Ian Read online

  Ian

  By

  Denise Irwin

  This is a work of fiction. Any character is a figment of the Authors Imagination

  Copyright 2015

  All rights reserved

  ISBN: 13: 978-1518788956

  ISBN: 10: 1518788955

  Dedicated to the memory of

  Mary Genevieve Cole Irwin

  The best mother that anyone could have

  Chapter One

  During breakfast on a delightful fall morning, Molly told her parents, “Jack and I have talked about this and we agree that we need a dog. Isn’t that right Jack?”

  “That’s right and we want a dog from the pound because they will be put to death if they aren’t adopted. That’s what they do, so rather than buy a dog, we want to adopt one.”

  Sam said, “That is really admirable of the two of you. We’ll go the rescue center on Saturday.”

  Molly wasn’t satisfied with that answer, so she asked, “Dad, why can’t we go before Saturday? The dog that we want might be dead by the time we wait until Saturday.”

  “Molly, did you pick a dog out?”

  Her brown curls bounced, as she said, “Not yet Dad, because we haven’t been to the rescue place yet to pick one out.”

  Sam decided that he wasn’t going along with her logic, so he said, “Molly, there are some reasons that we have to wait until Saturday; the first and primary reason is that you have school and when you get home, you have homework to do. The last reason is that the center closes early during the week.”

  It was obvious to their parents that the children weren’t pleased with Sam’s dictate, when they didn’t say goodbye to their parents and slowly walked out the door to catch the bus.

  Leona poured the both of them a fresh cup of coffee and as she handed Sam his, she said, “I just feel so bad. Did you see their faces when they left for school?”

  “Yes I did, but Lee, I will not have our children miss a day of school so that they can pick out a dog. It’s my opinion that they can both pout all they want, but we’re not going before Saturday.”

  When the kids came home from school and went straight upstairs to change their clothes. When they returned to the kitchen for their after school snacks neither said a word to their parents. They both went up to their bedrooms to do their homework.

  Leona said, “Is it my imagination that the kitchen temperature dropped to close to freezing?”

  “Stay strong, our children are just trying to manipulate us to get what they want.”

  “I know, but at the moment, I’m still not feeling very good about it.”

  That was pretty much the tone for the remainder of the week with one exception. Jack asked his mother, “Mom, can you cross the days off the calendar until Saturday after we go to bed?”

  “Yes, I can do that.”

  “Thank you Mom.”

  <>

  Molly and Jack were up before their parents Saturday morning. They ran into the bedroom and jumped on to the bed with Molly screaming, “It’s Saturday, so get up and take us to the rescue center.”

  “Molly, please get off the bed. I’ll come down in a few minutes and make breakfast, so you have a choice, you can go back to bed or go into the kitchen and wait for me to make breakfast.”

  She rose from the bed about an hour later, dressed and then went down to the kitchen to the kitchen to make the morning coffee. She’d like to think that she was surprised, but she wasn’t when she found her daughter sitting at the table. Molly asked, “Mom, how long will it take you to make breakfast? Jack asked me to ask you.”

  “I did not Molly, so don’t tell Mom that I did.”

  Molly’s little chubby cheeks turned red.

  A deep voice behind them said, “If you keep arguing about who did what, we won’t be going anywhere today. I want you both to apologize to your mother for trying to hurry her to make breakfast so that we can go and pick out a dog.”

  He heard them both mumble an apology to their mother. Mom graciously accepted their apologies and returned to making breakfast.

  When the children finished their breakfast, Jack asked his father, “Dad, may Molly and I be excused from the table?”

  “Yes you may.”

  They put their dishes in the dishwasher and walked up the steps together. Leona looked at her husband, but said nothing because she knew that he would tell her that bad habits at their young age would crescendo as they grew older.

  Without saying a word to his wife, he stood to grab the cordless phone from its bracket. Leona listened as he asked the hours for the Maryland SPCA on Falls Road. Sam then put the phone back in its bracket and said to his wife, “It’s time to round up the kids and get them to the animal shelter.”

  She just shook her head as she listened to him yell up the steps, “The train is leaving for the animal shelter, if you miss it, you’ll have to wait for the next train.”

  Leona howled with laughter as Molly and Jack nearly knocked their father down as they ran out the front door to the car. He chuckled and then said, “I guess that I need to be a bit more careful when I say that.”

  He took hold of her arm to walk to the car. She said, “Well, I don’t think that you’ll get that reaction when you call them to go to the doctor’s office.”

  “I suppose that you’re right on that one.” He opened her door and took her hand as she stepped into the car, to sit in the front passenger seat.

  Sitting in the driver’s seat, he asked the back seat, “Is everyone buckled in?”

  Jack answered, “Yes sir, and I checked Molly’s to make sure she was buckled in.”

  Leona glanced at her husband to see that he was smiling.

  They could hear Molly and Jack whispering in the back seat, but they were unable to decipher what they were saying.

  When Sam pulled onto the parking lot, both children sat as tall as they could to look out the windows. Leona opened Molly’s door and helped her out while Sam helped Jack. Sam opened the door for his family to enter the facility’s waiting area. He then went straight to the receptionist and announced, “My name is Sam Marksman. My family is very interested in adopting a dog.”

