Chapter1-Jimmy Meets Lance!
There’s that dog, again!
Every time Jimmy Tucker walks by this house in his hometown of Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, a black and white dog charges at him. The dog’s doing the same thing today. Just like all the other times, he’s restrained by a short wire attached to his collar. That wire, called a lead, is fastened to a run, a long, thick cord attached to a pulley system supported by two solid wooden posts thirty feet apart. The dog can only walk between the posts, so he can’t reach Jimmy.
Today, Jimmy decided to talk to the dog for the first time. From the road, the ten-year-old called out. “Hey, doggie! Are you friendly? Ah…Ah…Are you a good dog?”
A man raking leaves in the back yard shouted, “His name is Lance!”
Mister, is he your dog?” asked Jimmy.
The man grumbled, “Yes, I’m afraid so. Never really liked dogs but I’m stuck with him.”
“Duh…duh…does he bite?” asked Jimmy, with concern in his voice.
“Hasn’t bitten anyone so far, at least not that I know of,” the man said. “And he better not, if he knows what’s good for him!”
Feeling a little more confident, Jimmy asked, “Can I pet him?”
The man warned, “Go ahead if you want to. Just be careful. Don’t blame me if he doesn’t like you.”
Jimmy walked over to Lance. The dog jumped up on the young boy, knocking him over.
The man laughed. “I forgot to tell you, he’s very energetic.”
Jimmy picked himself up off the ground. He approached Lance a second time, being extra careful so the dog wouldn’t knock him over again. Jimmy gently patted Lance on the head. Then, he sat down on the lawn. Lance took a seat right next to him.
While Lance licked him on his face, Jimmy called out to the dog’s owner, “Sir, what—”
The man interrupted, “My name is Mister Martin.”
“Mister Martin, what kind of dog is he?” asked Jimmy.
In a friendlier tone, Mr. Martin answered, “He’s a border collie. Supposed to be smart as a whip, or so they tell me.”
“He’s cool!” Jimmy exclaimed.
Mr. Martin answered, “I suppose so.” Seeing an opportunity he added, “You want him? He’s yours.”
“Really?” Jimmy’s felt a rush of excitement. I’m going to get my very first dog! Just to be sure he wasn’t dreaming, Jimmy asked again, “Really?”
“You bet!” Mr. Martin sweetened the deal. “I’ll throw in the doghouse and run for free. I’ll even bring them to your place. Where do you live?”
“Real near here.” Jimmy pointed with his finger. “Maybe six or seven houses that way. You know the apartment houses?”
“Sure do. Perfect. Do we have a deal?” asked Mr. Martin.
“Yup!” Jimmy couldn’t believe his good luck. He couldn’t wait to get home to tell his mom.
Jimmy petted Lance some more. Leaning on the rake he’d been using, Mr. Martin gave it some more thought. “I don’t think it’s that easy. I’d have to get the okay from your parents.”
Not letting anything dampen his enthusiasm, Jimmy confidently said, “Oh, my mom won’t mind. I know it! I betcha she says yes!”
Unconvinced, Mr. Martin said, “I’m sure she probably will, but I’ll have to check just to be sure.
What’s your name, kid?”
“Jimmy.”
“Jimmy, what?” Mr. Martin asked impatiently.
“Jimmy Tucker.”
“And your phone number?” asked Mr. Martin.
Anxious, Jimmy answered with a stutter. “Fuh…fuh…570–595–fuh…fuh…5555.”
Mr. Martin asked a question Jimmy wished he hadn’t. “Do you get tongue-tied, kid?”
Embarrassed and disappointed in himself, Jimmy answered, “Yeah…sometimes.”
Lance’s owner took out his cell phone and dialed the number Jimmy had given him. He had a brief conversation with Margaret Tucker, Jimmy’s mother.
When it was over, he hung up the phone and walked over to Jimmy. “Son, unfortunately, you can’t take the dog. Your mother tells me you live in an apartment where only cats are allowed.”
Overwhelmed with disappointment, Jimmy replied, “No way! That isn’t fair! If you can have a cat, why can’t you have a dog?”
“Take that up with your landlord. Sorry, son. Believe me, I’m just as sorry as you are.”
Jimmy got up off the lawn. Disappointed, he said, “Bye, Lance. See you, Mister Martin.”
“Son, too bad we couldn’t do business.”
While Mr. Martin resumed raking the yard, Jimmy walked back out onto the road, but then turned around and called out, “Sir, cuh…cuh…cuh…could I walk Lance sometimes?”
