angus and lost retriever
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1996 W. D. Ke nnedy 41 Birch road Malvern AP 19355 610-695-9419 [email protected]
The late December sun rises early in
Yellow Springs, the seat of Conestoga
County. On Monday, four days before
Christmas, retired widow Wanda Wilton
rose early and walked five laps around theperimeter of her property deep in the forestin the County's secluded north side. A
playful golden retriever named Ranger ran in front, behind, and
all around her every step of the way. The puppy had been a
present for Wanda's ward, Angus, when he turned ten last
spring.
Angus was only five when he and his mother Stella
came to Yellow Springs through the HARP program, whichstands for Home Alternatives for Recovering People. It was a
Church-sponsored outreach in which Yellow Springs folk
provided living quarters for people who were fighting drug
addictions. HARP gave recovering people a fresh start, away
from the environments in which their addictions had taken
hold.
When she arrived in Yellow Springs, Stella had been
drugdependent for years. She never spoke a word about
where she and her son came from or what had happened there.It seemed odd that she never mentioned her family or
hometown. More curious was that Angus never had any
contact with his father -- not a card, letter, or phone call.
Once, on Father's Day, Wanda asked Stella if maybe Angus
would want to call his dad. With a distant look in her vacant
gray eyes, Stella answered that Angus father was dead. That
was all she ever said about him.
Bill Kennedy
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Wanda put up Stella and Angus in the apartment above
the old carriage house, the downstairs of which Wanda now
used as a workshop for the country crafts that she sold at
various shows and country fairs throughout the year. She got
Stella a job as a waitress down at the Coffee Grinder, andAngus enrolled in classes for the learning disabled. Everything
went well for several months, but one morning, Stella left a
note saying that she was going away for a while, and would
Wanda please watch out for her son? Angus moved into
Wanda's house and took a bedroom that had belonged to
Wanda's daughter. Stella returned a few weeks later, but she
left again not long afterwards. The pattern continued, as Stella
again fell prey to the demons from the world she couldn't quite
leave behind.
Finally, when Angus was seven, Stella left for good. She
begged Wanda to protect her son from the evil that she herself
could not avoid. From then on, Angus occasionally heard from
his mother, but it was understood that Stella wouldn't be
coming back. As the years passed, contact with her grew less
frequent. By the time they got word last summer that she had
died, Angus had long been used to Grandma Wanda as his
caregiver.
After her morning jaunt with Ranger, Wanda packed up
a bag lunch and ushered Angus out into the fenced backyard,
where he could play with Ranger until the school bus honked at
the end of the driveway. Then she retreated to her studio to
make knickknacks that she would sell come springtime. Later,
Wanda took a break and gazed out her window at the scattered
snowflakes wafting down.
As she scanned the yard, her heart jumped when she
saw the wooden gate swinging open. She quickly grabbed her
coat and ran outside, calling for Ranger, but she knew the dog
was gone. That pup could slip through an open gate faster than
air from a broken balloon. It was ten thirty; the gate had beenajar for three hours, since Angus left for school. Wanda kickedherself for not checking it sooner. She figured Ranger was long
gone from her fenced-in field. Wanda ran to her Jeep Cherokee
as fast as a seventy-two year old woman with an artificial hip
can run and headed off in search of the dog.
By the time she got home at three oclock, Wanda had
been all over the north side of the county, but there was no sign
of Ranger. She called all the veterinarians listed in the
Northern Conestoga Yellow Pages, but no one knew anything
about Ranger. Even worse was what Rex Riptort, the County
Animal Control Officer, had told her. Wanda had mentioned,
Rangers got a license and name tag, so probably someone
will find him and call us."
Rex said he would hope so, but added, "Still, we got a
lot of creeps out there, and a purebred golden would be worth
quite a lot of money.
What are you talking about? Kidnapping dogs? That
sort of thing can't happen around Yellow Springs!
I'm afraid it does. Not local folks, I don't think, but
outsiders grab em out here in the country, then take em far
away, far enough to defeat the dogs natural homing abilities
and resell them to unsuspecting pet lovers.
Thats terrible!
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Reason I mention it is because were already
investigating a dognapping over in West Wheelton. Happened
last week. And they usually go for the popular breeds like
Goldens.
