My head snapped to the left
when I heard the harmonica music drifting across the St. Luke's Hospital campus
on this bright spring afternoon. When I stopped to listen, my therapy dog
Sadie—a golden retriever—halted and sat at my side.
A man sitting on a bench
under an oak tree tapped his right foot on the grass while he belted out
"You Are My Sunshine."I saw that he'd lost his left leg just below
the knee; a pair of crutches leaned beside him on the bench.
When Sadie and I approached,
the music stopped and the handsome, dark-haired man's face lit up. "Good
morning, you two," he said.
"Love your music,"
I said. "Brightens an already sunshiny day."
"Thank you! And who
have we here?"
"Sadie. She's a therapy
dog. We're on our way to make our rounds in the children's wing of the hospital."
Maybe the world's
friendliest dog, Sadie didn't wait for any other introduction. She sat in front
of the man and wagged her tail fiercely, begging to be petted.
"What a beautiful
dog," the man said, scratching her behind the ears, then stroking her
forehead. "I'll bet she makes every kid's day."
"She's an attention seeker
is what he is." I glanced at my wristwatch. "Look, I'm sorry, but
we've got to run. I love your music," I added and rushed off.
Over the last three years, Sadie
and I have volunteered to visit hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living
centers. This was the first time we had encountered what I thought must be a
war veteran, perhaps getting fitted with a prosthetic leg.
His ready smile and handsome
features intrigued me. He looked to be my age, forty; and I wondered if Sadie
and I would see him again. Though I thought our chances slim, we left early for
our next Friday hospital visit, and there sat the man under the oak tree,
belting out "Oh, My Darling Clementine."
Sadie tugged at her leash,
eager to visit her new friend, and I followed—admittedly, just as eager.
"Hope you two would
come by!" he said, smiling and reaching out to pet Sadie as she sat in
front of him.
"I'm Megan Hanley,"
I said. "Sadie and I spend Friday afternoons visiting kids in the hospital."
"Cody Marshall,"
he said. "Retired Marine Master Sergeant. Getting a final overhaul of my prosthetic.
Sometimes the wait is long—you know how that goes. So I sit outside, entertain
myself, and wait for a call on my cell phone."
"Love your music,"
I told him again.
"My granddad taught me
all the old, old songs." He smiled, and his warm, dark eyes sparkled. "Sit
down and tell me about you and Sadie."
Thus started a conversation
that sounded like old friends catching up on each other's life. I told him I
was an insurance agent. I was also a widow who adopted Sadie from a shelter. A
friend convinced me I should have her trained as a certified therapy dog.
Cody said he was divorced
long ago—his former wife hated military life. A roadside bomb in Afghanistan "deprived"
him of the lower half of his left leg. As a kid in college, he'd dropped out to
join the Marines. After retiring from the service, he finished his degree and
now worked as a PE teacher at our local high school.
"You must be a great
inspiration to high school kids," I told him.
This time his smile was
sheepish. "I have bits of advice I can offer them, yes."
I glanced at my watch.
"I'm sorry, but Sadie and I have to go."
He tilted his head and ran a
hand through is dark hair. "Will I see you again, Megan?"
My heart stopped. I admit I
felt attracted to his handsome Marine veteran. Three years, after my husband
died of a heart attack, I'd adopted Sadie to fill a dark avoid in my life, and
for a long while I'd felt all we needed was each other. But with Cody Marshall
sitting beside me, I wasn't sure.
"Um...Sadie and I'll be
gone maybe three hours."
His dark eyes warming me, he
said, "I'll be right here.
I'll have my prosthetic back by then. Just listen for the music."
I'll have my prosthetic back by then. Just listen for the music."
My heart danced to the music
in his words. I heaved a big sigh. I patted Sadie's head, and her tail thumped
the ground like a hammer. "All right," I said, knowing she highly
approved. "Sadie and I will listen for the music."
The End
Enjoy reality! Contemporary YA fiction with an impact. Don't wait! Visit: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Jon+Ripslinger
Enjoy reality! Contemporary YA fiction with an impact. Don't wait! Visit: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Jon+Ripslinger