  “In that case it’s my pleasure to meet you. Let me have someone come out to the lobby and take you to look at the dogs.”

  A young girl came out to greet them, “My name is Linda and if you will follow me, we’ll go take a look at the dogs.”

  She slowed down so that the kids could walk with her. She asked, “Do you have a dog in mind?”

  Molly told her, “We had a Golden Retriever named Bailey, but he died. My brother and I thought that this time we’d like to adopt a dog.”

  “Are you looking to adopt a Golden Retriever?”

  Jack answered, “No, we were just hoping to find a dog who would like to live with us.”

  Linda said, “I think that we have a few dogs here who would like to live with you. Let’s go into the kennels. If you see a dog you like let me know and I’ll take it out so that you can meet one another.”

  Molly said to her brother, “Jack, look at how many dogs are here. I hope that they find good homes, don’t you think so too?”

  “I do and I wish we could adopt them all.”

  “Me too.”

  They slowly walked along and Molly pointed at a kennel that held a brown Chihuahua, “Jack, look at that one, isn’t it cute?”

  “It is, but I think that it’s too small for us.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Then, I tell you what, why don’t we keeping looking until we find one we both like.”

  “Okay, but I really like that one.”

  Jack pointed at a kennel and asked his sister, “What do you think of this one.”

  “Jack, he’s all black; we’d lose him when it’s da
rk.”

  “Molly, we wouldn’t lose the dog because we’ll have the leash and Dad can turn on the flood lights.”

  “Okay. Miss Linda, can you bring this dog out of the kennel.”

  “Yes I can, follow me to the visitor’s room.”

  When they reached it, she asked Leona and Sam, “Don’t you want to go in with your children?”

  Molly asked, “Is the dog vicious?”

  “Oh heavens, no. If he was I would have persuaded you to look at another dog.”

  Sam said, “We’ll watch through the window, since they’re choosing the dog.”

  The dog appeared to be comfortable with children and didn’t flinch when Molly wrapped her arms around its neck and hugged the poor thing. She let go and went to sit in a chair and he followed her and sat beside her chair.

  Leona and Sam were so focused at watching the children, they didn’t notice that the vet had joined them until he spoke. “My name is Chris Childs; I’d like to tell you the history of the dog. He’s a pure bred Standard Poodle. His name is Vinnie and he’s just two years old. An elderly woman owned him and when she was moved into a nursing home, her family brought him to us because they were too busy to care for him. Poodles are extremely smart and will con everyone around them, but Vinny’s been trained as a service dog and will make a great pet. Trust me when I say that he’ll tucker all of you out, but he’s a good choice for children. I’ll be in my office if you have any questions.”

  Jack waved to Linda through the door’s window. She said, “Looks like we’re about to get the verdict on the dog.”

  She went into the room with the leash and asked, “Do you want me to put Vinny back in his kennel or would you like to take him out for your Mom and Dad to see.”

  “Molly, is it okay with you if I walk him into the hall to see if Mom and Dad can see the dog we want to adopt.”

  “Yes, I’ll follow you out.”

  The children didn’t realize that their parents had heard them through the microphones in the visitor’s room, so they remained quiet.

  “Mom and Dad, this is Vinny. Molly and I would really like to adopt him. Isn’t that right Molly?”

  Molly anxiously nodded her head.

  Sam said, “Then in that case, let me go do the paperwork while the two of you go along with Mom take him outside.”

  Sam knocked on the vet’s office door, he heard the vet tell him to come in. Sam entered the room and said, “Looks like the kids want to adopt Vinny, the Standard Poodle.”

  The vet’s office was small and full of file boxes. It was amazing that he even squeezed in a coffee pot.

  “I figured that I’d see you. Would you like a cup of coffee while we do the paperwork?”

  “Thank you for the offer because I really would like one.”

  The vet poured him as cup of coffee as he asked, “Are your wife and children waiting outside?”

  “Thanks for the coffee and yes they are and I’m sure that they can’t wait to get the dog home.”

  “I’ll try to get through the paperwork as quickly as I can.”

  Dr. Childs explained each form and then had Sam sign it. When he signed the last form, Sam said, “I honestly don’t think that I signed this many forms when I bought my house.”

  He chuckled and then said, “I’m sure that it feels that way. We have starter kits along with a book about what to do once you’re home.”

  He brought them to Sam along with his business card. “I’m sure that this adoption is gonna work just fine, but if it doesn’t give me a call and I’ll come pick him up.”

  Sam was curious about what the vet said, so he asked, “Do people really take a dog home and then decide that they don’t want a dog and call you?”

  “Luckily, it doesn’t happen often, but new dog owners can sometimes freak when they don’t realize what they’ve y gotten into. I always tell them to call and I’ll pick the dog up. I’d rather do that than have them let the dog go off on his own.”

  “That’s just unthinkable to me, but if something goes wrong, I’ll call you.”

  “Thanks, let me get your dog starter kit.”