After that, Wanda grew more concerned. Ranger was a
handsome pure bred with a white spot on his nose that made
him look distinguished. She knew hed bring a nice price for
anyone so cruel as to steal him. She felt sick to her stomach as
she wondered what on earth she would tell Angus.
That afternoon, Angus bounded off the school bus and
ran straight to the post and rail fence to call for Ranger, same
as always. Wanda was quick to go out and greet the boy.
"Where's Ranger, Gramma?" Angus asked anxiously.
"Come on inside," Wanda began. "I have something to
tell you." With the gentleness of a floating feather, she told him
of Ranger's escape, and all she had done to look for him.
Angus bravely choked back tears. "Maybe it would help if we
went out and looked some more," he suggested.
Wanda doubted they'd be successful, but she kept her
thoughts to herself while they scoured the woodlands around
their home. At sunset, Wanda convinced Angus they should gohome, in case Ranger found his own way back in time for
supper.
At Wanda's suggestion, Angus filled Ranger's food dish
on the porch with an extra helping. He pulled a chair over to
the window so he could see if the pup came back and ate. He
remained there faithfully, long past the time that the Golden
would normally eat. Eight o' clock, nine o' clock, finally ten o'
clock came and went. Wanda hated to disrupt Angus' vigil, but
it was well past bedtime.
"Come on, Angus. Time for bed. I'll keep a good eye on
Ranger's dish for you."
Angus reluctantly agreed, but made Wanda promise to
awaken him "when" -- not "if" -- Ranger came back. Wanda
agreed, and issued the usual nighttime instructions: wash your
face, brush your teeth, and don't forget to say your prayers.
The boy ran up the steps. Meanwhile, Wanda grew
convinced that the dog wouldn't be coming back. If Ranger
were able, he'd have returned already. She worried about what
Rex Riptort had said about dognapping. After a few minutes,
Wanda crept upstairs. Angus' door was left open just a crack,and through the slim opening, Wanda heard his soft voice
reciting his bedside prayers.
"...and God bless Gramma Wanda, and all my teachers
and friends. And thank you, God, for bringing Ranger back,
because I really missed him a lot. A---men."
As Angus climbed into bed, Wanda sadly shook her
head. There he goes again, thanking God for something that
hasn't happened -- and isn't even likely to! Wanda's heart sankwith the weight of the disappointment the boy would surely
face when Ranger didn't come back.
Wanda knew that one of the disabilities from which
Angus suffered was that he had trouble discerning fact from
fantasy. The special ed teachers had a big name for it, but the
way Wanda saw it, Angus was just plain incapable of critical
thought. He was gullible; he'd believe whatever you told him.
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Worse, he'd extrapolate his belief to extremes. For example,
tonight, despite telling Angus that we were only putting food in
Ranger's dish just in case he came back, in Angus' confused
mind, the poor boy must have believed Ranger was as good as
home. Wanda could have kicked herself for having been tooloose with her words and somehow misleading him.
Angus' prayer reminded Wanda of the old days, shortly
after Stella left. Angus seemed to take it pretty well. He'd
include in his prayers a request for God to watch out for his
mother and take care of her. Intuitively, Angus seemed to know
that his mother was a troubled soul who needed more divine
care than he himself did. A few weeks later, however, Angus
began adding a new character in his prayers -- his father. He'd
pray for his mother, then he'd thank God for "bringing my
daddy back to me."
It had confused Wanda to hear him thanking God for
something that hadn't happened. She wished Stella had
explained to him about his father. Angus' counselors said it
wasn't unusual for someone like Angus to imagine fantasy lives
for absent parents. Together with the therapist, Wanda
explained that Angus' daddy wasn't actually here, but that she,
Wanda, loved Angus more than any ol' father would have.Wanda thought the therapy worked, because eventually Angus
stopped thanking God for the return of the non-existent man.
Now, Wanda took it as a warning sign that Angus was
again blending fantasy into his prayers. She would make an
appointment to see the therapist again, maybe after Christmas,
if it kept up.
The next morning, when Angus saw that the food dish
had been undisturbed, he was disappointed, but not hopeless. "I
can't go to school today," he announced. "We have to keep
looking for Ranger." Wanda was surprised -- Angus loved
school. Wanda agreed that Angus could take the day off. Being
so worked up about the dog, Wanda figured the boy wouldn't
learn anything anyhow.
