Years of Summer: Lily's Story (18 page)

Ally was the first to come over.  “So when did Dave tell you?”

“Today, I didn’t realize that’s what she was for, but she really does her job well and I think she’s the best dog ever.  So all of you knew?”

Mom answered. “That’s what Dave wanted to talk to me for that day shortly before your birthday.  I told him it would be a great idea, but he didn’t want to say anything to you, because he was afraid you would be angry with him.”

“Yes, ma’am, he said that to me too.”

“You didn’t get mad at him did you?”

“No, ma’am.  He has done so much for me I couldn’t possibly be mad at him.  Did you know that he’s worked up at his Aunt’s place with these dogs every summer and every break when he’s been in college?  He said he would go to training with me when it started the week after Christmas.  I’m looking forward to that and then she will be a full-fledged Service Dog.  I’ll be able to take her on campus with me.  I’m really nervous about going back to classes, but at least I’ll only have a few left and then student teaching and I’ll be done.”

Ally smiled.  “Will you come have lunch with me every day; I’ll have to admit I have been a little jealous of Hannah and Hallie.  I wanted you to be there too.  They were able to show off Dave and I was kind of the fifth wheel, but they were really nice about it.  They never excluded me.  May I pet Sunshine?”

“Sure, right now she’s just my pet.”  I kissed her.  “Aren’t you girl?”  Then she licked me right up my face from my nose.  Mom, Dad, will you watch her while I’m gone tonight.  She likes to go out every two hours.”

“Of course honey.  She’ll be fine.”

I heard Dave’s Dad’s truck coming down the road. It was a huge Dodge Crew Cab dually diesel.  It sounded like it too.  Dave pulled in and jogged up the stairs and it looked like Sam was behind him.  Sam was tall and thin with sandy-blonde hair and the prettiest eyes you have ever seen on a guy.  Ally ran out the door to meet him.  I heard her on the deck.  She threw her arms around his neck, he returned the affection.  “Oh my gosh, Sam, I had no idea that you were the Sam, Dave was talking about.”

“No kidding, I had no idea you were the Ally he was talking about.  It’s good to see you.”

“Thanks, it’s good to see you too.  How did you do on that English paper?”

“I did okay; I made a “C+”.  What about you?”

“Uhm . . . an 'A'.”

“Way to go Al.”  I was a little surprised that Ally let him call her Al; she hates it when I call her that.  Dave’s plan just might work. 

Dave walked around them and had a grin a mile wide across his face.  He looked at me.  “Told you so.”  Then he called Sunshine.  “Sunshine, heel.”  She immediately was at the forefront of Dave’s attention.  He pulled some kind of yellow vest looking thing out of his back pocket and put it on her.  It was marked SDIT (Service Dog in Training), then he pulled a matching harness out of his back pocket and put it on her.  She went into work mode immediately and came and sat right next to me.

“Okay, Lily, she won’t get out of sitting position unless you hold her lead.  Reach down and pick up her lead off her back and watch what happens.”  I did and she immediately raised her haunches off the floor ready to walk.  “Now when we get to the restaurant you’ll need to guide her under the table and tell her ‘down, stay’.  That makes her lie down and wait for you to give her next command. The only time she won’t down and stay is when she senses something from you or you pick up her lead and start walking.  You think you got the gist?”

“Yeah I think I got it.”

“Good give the down stay command in a firm but gentle voice.”

“Down . . . Stay.”  She did and I let go of the lead.

“Good job Lil, you’ll have this mastered before you start back to UNA.” 

That thought made me jittery and Sunshine was immediately up and leaning on my leg.  She sensed that.  I kneeled down and touched her with both of my hands and she down stayed again because she sensed that I was okay.

“Awesome job, Lil.  It won’t take you anytime to train with her.  I think she was made just for you, but remember when she has her vest on she cannot be treated like just a dog.  You have to keep her in work mode.  You can pat her and rest your arms on her and stroke her fur, but you can’t play fetch with her or rub her belly or anything like that, when you take the vest and harness off you can.  Just remember those things and you should do fine.  You ready to go?”

“I think so.” Mom smiled, handed me my purse, and we left with Sunshine. I picked up her lead and she was immediately up and ready to go.  Ally wanted to sit in back with Sam, so I sat in the middle with Dave and Sunshine was on the passenger side and buckled in. I laughed I had never seen a dog in a seat belt before, but she sat there like she belonged and Dave patted my leg and left his hand resting there. I didn’t move it; I even kind of liked it there. Ally and Sam were having the best time in the back seat just talking. For me and Dave, the best friends’ idea was blurring in my mind.         

Chapter 12

Parking Dave’s Dad‘s huge truck took a couple of times, he finally pulled it into the space, but he parked three spaces down from any cars.  Dave jumped out and walked over and opened my door for me.  He unbuckled Sunshine and said “heel” and she jumped out of the truck and heeled.  Then he helped me out of the truck by taking my hand as I slid out of what seemed like a five foot drop.  Sam did the same for Ally.

I was concerned that they would not let Sunshine in so I voiced that to Dave. “Dave are they going to let her in?”

“Yeah, they’re service animal friendly, I’ll bet you’ll see why, while we’re here.  One other thing you need to know.  You’re probably going to get stared at, but don’t worry.  It’s only because most people wished they had one of their own.”

