Toby Tales 7

Look What I Did!

should’na

A dog is supposed to chew on things, right? I mean, that’s what we do. I did a pret-ty bang-up job on this pillow, and look what happened. I shook it and shook it and it was great! All these nifty feathers came out! They tickled my nose, and I’ve been sn…sn…achoo! sneezing, but I like ‘em. They’re soft, and I’m goin’ to keep ‘em.

Uh oh. I hear Brandon. He’s going to …

“BLAST IT, TOBY! That’s Grandpa’s pillow! It’s the one that goes in his chair. Now it’s ruined. You know better than that!”

As Brandon stormed out the back door, he said, “I’ve got to get to class. When I come back, I’d better not find anything else you’ve torn up. Be a good boy, Tobe Okay?”   

I thought about that. I mean, I’m a dog, just doing dog stuff. Besides, these feathers are soft.   

After he left, I heard shuffling down the hall. Grandpa. I sat up and put on my pitiful face.

 Grandpa stopped and looked at me and the mess I’d made of his pillow, and headed for the back door. I followed him out, and when he sat down on the bench, I lay down beside him in the grass.

He didn’t look at me or say anything. I didn’t move. Maybe he’d forget. He does that, sometimes. Actually a lot. Still, I don’t want him to be mad at me, and I guess maybe, he probably should be.

Anyway, I waited. Dogs are patient; have you ever noticed that? Usually, humans will come around. I went to sleep.

After a while I woke up. I felt somebody rubbing behind my ears.  It was Grandpa. I got up and put my head on his knee. I was saying I’m sorry, and he was saying it was okay.

Later in the afternoon, Brandon came back. He had a big paper bag in his hand. He handed it to Grandpa. Grandpa reached in and pulled out a new pillow!

They both looked at me.

“NO,” said Brandon.

“NO,” said Grandpa.

 I got the message.