!

I stumbled back into the kitchen, gasping for air.

“Mom, can I read you something I wrote? It’s for school.”

“Homework?”

“Yeah, homework. I worked on it all afternoon.”

“Really?”

“Well, sure, Mom.”

Mom dried her hands. “I’d love to hear it, Calvin.”

I pulled a folded piece of paper out of my pocket.

Stella leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “This I have to hear.”

“C
lose your eyes … I mean, you know, to see it better.”

Mom closed her eyes.

Stella stuck her finger in her nose.

I ignored her and started reading.

“A dog is like a pig in a jeep, only he’s riding on a bike with a kid. His name is Streak
and his ears are flapping in the wind. He’s a puppy and needs a home and—”

“Hah!” Stella yelped. “There it is. He wants a dog!”

The next spider I found was going between her sheets! And I knew just where to find one.

Mom opened an eye. “Is this some new way you’ve invented to ask me about getting a dog?”

“No, Mom, this is a for-real assignment for Mr. Purdy.”

Mom raised an eyebrow.

“Really,” I said feebly. My plan had just blown up.

“You
know
we can’t have a dog, Cal. Stella might be allergic to them like she is to cats. It’s the dander. Besides that, dogs stink.”

“Willy’s dog doesn’t stink … too much.”

“Well, anyway, you’ve seen how Stella’s eyes puff up. She can hardly see.”

Stella stuck her pointy head into the matter. “I’m pretty sure I’m not allergic to dogs, but still, they carry ticks, fleas, lice, and diseases. Their tongues are cities of disgusting bacteria.”

“They are not! They—”

The phone rang.

Stella grabbed it. “Hello?”

She frowned and handed me the phone.

I took it. “Hello?”

It was Ledward. “I just thought of something. You know the lawn mower?”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe it was out of gas. Run into the garage and check it for me. I’ll wait.”

“Be right back.”

I set the receiver down. “Gotta check something for Ledward.”

When I came back, I told him, “It has gas.”

“Shoot. Well, it was just a thought.”

“Ledward?”

“Yeah?”

I stretched the cord as far away from Mom and Stella as it would go. I squatted down and whispered into the phone, “Can you help me with something? It’s for … uh, school.”

“How come you whispering?”

“I don’t want anyone to hear.”

“Got it. What’s it about?”

I looked over my shoulder. Mom and Stella were finishing up with the dishes. I turned back. “A dog.”

“Ahhh, the dog again.” Ledward paused. “Okay, we need a plan.”

I turned when a foot with red toenails appeared next to me. I waved her away, but Stella just stood there.

“Saturday,” Ledward said. “My day off. I come get you. We go see some dogs.”

“Really?”

“Keep it to yourself.”

I squished lower and whispered. “See them where?”

“Dog heaven.”

O
n Saturday morning, I was out in the street with Willy and Julio slapping a dried-out runover toad around with a plastic hockey stick when Ledward’s jeep pulled up.

He grinned. “Toad hockey, huh?”

Julio lifted the hockey stick. “Want to play?”

“Can’t. Me and Calvin got someplace to go.”

“Where?”

“Place I call heaven.”

Julio and Willy looked at me. I nodded.