Ralph's Dream: A Short Story by Gary Flory

 

    Every day Ralph would mark off his calendar, which made Friday look even closer. That’s the day he turns eleven. Every year his dad would ask him what one thing he would enjoy getting the most, within reason, of course. Two years ago it was a bike with three speeds, last year it was a BB gun, but this year he wanted something altogether different, a puppy. His dad told him there was a lot of responsibility in owning an animal. Every day the dog would need to be fed, watered, and walked. Oh yes, and clean up his messes. 
    “I can do that before school and after school.” 
    “What if it’s raining or snowing?”
    “I’ll just have to dress for it,” Ralph replied. 
    “You know the dog will need some shots, and the price of dog food isn’t cheap.” 
    “Well, maybe you can handle that part, I’m only asking for one present, and I don’t want a real big dog.” 
    “What kind of dog are you thinking?” 
    “I don’t want an ankle biter, and I don’t want one as big as a pony. I was thinking more like a beagle, one that could sit with me and watch TV.” 
    “Well, I’ll think about it.” 
    “Think hard dad, you know mom’s going to complain about dog hair. I saw her hairbrush, she sheds some too.”
    Friday was here, and Ralph could hardly wait to get home from school. He flung open the door, and right there in the middle of the living room floor was a box. He got down on his knees and lifted the lid. His smile lit up the room. There was a ten-week-old beagle puppy, standing on his hind legs, wanting to be picked up and held. I love him! Within seconds, the puppy was cuddled in Ralph’s arms. 
    “What are you going to call him?” 
    “I’m not sure, I never thought about a name.” 
    “Here’s a collar and leash, why don’t you take him for a walk, I’m sure he wants to get to know the neighborhood.” 
    “Ok mom, thank you so much for my present. Maybe I’ll get an idea of what to name him while we’re walking.” 
    “Don’t be gone too long, dinner will be ready by six o'clock.”
    “Come on boy,” Ralph said to his new pup. “I’ll show you the pond, where the ducks are.” Out the door they went. With all the new things to smell, it took a while to get down to the water. Ralph didn’t rush him but gave him plenty of time to smell bushes and animal scents along the way. The pup even let out a little yip when he found a rabbit track. “Good boy,” Ralph told him.
    There were some big rocks at the lower end of the pond where the two could sit and watch the ducks in the water. “So, what are we going to call you?” 

    The pup looked back at Ralph, and said, “My name is Chip.”
    Ralph stood up in amazement, “You can talk?” 
    “Sure, all dogs can talk.” 
    “But I can understand you!” 
    “Ya, that part is rare. Most humans think all we do is bark. They don’t really tune in to what we are saying. My mom named me. She said I was a chip off the old block. I don’t know what that means, but whatever. 
    “Chip, I like that name,” Ralph said. 
    “Good, and I’ll call you Ralph! That duck over there, the one with his beak moving, he wants to know if you have any bread?” Chip asked Ralph.
    “You can understand duck?” 
    “Oh yeah, we had them on the farm. They have a fairly simple language. Here a quack, there a quack, everywhere a quack quack. My brothers and I used to tease them. A couple of us would stand in front of one and bark, DUCK! If he didn’t drop his head, one of my sisters would bite him in the butt. Then we would all run away," Chip said with a tiny bark.
    Ralph laughed and said, “You and I are going to get along just fine. It’s almost six o’clock, I guess we better be getting back.”
    “Did you think of a name for him?” Dad asked.
    “Chip, his name is Chip!” Ralph exclaimed, with a quick pat to Chip’s head.
    “Cute, how did you come up with that name?” 
    “I didn’t, he did, well actually his mom did.” 
    “You mean the owner?” 
    “No, his mom.”
    Dad looked up from scratching Chip’s ears. “Who told you that?” 
    “Chip did,” Ralph replied as his mom turned to walk back into the kitchen.
    “Kids and their imagination,” she said shaking her head.
    “See, I told you Ralph, humans don’t listen very well,” Chip chimed in.
    Then dad said, “Why is your dog whimpering?” 
    “He’s not dad, he’s talking.” 
    “He’s saying something, alright.”

    Just then, Chip’s ears went up, and he looked at the door, ran over and started scratching to get the door open. Ralph asked quizzically, “What is it Chip?” 
    “There’s an animal on your porch, smells like a possum. He's getting in the trash can,” Chip barked.
    Dad said, “He must have heard something.” 
    “Yeah, it’s a possum, and he’s trying to get in our trash. Look!” Ralph said, pointing to the waddling marsupial.
    Dad walked over to the door and looked out. “It is a possum, how did you know that?” 
    “Chip told me he smelled a possum.” 
    “Chip told you?” 
    “Yeah, didn’t you hear him?” 
    “All I heard was growling,” Dad said in disbelief.
    Chip looked over at Ralph and just shook his head.
    That night, when Ralph was getting into bed, his mom came in and laid an old rug down on the floor for Chip to sleep on. “Night boys, sleep tight,” she said as she turned the light off and closed the door.
    Five minutes later, Chip whispered, “Ralph, are you awake?” 
    “I am now.” 
    “I’m cold, can I sleep with you?” 
    “I guess so.”
    “Ralph, are you going to lift me up?” Chip asked patiently. Ralph lifted him on the bed and Chip wasted no time getting under the covers.
    At seven o'clock in the morning, Ralph heard a knock at his door. Then the light came on. His dad and mom were carrying a birthday cake, and they both were singing Happy Birthday.
    “Happy Birthday son,” his dad said with a smile. 
    Ralph was confused, he already had his birthday. 
    “Your birthday present is waiting for you downstairs.”

    Ralph looked under the covers for Chip, but he wasn’t there. Ralph asked his mom, “What day is it?” 
    “It’s Friday Ralph, the day you have been waiting for all week.” 

    Running down the stairs, into the living room, Ralph saw his present in the middle of the floor. “You wouldn’t believe the dream I just had, it felt so real.” 
    “You can tell us later. You need to open your present,” Mom said.
    As he opened the lid, a beagle puppy jumped up to greet him. 
    “Have you thought about what you’re going to call him?” Dad asked.
    “Chip, his name is Chip.”
 
 
As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Daniel 1:17