Chapter 3: Courage's First Crush
Courage stood in the middle of the living room unsure of what to do next. He was never sure what to do in the time period between breakfast and lunch. He had rinsed his mouth with water and walked into the living room to do...what?
Courage heard Muriel doing the wash down in the basement, and Eustace was at the front window, looking at the spike strip.
"Where the heck are me visitors? Stupid cars!" He then turned and headed upstairs. "I'm gettin' me paper."
As Courage watched Eustace go upstairs, he uttered a sad sigh. Like his masters, he too wanted some companionship. Even better, a canine companion. There didn't seem to be many dogs anywhere in Nowhere. Sure, there was Shirley the Medium, but she wasn't the type who'd strike up a long conversation.
Muriel came up out of the basement. "Well, my laundry's done. Will you help me make some lunch, Courage?"
"Mm-hm!" answered Courage and they entered the kitchen.
A short while later, Muriel finished putting the last of the muffin batter into the muffin tray. "These muffins will go great with my new vinegar sprinkles."
Courage was just about to express his disgust when, suddenly, his head jerked up. As Muriel was putting the tray in the oven, Courage heard a faint sound outside. He quirked up an ear. The sound grew louder. Was it...? Yes! It was a car engine! A car was coming at last!
Courage pulled on Muriel's apron and tried to tell her about the car. "What's wrong, Courage?"
But before Courage could express anything, Eustace walked into the room and shouted, "Muriel! What did ye do with me paper?"
Muriel didn't answer because just at that moment there was a loud "POP-POW!!" outside. The three residents of the farmhouse ran toward the window and looked outside. A station wagon was slowing down, with all four tires punctured.
"Visitors!" shouted Eustace with great gusto. "Me plan worked! We finally got visitors! Yippee!" He jumped into the air and clicked his heels.
"Hooray!" proclaimed Muriel.
Courage would've joined in, but he held back and whined. He remembered all the times some stranger came up to his door, and some of the stuff they did...
Courage howled. "Oh, don't worry," said Muriel. "I'm sure they'll be friendly."
"Yeah. Right," muttered Courage.
"C'mon!" announced Eustace. "Let's quit yappin' and introduce ourselves!" Eustace and Muriel headed toward the door, with Courage following behind, reluctantly.
*****
"Is everyone alright?" asked an exasperated Carl.
"Katie, are you OK, honey?" asked a concerned Diane.
"Chill, Mom, it's just a flat tire," said Kevin, in a dull tone of voice.
"Are you OK, Mr. Furry? I'm OK," said Katie to her bear.
"I'll go check on the damage," said the father and got out of the car. His wife followed.
The man walked all the way around the car with his wife. He then kicked the rear bumper.
"All flat. They're all flat!!!" Carl yelled.
"Now, dear..." began his wife.
"And we used our spare tire from that flat we had in St. Louis! How...?" His eyes discovered the spike strip. "How in the ever-lovin' world did THAT get there?!?!"
"Hey, Dad," called Kevin, his head out the window. "Maybe you could ask them."
Kevin's parents turned to where he was pointing. A farmyard lay before them on the side of the road. It had a farmhouse, barn, windmill, chicken coop, and a water pump. Emerging from the house was an old couple and a little pink dog.
"Car trouble, mister?" asked Eustace with a smile on his face.
Carl stormed up to the farmer. "Do you know who put that spike strip there?" he demanded angrily.
Fortunately, Eustace was prepared for this. "Why, yes!" he said, with fake surprise. "There was police chase yesterday and they through that strip on the road to stop it. Darn cops must've forgot about it. Heh heh."
Courage held his breath, hoping this stranger would buy it. Luckily, he did. "Well, the cops sure aren't very observant around here."
His wife made a noise in her throat, which indicated that he had forgotten his manners.
"Oh! My name is Carl. Carl Henderson. This is my wife, Diane. In the car, are Kevin and Katie. And our dog, Sandy."
Eustace's smile fell. He hated kids, and another dog was unthinkable! Courage, on the other hand, was beaming with delight. At last! Another dog to talk to!
"My name is Muriel Baggs," said Muriel. "This is my husband Eustace and our dog, Courage." Courage looked at the strangers with a blank face.
Carl became agitated again. "Well, now that the introductions are through, maybe you could tell us where we could get our car fixed." Diane cast her husband a rude glance.
Eustace was prepared for this, too. "Sorry. Nearest car shop is 15 miles down the road. I'd drive you there, but me truck ain't workin' either. Looks like you'll be staying with us for a while."
