When I got out of the
shower, Mom was sitting at the kitchen table, painting her nails.
“Where’s Bennie?” I asked.
She blew her gum into a big pink bubble until it popped. After peeling the gum off of her lips with her tongue, she replied, “Oh, he said he was gonna run down to the diner and get us some lunch. He’ll be right back.”
“Ok,” I said, “I’m headed to Walter’s.”
“Come on back when you’re finished, I want you back before Bennie and me go out tonight,” she said as she blew me a kiss.
I put on my red hoodie and called for Harley. I didn’t bother putting a leash on him. He wouldn’t leave my side for anything. Besides, I don’t think we even owned a leash.
Walter’s house was about a mile and a half away if I stayed on the main sidewalk, but I always cut through the old neighborhood park. It seemed faster, or maybe it was just that I liked to make something fun out of my trip. The best part about that park was that no one else was ever there—not since the new park across town was built. No one took care of the old park. The grass grew tall in the summer and some of the swings were broken, but I liked having the park all to myself.
About a year ago, there was a big metal gate that someone put up to keep people out, but some older kids from the neighborhood cut the lock off the gate, so now anyone could just walk into the park at anytime. On the other side of the park, there was another gate. It had the locks cut off of it too, and that was the exit we took to get to Walter’s house.
After walking about three blocks, Harley and I rounded the corner into the park. We walked right through the entrance, and the first thing we heard was a squeaking noise. The first thing we saw was someone slowly spinning on the merry-go-round. The merry-go-round was small, probably made for little kids, so I could tell right away that the person was a grown-up. Me and Harley stopped, and Harley growled. Then I realized that it was Bennie on the merry-go-round, so I patted Harley on the head and walked over to the merry-go-round.
Bennie looked towards us and smirked. He didn’t seem surprised to see us. I figured that he knew my route to Walter’s house and that he must have needed to tell me something.
“Hey, Bennie,” I said.
“Sup?” he replied, still slowly spinning.
“On my way to Walter’s. What are you doing here? Mom said you were picking up some lunch.”
“Yeah, well, I suppose your mom can fend for herself,” Bennie said.
I wrinkled my forehead in confusion, and replied, “What do you mean? Are you guys fighting…again?”
He chuckled, “Nah, we ain’t fighting. I just don’t think she’ll like me much after today. Hell, she really doesn’t like me all that much anyway.”
Thoughts rushed into my mind as I tried to make sense of what Bennie was saying—or not saying. But my gut told me that Bennie was acting creepier than usual.
Harley stood at my side, and I kicked some pebbles around with my sneaker.
“Well, I gotta get over to Walter’s house. He’s knows I’m on my way,” I said.
Still spinning, Bennie traced a circle in the dirt with his shoe until the merry-go-round came to a stop. Harley and I stood about four feet away from Bennie as he looked me in the eyes. He seemed fidgety and chewed on his lip a lot.
“Now, you know I’ve never been mean to you,” he said.
“Sure, sure, I know, and I know that you really don’t like me either,” I replied.
“So, this is not personal, but I’m gonna have to ask you to hand over that wad of money you got in your backpack.”
I quickly looked toward the exit gate and back at Bennie. I put one hand on Harley’s back and softly wrapped my hand around a fistful of his hair.
Looking at Bennie, Harley let out a deep, slow growl.
Bennie quickly stood up, took one step towards me, and looked down at Harley. Harley took one step back and barked.
Bennie stammered, “Ok now. Josie, I asked you nicely, but now I’m telling you to hand over that money. I’m not playing games, girl, give me the money.” His hands shook as he pointed his finger at me.
At that time, we both heard two high-pitched shrieks coming from behind me. They startled both of us, and Bennie looked over my shoulder. Laughing and playing, two little girls passed the entrance to the park. Bennie closed his eyes and sighed.
I knew I had to do something. I took two steps forward, and as hard as I could, I kicked Bennie right between the legs.
Harley began barking like crazy. Bennie fell to his knees and doubled over into a fetal position. I could not believe that I really kicked him that hard, but I did!
Barking really loudly, Harley stood over Bennie and was salivating on Bennie’s face. I darted for the exit.
I ran as fast as I could, and once I was about half a block away, I called for Harley. I heard Bennie shout two or three times.
Still running toward Walter’s house, I kept looking behind me. I called for Harley again, and finally he came running out of the park, so I slowed down until he caught up with me.
Harley and I finally made it to Walter’s back door, and I beat on the door again and again. I forgot our secret-code-knock.
Marcus, came to the door, and after I caught my breath I told him what happened.
“Wait here,” Marcus looked pissed off, and he shut the door.
As I waited, I kneeled down beside Harley and hugged his neck. He licked my face and I hugged him tighter. I’m glad that mom’s old boyfriend left Harley at our house.
Walter came out, and Marcus stood behind him.
“You ok?” Walter asked.
“Sure, sure. I’m ok. He really scared me…he’s creepy, ya know? , But I’m ok now,” I replied.
Walter looked at Marcus and said, “That son-of-a-bitch has gone too far. You know what to do.” Marcus headed for his truck.
Walter looked at me and said, “Come on, lil’ lady. I’ll walk you to the diner. You can buy me an ice-cream, and maybe the cook will have a steak bone for this wolf of yours.” He handed me a twenty-dollar bill.
Before we headed for the diner, Walter said, “Hang on one minute. Wait right here.” I could tell he was a little nervous, or angry, or something like that.
He limped over to Marcus’s truck and looked back over his shoulder at me. I had no idea what he was saying, but Marcus revved the engine and the tires squealed as he backed the truck out of the driveway. I didn’t feel sorry for Bennie—not one bit.