They spent all of Tuesday driving around, posting
signs, calling for Ranger, and asking if people had seen him.
Then that night, just like before, Angus gave thanks to God for
bringing Ranger back. Wednesday brought more of the same
luckless searching, followed by Angus' bizarre prayers of
thanksgiving. Thursday was Christmas Eve day, and Wanda
finally persuaded Angus to return for the half-day of school.
She made final holiday preparations, and worried how to
prepare Angus for the disappointment of not having Ranger
back on Christmas.
Later, she heard something in the driveway. She
looked, and there was a silver and white camper-van, with a
high roof and dark shaded windows, something youd take on
vacation if you were driving cross-country. Drawing closer,Wanda saw the out-of-state license plate and wondered who
had come to call. Was it a retired Yellow Springer, come back
for the holidays?
Wanda pulled on her parka and called a trusting,
Hello, can I help you? as she walked toward the drivers
door. Inside, the 30's-looking man with sunglasses and a ski
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cap rolled down the window. Wanda was sure she didnt know
him, but the man looked familiar.
I dont know, he said with reserve. You know
anything about a lost dog?
Wanda's heart went out to the man. Oh, Im sorry. Im
afraid I dont. In fact, we lost our own pup just three days ago.
The man eyed her skeptically. You lost a dog?"
Yes -- a Golden Retriever, Wanda began, but she was
interrupted by a low, weak bark coming from inside the van. A
little voice in the back of her head warned Wanda to watch out-- maybe this stranger was the dognapper that Rex Riptort had
told her about! She challenged him, I thought you said youwere looking for a dog. Sounds like you got one."
Oh, I havent lost a dog -- I found one. Can you tell
me something about him so I can tell if hes yours.
Something? I can tell you everything about him!
Wanda described Ranger, from the peculiar white spot on his
nose, all the way back to way he thumps his tail on the floor
when you ask if hes ready for supper. And here, she added,
pulling out her wallet, heres a picture of me and Ranger.Now let me see him!
Wanda ran to the passenger side and slid open the door.
Inside lay a tired but friendly Ranger with a bandage on a front
leg and a Victorian collar around his neck. Clumps of hair were
missing all over his body, and he had abrasions on his belly. At
seeing her, Ranger lifted his head and muttered a weak bark.
Wanda fell to her knees and hugged the animal.
Good Lord, Ranger -- what happened to you?
Wanda heard the drivers voice lighten as he admitted,
Well, he sure is your dog. Then he warned, Careful now,
hes still healing.
You must have been hit, Wanda said to the dog.
I think he was, said the driver. I found him lying offthe side of Route 113 on Monday night when I arrived in town.
I picked him up and took him to the nearest vet I could find."
Route 113? Why thats clear over on the opposite side
of the county! Howd he get down there? Then Wandaremembered the dognappers. Ranger must have escaped from
them. Let me guess, he didnt have his tags on, did he?
No, Maam. If he had, Id have called you right away.
Wanda turned and looked up at the man. You mean
youve been caring for Ranger since Monday?
He nodded. "I got him to the vet that night -- I got Dr.
Oxthorn out of bed to begin treating him. He says the dog will
be okay. Hes got cuts on his leg there, and an infected wound
on his neck, but the rest are just scrapes.
Hes been in the vets all week? Wanda asked.
No, I picked him up on Tuesday, and we spent the
afternoon looking for his owner -- for you. Then yesterday, I
took him back to Dr. Oxthorn's for a follow up, but we started
hunting for his home again in the afternoon. And now, here we
are today."
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You must have been all over the county.
I have. I started going door to door in all the
neighborhoods near where I found him, then I began checking
with other vets. This morning, a vet over in Dysonia told me it
might be yours, so I came over.
Looking at the weakened dog, the man added, He
cant walk too well yet, and hes on medicine. Why dont I
carry him inside for you?
Wanda held the door open, then ran ahead into the
family room and placed Rangers beanbag bed close to the
hearth by the fire.
Lay him down here, Wanda suggested, and the mancomplied. Once the dog was comfortable, Wanda offered, Id
love for you to see the look on Anguss face when he sees
Ranger! Hell be home from school soon. Take off your coat
and hat and set a spell. Ill brew up some coffee.