Carl was not pleased with this and was about to express his thoughts, when his wife cut in, saying, "I think it's great! We're heading to California, but we aren't on any deadline. I think a day or two here would be (glaring at Carl) a break from the ordinary, right dear?"
Carl sighs. "Right, honey."
As Eustace went to throw away the spike strip, Muriel and Courage followed Diane to the car. "OK, kids," said Diane. "We're going to park ourselves here for a day or two. Is that OK?"
Katie nodded, but Kevin nodded harder, once again not believing his incredible luck.
Courage looked on as the kids came out of the car. He was pleased when Katie said, "Doggie!" and patted him on the head. However, she was more interested with her teddy bear than with Courage and headed toward the house. Next, came Kevin. Courage started shaking with nervousness. Kevin had put on a leather jacket. That, combined with his black hair and sunglasses, made him look rather evil. He just said, "Yo, dog," to Courage.
Courage gulped. To calm his nerves, he took out a yo-yo from his hidden back pocket and played with it. He didn't get very far when Kevin suddenly turned back to the car and said "You can come out now, Sandy."
And out jumped Sandy.
Courage looked up and froze. The yo-yo fell from his paw as he saw what stood before him.
Surveying the landscape was Sandy, the Henderson's female dog. She was about Courage's age and looked very similar to Courage. So much, in fact, that for a moment, Courage thought they were related. But Courage was downwind from her, and Sandy's scent told him that this was not so. Her fur was maroon-colored, a few shades darker than Courage's. Her eyes were emerald green, and there was a small black spot on her back. In fact, the only indications that she was a girl were her eyelashes and a small gold bracelet on her left wrist.
Courage's eyes widened and his heart rate increased....but surprisingly, not from fear! To anybody else, Sandy was just a dog, but to Courage, she was, at this moment, an angel.
"What a desolate place," Sandy said to herself. She looked to the left and then in the direction where Courage was standing. Or used to be standing. She was met with only a yo-yo on the ground.
Courage had dashed behind the car to hide. He had never in his wildest dreams expected something like THIS to happen! Courage realized that his sudden feelings toward Sandy were similar to those toward Muriel, but different somehow. Even now, he could here Muriel calling him to introduce himself to Sandy. Courage thought that he would faint, but he told himself that he was being cowardly again...and to a girl, of all things! So, mustering up all his available courage and gulping, he headed around the car; licking his paw along the way and running it through the fur on the top of his head.
"This is my dog, Courage," said Muriel.
"Hi," said Courage to Sandy.
Sandy was rather surprised by this handsome dog who looked just like her. All she could get out was a shy "Hi."
With that, everyone headed into the house, except for Eustace and Carl, who wheeled the station wagon next to Eustace's truck.
Muriel's muffins were done. Everyone helped themselves. Everyone, that is, except Courage. His stomach was too full of butterflies. He could not seem to take his eyes off of Sandy. Courage wondered what on Earth was happening to him.
As the adults talked about themselves and Katie talked to her bear, a queer thing happened between Sandy and Kevin. It happened when Kevin accidently dropped a chunk of muffin onto Sandy's head. Instead, of barking or nudging Kevin's leg, she motioned Kevin towards her and whispered something into his ear! Kevin then announced to everyone that he was going to wash Sandy out by the water pump. He got up and walked out the door with Sandy.
Courage began to get scared again. Had Sandy actually talked to Kevin? Did he understand what she was saying? Courage went out the door toward the water pump to find out. When he turned around a corner of the house, he stopped. What Courage saw pleased him so much, he had to hang onto the drainpipe to keep from falling over.
Kevin was at the water pump, pumping water onto Sandy, and what a sight she was! She acted as if she was in a shower, her paws cleaning her ears, her face, her entire body. Whatever feelings began leaking out of Courage before were in full force now! His heart rate, blood temperature, and breathing were all increasing at an alarming rate. More obvious were the hearts appearing in Courage's eyes and tiny hearts floating off of Courage's fur and popping shortly afterwards. Courage let out a long sigh. "She's amazing," he mumbled to himself.
"Hey dog!" shouted a voice from behind him. It was Eustace, of course. "I need ya to help me find me paper!"
Courage instantly snapped back to normal. He followed Eustace, glancing back once to find Sandy and Kevin looking back at him with curious faces.
"I wonder what THAT was all about." said Sandy.
Kevin looked at Courage and then to Sandy and then smiled a knowing smile.
Coming soon...Chapter 4!