“Where’s Bennie?” I asked.
She blew her gum into a big pink bubble until it popped. After peeling the gum off of her lips with her tongue, she replied, “Oh, he said he was gonna run down to the diner and get us some lunch. He’ll be right back.”
“Ok,” I said, “I’m headed to Walter’s.”
“Come on back when you’re finished, I want you back before Bennie and me go out tonight,” she said as she blew me a kiss.
I put on my red hoodie and called for Harley. I didn’t bother putting a leash on him. He wouldn’t leave my side for anything. Besides, I don’t think we even owned a leash.
Walter’s house was about a mile and a half away if I stayed on the main sidewalk, but I always cut through the old neighborhood park. It seemed faster, or maybe it was just that I liked to make something fun out of my trip. The best part about that park was that no one else was ever there—not since the new park across town was built. No one took care of the old park. The grass grew tall in the summer and some of the swings were broken, but I liked having the park all to myself.
About a year ago, there was a big metal gate that someone put up to keep people out, but some older kids from the neighborhood cut the lock off the gate, so now anyone could just walk into the park at anytime. On the other side of the park, there was another gate. It had the locks cut off of it too, and that was the exit we took to get to Walter’s house.
After walking about three blocks, Harley and I rounded the corner into the park. We walked right through the entrance, and the first thing we heard was a squeaking noise. The first thing we saw was someone slowly spinning on the merry-go-round. The merry-go-round was small, probably made for little kids, so I could tell right away that the person was a grown-up. Me and Harley stopped, and Harley growled. Then I realized that it was Bennie on the merry-go-round, so I patted Harley on the head and walked over to the merry-go-round.
Bennie looked towards us and smirked. He didn’t seem surprised to see us. I figured that he knew my route to Walter’s house and that he must have needed to tell me something.
“Hey, Bennie,” I said.
“Sup?” he replied, still slowly spinning.
“On my way to Walter’s. What are you doing here? Mom said you were picking up some lunch.”
“Yeah, well, I suppose your mom can fend for herself,” Bennie said.
I wrinkled my forehead in confusion, and replied, “What do you mean? Are you guys fighting…again?”
He chuckled, “Nah, we ain’t fighting. I just don’t think she’ll like me much after today. Hell, she really doesn’t like me all that much anyway.”
Thoughts rushed into my mind as I tried to make sense of what Bennie was saying—or not saying. But my gut told me that Bennie was acting creepier than usual.
Harley stood at my side, and I kicked some pebbles around with my sneaker.
“Well, I gotta get over to Walter’s house. He’s knows I’m on my way,” I said.
Still spinning, Bennie traced a circle in the dirt with his shoe until the merry-go-round came to a stop. Harley and I stood about four feet away from Bennie as he looked me in the eyes. He seemed fidgety and chewed on his lip a lot.
“Now, you know I’ve never been mean to you,” he said.
“Sure, sure, I know, and I know that you really don’t like me either,” I replied.
“So, this is not personal, but I’m gonna have to ask you to hand over that wad of money you got in your backpack.”
I quickly looked toward the exit gate and back at Bennie. I put one hand on Harley’s back and softly wrapped my hand around a fistful of his hair.
Looking at Bennie, Harley let out a deep, slow growl.
Bennie quickly stood up, took one step towards me, and looked down at Harley. Harley took one step back and barked.
Bennie stammered, “Ok now. Josie, I asked you nicely, but now I’m telling you to hand over that money. I’m not playing games, girl, give me the money.” His hands shook as he pointed his finger at me.
At that time, we both heard two high-pitched shrieks coming from behind me. They startled both of us, and Bennie looked over my shoulder. Laughing and playing, two little girls passed the entrance to the park. Bennie closed his eyes and sighed.
I knew I had to do something. I took two steps forward, and as hard as I could, I kicked Bennie right between the legs.
Harley began barking like crazy. Bennie fell to his knees and doubled over into a fetal position. I could not believe that I really kicked him that hard, but I did!
Barking really loudly, Harley stood over Bennie and was salivating on Bennie’s face. I darted for the exit.
I ran as fast as I could, and once I was about half a block away, I called for Harley. I heard Bennie shout two or three times.
Still running toward Walter’s house, I kept looking behind me. I called for Harley again, and finally he came running out of the park, so I slowed down until he caught up with me.
Harley and I finally made it to Walter’s back door, and I beat on the door again and again. I forgot our secret-code-knock.
Marcus, came to the door, and after I caught my breath I told him what happened.
“Wait here,” Marcus looked pissed off, and he shut the door.
As I waited, I kneeled down beside Harley and hugged his neck. He licked my face and I hugged him tighter. I’m glad that mom’s old boyfriend left Harley at our house.
Walter came out, and Marcus stood behind him.
“You ok?” Walter asked.
“Sure, sure. I’m ok. He really scared me…he’s creepy, ya know? , But I’m ok now,” I replied.
Walter looked at Marcus and said, “That son-of-a-bitch has gone too far. You know what to do.” Marcus headed for his truck.
Walter looked at me and said, “Come on, lil’ lady. I’ll walk you to the diner. You can buy me an ice-cream, and maybe the cook will have a steak bone for this wolf of yours.” He handed me a twenty-dollar bill.
Before we headed for the diner, Walter said, “Hang on one minute. Wait right here.” I could tell he was a little nervous, or angry, or something like that.
He limped over to Marcus’s truck and looked back over his shoulder at me. I had no idea what he was saying, but Marcus revved the engine and the tires squealed as he backed the truck out of the driveway. I didn’t feel sorry for Bennie—not one bit.