actually found my family and hot tears pushed their way into my eyes. I yanked on the string for the gate latch and when I heard it give, I shoved it open. Goldie rushed out, her tail wagging. Squatting down, I wrapped my arms around her neck and pressed my face into her soft fur. Quiet sobs escaped my mouth and I held on to our dog as I worked to gain control of my emotions.
After a few moments my tears slowed, then stopped and I released Goldie. As I stood, she pranced around me and I smiled, the familiarity of her behavior filling me with warmth. I closed and latched the gate behind me and walked around the side of the house, with Goldie following me, until I reached the back door. I pulled on the door handle, but this door was locked too. I wondered when they’d be back and then wondered if I could find another way inside. On my way through the backyard I had noticed a door that most likely led to the attached garage. I walked back to it and was pleasantly surprised when it was unlocked. I entered the single car garage and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to adjust to the dark interior. Goldie had trailed me and she ran right to the door that led into the house.
Following her this time, I reached the door in only a few steps and hoped my luck would hold out. The door opened under my hand and I smiled, glad to be able to get in. But then I thought about the neighborhood and worried that someone had been careless about locking the house. Anyone could have walked in; in fact a stranger could be in the house right now. Sudden fear pulsed through me, but I forced myself to walk through the door.
I found myself in the kitchen and was surprised to see the breakfast dishes still in the sink. Mom had always been a stickler for making sure the kitchen was clean before we left the house in the morning. For some reason I found the mess disturbing. Almost without thinking I set my jacket on the table, then went to the sink and began rinsing the dishes, then looked around for the dishwasher so I could load them. But there wasn’t one.
No wonder they hadn’t cleaned up. The dishes had to be done by hand.
I set the dish I was holding back into the sink and went to the refrigerator, stepping around Goldie as she sniffed the floor. Pulling open the door, I perused the items inside but was disappointed to find very little food there. My stomach rumbled and I remembered I hadn’t eaten anything since the stale Pop-Tart in Fred’s truck.
I closed the refrigerator and began opening cabinets, looking for anything to eat. After several tries I found the cabinet that held most of the food and dug around until I came across a familiar brand of crackers. I pulled out a handful of the round snacks, my mouth watering in anticipation, then placed the first one in my mouth. The taste was not what I had expected and I frowned in disappointment. I had eaten this brand of cracker before, but it tasted nothing like I remembered. There were unusual seasonings in the flavor. I looked at the box more closely and saw that it was a fat-free and sodium-free variety.
Continuing to eat despite the strange flavor, I found a glass and filled it with tap water, then gulped it down. By the time I began to feel full, I had eaten a quarter of the box and had three full glasses of water. I closed the box and placed it back in the cupboard, then grabbed my jacket, found the stairs, and began climbing, anxious to find my bedroom.
At the top of the stairs I paused, listening to see if anyone was actually home. The only sound was Goldie panting next to me. I reached down and patted her back, her presence a comfort to me, then I walked down the short hall, glancing in each of the four doors. There were three bedrooms and one bathroom.
I went into each bedroom in turn. My parents’ bedroom didn’t have its own bathroom like the other house had, and there was only enough room for a full bed and a small dresser. One of the other bedrooms obviously belonged to
After a few moments my tears slowed, then stopped and I released Goldie. As I stood, she pranced around me and I smiled, the familiarity of her behavior filling me with warmth. I closed and latched the gate behind me and walked around the side of the house, with Goldie following me, until I reached the back door. I pulled on the door handle, but this door was locked too. I wondered when they’d be back and then wondered if I could find another way inside. On my way through the backyard I had noticed a door that most likely led to the attached garage. I walked back to it and was pleasantly surprised when it was unlocked. I entered the single car garage and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to adjust to the dark interior. Goldie had trailed me and she ran right to the door that led into the house.
Following her this time, I reached the door in only a few steps and hoped my luck would hold out. The door opened under my hand and I smiled, glad to be able to get in. But then I thought about the neighborhood and worried that someone had been careless about locking the house. Anyone could have walked in; in fact a stranger could be in the house right now. Sudden fear pulsed through me, but I forced myself to walk through the door.
I found myself in the kitchen and was surprised to see the breakfast dishes still in the sink. Mom had always been a stickler for making sure the kitchen was clean before we left the house in the morning. For some reason I found the mess disturbing. Almost without thinking I set my jacket on the table, then went to the sink and began rinsing the dishes, then looked around for the dishwasher so I could load them. But there wasn’t one.
No wonder they hadn’t cleaned up. The dishes had to be done by hand.
I set the dish I was holding back into the sink and went to the refrigerator, stepping around Goldie as she sniffed the floor. Pulling open the door, I perused the items inside but was disappointed to find very little food there. My stomach rumbled and I remembered I hadn’t eaten anything since the stale Pop-Tart in Fred’s truck.
I closed the refrigerator and began opening cabinets, looking for anything to eat. After several tries I found the cabinet that held most of the food and dug around until I came across a familiar brand of crackers. I pulled out a handful of the round snacks, my mouth watering in anticipation, then placed the first one in my mouth. The taste was not what I had expected and I frowned in disappointment. I had eaten this brand of cracker before, but it tasted nothing like I remembered. There were unusual seasonings in the flavor. I looked at the box more closely and saw that it was a fat-free and sodium-free variety.
Continuing to eat despite the strange flavor, I found a glass and filled it with tap water, then gulped it down. By the time I began to feel full, I had eaten a quarter of the box and had three full glasses of water. I closed the box and placed it back in the cupboard, then grabbed my jacket, found the stairs, and began climbing, anxious to find my bedroom.
At the top of the stairs I paused, listening to see if anyone was actually home. The only sound was Goldie panting next to me. I reached down and patted her back, her presence a comfort to me, then I walked down the short hall, glancing in each of the four doors. There were three bedrooms and one bathroom.
I went into each bedroom in turn. My parents’ bedroom didn’t have its own bathroom like the other house had, and there was only enough room for a full bed and a small dresser. One of the other bedrooms obviously belonged to
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