Mr. Martin stopped his yardwork and shouted back to Jimmy, “I don’t know. You strong enough for him?”
Jimmy proudly exclaimed, “Sure! I can do almost fifteen push-ups!”
Mr. Martin laughed: “Okay, Superman! But I still have to get your parents’ permission for that too.”
“I know they’ll let me. I know it!”
Mr. Martin decided to end the conversation. “Tell you what...I’m busy right now. I’ll call your folks later and we’ll see what happens.”
“I just live with my mom.” Jimmy was loaded with enthusiasm. “Okay, Mister Martin. It’s practically a done deal!”
For the second time, Jimmy headed home, but he didn’t get far before he made a quick turn and rushed back to Mr. Martin’s yard. Worried, he said, “I…I…I just thought of something. I don’t have a leash.”
“Don’t worry. I have one. Good as new. Hardly ever been used. Now, how about you let me get back to work?”
“Okay, see ya!”
Jimmy left Mr. Martin’s property and ran straight home without stopping. When he got there, Jimmy couldn’t wait to tell his mom about his plan to walk Lance. As soon as he got in the door, he asked his mother, “You know that black and white duh…duh…dog that lives up the street and is always outside?”
Jimmy’s mother nodded her head. “Yes, I do. I’ve always felt bad for that poor pooch. He’s got to be lonely out there by himself all the time. But, like I just now told Mr. Martin on the phone, we’re not allowed to have dogs in our apartment.”
Jimmy frowned. “Yeah, I know. That stinks. It’s unfair.”
Margaret Tucker tried to console her son. “The owner of this apartment has the right to set the rules. At least, we have our cat Ashley. Someday, we’ll have a house of our own and then you’ll be able to get a dog. I promise you.”
Jimmy had more to share with his mom. “Anyway, Lance doesn’t have to be by himself all the time anymore. Mr. Martin told me I could walk him if I wanted to, and I want to!”
Jimmy’s mother had a question. “Do you think you can handle a big dog like that all by yourself? He looks very strong to me.”
Jimmy was ready with an answer. “No problem. Like I told Mr. Martin, I can do lots of puh…puh…push-ups. And we don’t even have to get a leash. Mr. Martin will let me use his. Please, Ma!”
Margaret thought it over. “I don’t see why not. It’s worth a try. But, if he turns out to be too strong for you—”
Jimmy didn’t let his mother finish speaking. He blurted out, “Oh boy! Can I go walk him right now? Please?”
“I’ll run it by your father just to make sure it’s okay with him too. I’m sure it will be. Then, I’ll have to call Lance’s owner to—”
The phone rang. Jimmy’s mother answered it. “Mister Martin. Hello! This is Margaret. You saved me a return call. My son was just telling me all about his visit with you. He says you’re okay with him walking your dog.”
From the other end of the line Lance’s owner said, “I don’t have any problem if you don’t. Your son just has to keep him on the leash, that’s all I ask. I don’t want any lawsuits.”
“Of course! I completely understand. Thank you for giving my son this opportunity. Jimmy’s wanted a dog all his life. This will be the next best thing. I’ll check with his father and get back to you.”
Mr. Martin said, “I’ll wait for your call.”
Margaret hung up the phone and turned to her son. “Let’s see what your dad says. I don’t think there’ll be any problem.”
An hour later, over the telephone, Roger Tucker, Jimmy’s father, gave his son permission to walk Lance. Jimmy’s dad threw in a bit of fatherly advice: “Remember son, he’s not your dog so be careful with him. Be responsible.”
After he hung up the phone, Jimmy turned to his mother and asked, “Can I walk him maybe tomorrow?”
Margaret expressed concern for her son’s safety: “Tomorrow’s Monday. A school day. It’ll be too dark by the time you get home. Why don’t we wait until the weekend?”
"Aw, do I have to?”
“I think that would be the best bet for your safety and Lance’s too. Let’s hang in there until next Saturday.”
Jimmy wouldn’t give up. “But today’s Sunday. Saturday is so fuh…fuh…far away. Can’t I walk him sooner? Please?”
“Saturday will be here before you know it. You’ll see.”
Not totally convinced by his mother’s optimism, Jimmy shrugged his shoulders and said half-heartedly, “Yeah, I guess so.”
Jimmy would have to wait almost a full week before he could walk Lance for the first time. A wait that would seem like forever.