She retreated into the kitchen and called out to the
family room from there. Youve done a wonderful thing. I
dont know how I can ever thank you enough, Mr. ... uh, Im
afraid I didnt catch your name.
Manny. Manny Davidson, he answered, removing his
sunglasses and winter wear.
Wanda called back an introduction, adding, "I live here
with my grandson, Angus.
From the den, Mr. Davidson answered, Angus, huh?
Theres a name you dont hear too often. More to himself, he
added, "Only ever heard of one other...."
Wanda pulled a new coffee can from the pantry. Its a
family name, I believe. Im not sure. Actually, Angus isnt
really my grandson. Hes an orphan; Im his guardian, so I
dont know much about his family." Changing topics, she
asked, "What brings you to Yellow Springs? Work or family?
Family. I guess you could say Im tracking down a
branch of the family tree.
Wanda cranked the can opener. Really? I dont recall
any Davidsons in Yellow Springs.
Her guest laughed. Im not sure there are, but I'll find
out."
Wanda measured the coffee grounds into the basket.
Sounds like a fun way to spend your holiday vacation.
Oh, this is no vacation. Ive been doing this for a
couple of months. I quit work and everything."
Pouring the water into the coffee maker, Wanda
commented, Youre certainly serious about this, arent you?
That makes your sacrifice of time to help Ranger all the more
remarkable. I dont know how we can ever thank you.
In the den, Mr. Davidson bent to stroke Rangers nose.
Standing up by the fireplace, he called in to the kitchen, Say,
this is a beautiful mirror you have on the mantel here.
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Wanda smiled to herself. Everyone always remarked
about the unique wooden frame surrounding the mantelpiece
mirror. You like that? My grandfather hand-carved it.
Mr. Davidson called again, this time with a slightly
more purposeful tone of voice. Is this Angus, in the picture
under the mirror?
Yes, sir, Wanda said as proudly as if she were the
boys blood kin.
What is he," Mr. Davidson wondered, "about ten?"
He'll be eleven in the spring.
Mr. Davidson held the photograph and stared at it.Finally, he muttered, That makes sense.
Wanda hit the start button on her coffee maker and
returned to the den. Whats that? I couldnt hear --. The
words died in her mouth as she saw her guest holding Angus
photograph. She whispered, Sweet Mother of Pearls....
Mr. Davidson held the picture up next to his face,
gazing into the mirror so he could see both images at once.
Wanda saw what had caught his attention. She quietly walkedbehind him, her eyes glued to the dual images. Exactly what
branch of the family tree did you say you were looking for?
Stunned, Mr. Davidon answered softly, Ive been
looking for my child.
Wanda looked carefully at Mr. Davidson and the photo,
then their images in the mirror. All four faces were
unmistakably alike. Same nose, same big ears, same narrow
face and chiseled chin. Well, sir, I believe you found him.
Wanda sat Manny down on the couch. Angus will be
home from school soon. You best tell me the whole story.
Manny nodded. When I was eighteen, I fell for a
beautiful, mysterious young girl -- Stella. We wanted to get
married, but folks didnt approve of us -- they said we were too
young and immature to make it work. So we ran off together."
Then he added, "By the way -- her grandfather was named
Angus. I know they were very close. He died when she was
about fourteen. That's when she began her downhill slide."
You knew about her ... uh, substance abuse
problems?
Manny nodded. For our first few years, I was into the
same stuff she was. We were ruining our bodies and poisoning
our minds, all out of rebellion against parents who, it turns out,
actually knew what they were talking about all along. He
shook his head in disgust at his youthful foolishness. Then he
continued. Thats how we got split apart. I was arrested for
possession, and did time in jail. When I went in, Stella movedout. I never heard from her again. No letters, no visits, no
phone calls, nothing. When I was released, I really didnt know
where to look for her. And, to be honest, I wasnt real
interested, either. I was clean, sober, and glad to have that part
of my life over with. I figured if Stella didn't want me, I was
better off without her. I pulled myself together, went to school,
and got a responsible job.
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Astounded, Wanda asked, But what about Angus?
Your son!
Manny held up his hands in innocent protest. I didnt
know I hada child! Stella must have been pregnant when I
went in jail, but she never told me. She never told anyone. She
just disappeared."