I laughed, he made me relax. “All you have to do Lily is remember those simple commands for tonight.  Everything will be fine.  You ready for Sunshine’s debut?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“You’ll do fine, trust me.”  Then he kissed me on the forehead, as he hugged me to him.  I didn’t flinch, I even enjoyed that.  Ally and Sam were too busy laughing together to notice.  That was probably best.

“Okay, Lily, pick up the lead.” I did and she was ready to work.  I felt rather confident.  It was funny what was going through my mind.  “I have a dog and you don’t”, in sing-song form.  Dave offered me his arm and I took it.  I had Dave in one hand and Sunshine in the other.  She stayed right with me.  We walked in and Dave had made reservations for four.  Yes people stared, but the hostess that seated us paid no attention, or rather, seemed not to.  She seated us at our table.  “Your server will be with you momentarily.”

“Thank you.”  I answered for everyone.  I guided Sunshine under the table in between my right foot and Dave's left foot, because there was no table stand there.  I looked at her big brown eyes and love for me was just sparkling in them.  I almost cried and she nuzzled my hand.  I put both of my hands on her neck, so she would know I was okay. I looked into her eyes again and said, “Down . . . Stay.”  She did that exactly.  Dave seemed proud of me and he rested his arm on the booth top behind me.  I relaxed and leaned back. 

A few minutes later an older Gentleman came to see us.  He was very Italian and he had a service dog with him. It was a Chocolate lab. “I was informed by our hostess that we had another service dog among us.  I had to come out to greet you and welcome you and your furry companion.  This is for later when he or she is not working.” 

“She, her name is Sunshine.”  He handed me a small wrapped package with a dog sticker on it.  “Thank you very much for the gift for her.”

“You are very welcome.  This is Hershey,” as he pointed to his dog.  I almost laughed and tried not to, but he caught me.  He had a warm twinkle in his eyes when he smiled.   “I know; I did the same thing when we were introduced about five years ago, but very fitting name for a chocolate lab don’t you think.”

“Yes Sir, I do, very fitting name.”

“I don’t know where I would be without him though, definitely not the owner of a five-star Italian restaurant.  Enjoy your meal.”

“Thank you very much, Sir.”

  “Of course, of course, if you decide to, dessert is on the house.  Have a wonderful evening.  Lawrence, come take these customers’ drink orders.”

“Yes sir.”  And our server showed up, as I watched Mr. Roberto, I am assuming, and his chocolate lab service dog, Hershey, walk off.  We ordered our drinks and our server went to get them. 

“Dave, Sunshine didn’t even flinch when that other dog came around.”

“Because she’s trained not to. While in her vest she has a job to do, which doesn’t include noticing other dogs.   By the way, you’re doing great tonight.  I’m beginning to see the old Lily again.”

“And, Dave, that means . . .”

“That means that I’m beginning to see you come back to yourself. That’s all that means, and it makes me very happy to see that.”

We both looked across the table, and Dave and I might as well have been invisible.  Ally and Sam were enjoying themselves so much that we could have walked off and they never would have noticed. Dave and I looked at each other and grinned. I believe he had found a good match for Ally or at least it seemed like it from my viewpoint.  Our server came back with our drinks and then took our order.

I needed to know more about what I could and couldn’t do with Sunshine when she was working.  “Dave, this dog treat Mr. Roberto gave Sunshine, how come he said it was for later when she wasn’t working.”

“Well think about it Lily, Dog’s only get fed once a day even just as pets.  Nothing is supposed to distract them while they’re working.”

“Can’t I give her water during the day when she’s with me at school?”

“Oh, yeah, you can give them water, but that’s it. As a matter of fact they have collapsible water bowls that you can buy to take with you.  Just get her one of those and stick it in your backpack along with a water bottle and that should work and you have to clean up after them too.  Make sure you have something for that.  But you’ll learn all about everything you need to know when the training class begins week after next.  I’ll be working there during break so I’m going to be your co-trainer for Sunshine.”

“Oh, that sounds great to me.  So I’ll get to spend even more time with you.”

“Looks that way.”

“You don’t sound too excited about it.”

“No, Lily, it’s not that, it’s just that I wonder if once you’re better, you’ll not want me around anymore.”

“Dave, that’s dumb.  We’re best friends why wouldn’t I want you around anymore.”

“I don’t know, I guess I’m just paranoid.”

“No, actually you’re just Dave, and you’re just my best friend, and you just won’t give up on me.  I appreciate that more than anything, so as long as you’ll stick around you’re stuck with me.  I’m afraid you’re the one that will get tired of having to pick up my pieces and put me back together.  I’m afraid you’ll give up on me.”

He kissed me on the head.  “Well I guess we’ll just have to be happy where we are right now won’t we.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”  He pulled me to him and hugged me.  “One day at a time.”

Chapter 13

When Dave drove all of us back to my house, Ally and Sam exchanged numbers.  Dave nudged me in the arm as he sat down on the couch with me and then Sunshine stood there waiting for her next command, she still had on her vest, harness, and lead.  I reached down to take them off of her, then she shook her fur. It was like she was removing her work mode.  I put everything between me and Dave and patted the couch and she jumped up there with me and was just my pet once again. 

“Sunshine, you were such a good girl tonight. You’re the best dog in the world.” I reached down and hugged her and kissed her and she licked me up my face again.  She laid there and fell asleep.  I laid my hand on Dave’s leg.  He gave me his attention.  “Dave, thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me and given me.  I just wish I could repay you for what you’ve done.”

“Continue to get better and continue to be my friend and that will be more than payment enough.”

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