  He gave Sam a box that contained dog food, dog biscuits and toys. Sam thanked him and asked, “Where do I pay for the dog.”

  “The front desk where you came in.”

  After Sam paid for the dog, he walked to his car where he put the dog food in the trunk and told Molly and Jack to get into the back seat. When he heard the seatbelt click, he told the dog, “It’s your turn, get in and lay on the floor.”

  Vinny did as he was told.

  Molly and Jack spent the afternoon fussing over they’re new pup. They walked him, they threw a ball in the back yard and to their delight; he brought it back.

  Leona called her family to dinner. Vinny came into the kitchen, looked around and decided to lay under the table. She wondered if his previous owner had someplace where the dog laid down while she ate dinner.

  After dinner Vinny went with Molly and Jack into the dining room and laid under the table while they played a board game. While Leona put the leftover food into containers, she said, “He really is well behaved.”

  Sam said, “He sure is. Lee, do we have to clip his fur into one of those outrageous cuts you see on dog shows?”

  She chuckled, “No, we’ll keep him in what’s called a puppy cut, but unlike other dogs, poodles don’t shed. When we take him to our vet, I’ll ask for a recommendation for a dog salon.”

  “Did you say a dog salon? Isn’t that where women go to have their hair cut?”

  She laughed and then asked, “Sam, are you playing games with me?”

  “No Lee, I’m not. I just confused about the difference.”

  “Women use a hair salon, while dogs use a dog salon.”

  “I never dreamed that owning a poodle could be this complicated.”

  After the kids went to bed, Vinny came into the kitchen and laid under the table while Leona and Sam had their nightcap. Leona said, “Sam, I think that Vinny had one of those dog beds to sleep in. I can get one tomorrow, but I don’t know where we’d put it.”

  “Lee, since we really don’t know much about his previous life, we’ll let him chose where he wants to sleep. He seems like a smart dog, do let’s see what he does when we go to bed.”

  “Sam, it feels strange that we aren’t discussing one of your cases.”

  “Our cases and so, hush and enjoy the quiet because another one will come along in due time. Let’s go to bed.”

  Vinny followed them up the stairs and laid down in the hallway. Sam opened Jack’s bedroom door, but he didn’t move, so he tried Molly’s door and the dog didn’t move. He opened the master bedroom door and the dog wagged his tail, but he didn’t move. He closed the bedroom as he said, “Lee, I think he’s picked his place to sleep.”

  As she undressed, she said, “I wonder if that’s where he slept with his previous owner. It’s almost like he wants to know what’s going on in the house.”

  “You might be right, but I never thought that a poodle was that protective of the family.”

  “Well, we’ll just have to do a little homework, but all dogs no matter how big or small protect their human family. He might be used to looking after his previous owner.”

  <>

  Ian Macgill’s flight from Stonehaven, Scotland landed at the BWI Airport at 10:00 Saturday morning. He was excited that he was now in the United States to attend the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine. His goal was to become what the Americans call a General Practitioner and return home. There were very few doctors in Stonehaven and old Doc Balderston was either gonna die or retire soon.

  He inhaled deeply and coughed from the fumes. The poor air quality in the States was not something that he had thought about. A cab pulled to the curb and the cabbie asked if he needed a ride? Ian said, “Yes sir I do. I have some bags, can we put them in the trunk.”

  “Too much trouble, just keep them on the floor. Where are you going?�
��

  Ian choked out, “36 South Paca Street.”

  The cabbie sped away from the curb thrusting Ian into the back of the seat. Ian opened his eyes wide as the cabbie made this way to a large highway were he weaved in and around other cars. The cabbie drove so fast that he didn’t get a chance to see the Baltimore skyline.

  He pulled to the curb and told his passenger, “The meter says thirty dollars.”

  Ian gave the cabbie thirty-three dollars, grabbed his bags got out of the car. He stood on the sidewalk and watched as the cab drove off. He’d never in his life experienced anything quite like that. He entered the building, where he said to the woman receptionist, “My name is Ian Macgill. I have taken a lease with your management for a loft apartment.”

  “Mr. Macgill, please come with me. My name is Julie; I’ll walk with you to your apartment.”

  They got on an elevator rode up to the fourth floor. She unlocked the door and held it open for him to walk through the door. He looked around and then said, “It seems to have everything that I need.”

  “I believe that you are attending the University of Maryland School of Medicine for the spring semester. It’s a six minute walk. Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is about a ten minute walk. There are a number of restaurants within walking distance. If you need anything just let me know.” She handed him the keys.

  “Julie, thank you for the tour.”

  After she left, he stood in the middle of the room and visualized his furniture in it. In the end, he decided that the studio would do very well for him. He wanted to stretch his legs and learn more about his new home. He walked to the school to get familiar with it. He was hungry, so he wandered around and found a tavern by the name of Pickles Pub which sounded interesting to him. He entered it and sat at the bar. The bar tender asked if he wanted a drink.

  Ian told him, “I would like what you call a draft beer.”

  The bar tender brought him a beer and then asked, “You’re new to the area, aren’t you.”

  “Yes, my name is Ian and I just arrived today. I am attending the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine.”