Happenings 2(Gordon B. Robey) G.B.R’s

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‘Stories of Jesus’

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‘The Happenings’ (Two)

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There hadn’t been any rain in the area for more than a week. A gentle wind blew down the dirt road, sending up spirals of fine dust. Grasses grew tall and wild, swaying to and fro and bending to the will of the wind.

The sound of birds broke the silence as they flew from branch to branch, diving to catch flies that were unaware of their presence. In the distance a sound could be heard, as it grew louder the birds became silent.

The passenger vehicle came into view, getting bigger by the moment. It thundered beneath the trees, and disappeared into the distance, leaving behind a cloud of swirling dust. As it settled the sun decided to show its face, and the birds renewed their efforts in catching the flies.

Peter Gonzalez was seven years old. Early that morning he was playing with the new puppy his Pa had brought him. “Don’t take him near the road”, He had said as he was leaving for work. So Peter and the puppy stayed close to the house.

“What are you going to call him Peter? He’s got to have a name you know” His Ma had reminded him yesterday.

The puppy was into everything. Peter watched him for a while and then said “I think I’ll call him Scamp, Ma”.

And a little scamp he was, he went for everything that took his fancy. Peter’s mother watched as Scamp ran around the house yapping and rolling, when he lost his footing, which was often. “I’ll get a lead for him the next time I’m in town Peter” she said “Then you won’t have to run after him all the time”.

Peter played with his puppy until it was tired, when he lay down panting in the shade. Peter went into the house for his breakfast.

When he’d finished his meal he looked out the window, and saw Scamp curled up in front of his little house. He watched the cartoons on the television until they finished, and then went outside to play with his new friend.

But Scamp wasn’t there. There was no sign of him. “Scamp, here boy” Peter shouted as he ran round the house. He pushed aside the tall grasses which stood much higher than him. He called Scamps name again and again. Listening for the yapping sound that would tell him where his little friend was hiding, now that he was nearing the road.

Peter heard a vehicle go speeding by, then a kind of a dull bang followed by a yelp. He ran through the remaining grasses, trying to see the road. Somehow he knew that yelp had come from his puppy, he’d heard it so many times before. He pushed his way through the tall grasses, and jumped over the small drainage canal.

Peter looked up and down the dusty road. And as the dust began to settle, he saw the small bundle in the middle of the road.

He screamed for his Ma. He wanted to go to Scamp, but if he did then he’d be in trouble. His Ma pushed through the tall grass and ran to his side. “Look Ma”, he said, tears running down his face. ‘Scamp was hit by that car” He pointed after the speeding vehicle.

Gertrude Gonzales put her arms around her son, as she looked at the still body of the puppy. “I’m sorry Peter love. I don’t think Scamp felt anything”. She was trying to console him with words. But she knew her words were useless to a small boy who had just lost his little friend.

She knew that she had to move Scamp from the road, but she didn’t like the thought of doing it. “God help me” she whispered. She looked up and down the road, but there was no one in sight. “You stay here Peter, I’ll get Scamp”. With a heavy heart she went onto the road, and bent down to look at Scamp. Reaching out to lift him, she found that her hands were trembling so much that she couldn’t do it.

“Oh God, I can’t do it. Please help me” she whispered, hoping that Peter couldn’t hear her prayer. She felt ashamed. She was his mother, and yet she hadn’t got the nerve to pick up his puppy. She turned her head and looked down the road again, and saw the figure of a man suddenly appear as if from nowhere. When she’d looked a moment ago there wasn’t anyone in sight. “Perhaps he’ll help us” She thought as she crossed herself.

As he came nearer she saw that he was a Priest. And he was walking in the middle of the road. In the distance Gertrude saw the cloud of dust. Knowing that another vehicle was coming, she shouted to the Priest, “Father, Father. Get off the road.” She pointed towards the approaching Vehicle. She saw him turn to look where she was pointing. He made no attempt to get to the side of the road, but turned back and continued to walk towards them. Gertrude whispered “Oh God” as she jumped back onto the grass verge, putting her arms around Peter so he couldn’t see what was going to happen. She could see that the speeding vehicle wasn’t going to slow down.

Gertrude couldn’t see any room for the car to get past the Priest. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact, but the only thing she heard was the car speeding on into the distance. Opening her eyes she saw the Priest still walking towards them, in the middle of the road.
“Impossible” She said half to herself. She looked after the speeding car. “There’s no way it could have missed running over him”.

She held her son tighter, as the Priest stopped and looked down at the still form of Scamp. Then he raised his head and looked at her. She saw the smile come to his lips, as he bent down and lifted Scamp into his arms. He walked the few feet across the road to the grass verge, and laid the puppy on the grass.

The smile went from his face as he saw the little black and white puppy take its last shallow breath. The glint went from the eyes, as the little body stopped moving. Gertrude knew, like the Priest, that her son’s puppy had died. She held him tighter as she said, “I am so sorry darling, I think Scamp has died”. Peter began to sob loudly but he didn’t turn his head away.

The Priest raised his head, this time looking at the sobbing little boy. Then he smiled and crouched down, reaching out his hand he began to stroke his finger gently between Scamps ears.

Then he got to his feet, the smile still on his handsome face, and began to walk away from them, down the road. And Gertrude hadn’t even thanked him for his help.

So she shouted, “Thank you Father, and from my son”. She dropped her eyes to look at the puppy and with a sigh said, “Your Pa will bury him when he gets home darling, there’s nothing else we can do for him”. As she tightened her arm around Peter, Scamp suddenly rolled over and struggled to his feet. Gertrude stared at him in amazement as he started to yap loudly.

Peter stared with his mouth open, but no words came out. He went down on his knees, wrapping his arms around the still yapping puppy. “Ma” he said at last in an excited voice, “Scamps not dead, he’s alive again”. Gertrude looked at her son as Scamp jumped up and down licking his face. “Yes Peter, he is, thank God. Thanks to the Priest”.

Suddenly Scamp stopped yapping and jumping about. He stood still staring down the road after the Priest. Then he started to yap again, and wag his tail as the Priest stopped and turned around.

Even from the distance that he’d gone, Gertrude could see the smile on his face, as he raised his hand to them.

Scamp stopped yapping and sat down on the road. With a final wave the Priest turned and continued on his way.

Peter looked at Scamp and then his Ma. He didn’t really know what to say. Scamp was alive, that’s all that mattered to him. But he still looked down the road, at the retreating figure of the Priest. “What will we tell Pa, Peter”? His Ma asked. “He’ll never believe what’s happened to us. And he won’t believe us if we tell him what the Priest did for Scamp".

She raised her eyes staring down the road. As she saw him for a second as he slowly faded from her sight. She blinked her eyes, and looked again, but he’d disappeared. “What the Priest did was a Miracle, Peter”, She said, still staring down the road. “And I’ve never seen a Priest with blue eyes and hair that long before”.

There was a thought, or a voice in her head which she tried to ignore, but it remained. She shook her head trying to clear her mind. Then a strange feeling of wonder came over her, as she suddenly realized who that Priest was.

The End

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