The fire snapped, and a spark flew out and burned in
midair.
So how did you find out?
It never really sat right with me -- the way things wereleft between us. So a few years ago, I got in touch with Stella's
parents. They didn't know where she was either, but then lastsummer, someone from one of the rehab centers she had been
in notified her folks that she had died of an overdose. They
mentioned Stella having said had left behind a child. They
didn't know who or where, they just knew about how old he
was. Which meant he had to be mine.
Manny reached down to rub Rangers ears, and the pup
growled low with contentment.
That news changed everything for me. I hadto findmy child, so I quit my job and began trying to find out where
Stella had been all these years. But she had moved around a lot,
you know? Six states, dozens of towns, and a handful of
rehabs."
"You've been to all those places looking for your boy?"
"Yes, maam. At most of them, all I could get was
confirmation of the dates she was there. The harder part was
getting a lead on where she went. Stella had this habit not
leaving forwarding addresses.
"So I hear," Wanda agreed.
"Eventually, I traced Stella to a halfway house where
they had heard of the HARP program here in Yellow Springs,
so I came on here."
"So you've been living in your car, without any income,
all these months?"
He nodded. "Mostly staying at campgrounds or cheap
motels, but sometimes, I'd just pull off into a parking lot. Ifigured I'd give it to the end of the year, and if I hadn't found
my child by then, I'd have to stop and work to save up some
money to start again."
Wanda warmly invited, "Well, you're welcome to stay
here with us now."
Manny politely protested that he didn't want to intrude,
but Wanda persisted. "Nonsense, it's no imposition. We have
plenty of room. Plus, what's waiting for you back where youcame from? No job, no home -- and your son's here! I'm sure
we can find you some work to tide you over until you decide
what you want to do."
Wanda then explained about Angus' learning disability.
"So you're going to need some time to get to know Angus
before you can explain who you are."
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Manny thanked Wanda and accepted her invitation.
Then they heard the squeal of the school bus braking at the end
of the driveway. Despite the frosty weather, Wanda ran outside
without taking the time to put on her coat.
"Angus -- come inside -- quickly! Ranger's back! He's
hurt, but he's going to be okay!"
Angus's eyes lit like the living room Christmas tree. He
raced through the front door, right past Manny Davidson, and
fell down at his dog's feet. "Oh Ranger," he cried, "I knew
you'd be back! I just knew it!" He hugged Ranger and laughed
as the puppy licked his face.
Wanda smiled as Manny gaped at his son. While Angus
showered the dog with affection, Manny slowly approached thetwo of them.
"Are you the one who found my dog?" Angus asked.
Manny said he did, and knelt down beside them.
"What's your name?" Angus inquired.
Manny told him, and they shook hands.
"Nice to meet you," Angus said, just the way Wanda
had taught him to say when he met new people. Then he added,
"I knew you'd come."
"You did?"
"Uh huh. I knew it all along. I've been waiting a long
time.
From the hallway, Wanda wondered if Angus knew just
how true his words were.
The next day, after Angus had ripped open the presentsSanta had left, he asked Manny to tell him a Christmas story.
Manny pondered for a moment. "Alright," he grinned
warmly, "see if you can understand this one. Its a very special
story thats never been told before. You see, once upon a time
there was a Daddy...."
Slowly, as the fire crackled behind him, Manny told
Angus about a father who lost a child -- "Sort of like how you
lost Ranger" -- and how the father gave up everything to try tofind his precious child -- "Sort of like how you gave up school
to look for your puppy." Eventually, Manny explained, the
father found the child, and the two became friends forever.
"You see, Angus, there wasn't anything that father
wouldn't do to find the missing child.
Listening from the kitchen, Wanda mused how
appropriate the tale was. She was sure Manny was just
preparing Angus to learn the truth about who he was, and yetdidn't he capture the essence of Christmas? Of God entering
human history to seek his lost children? And when God found
them, he came and lived among them to start a new, more
intimate relationship, just as Manny would now with Angus.
Wanda heard Angus ask, "So how's the story end?'
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Manny hugged him close -- so close that the boy
wouldn't be able to see the tears welling in his eyes. "Well,
Angus, I think you and I are just going to have to see how it
ends. We'll just have to see."