Getting our kids the proper help they needed was going to be a challenge. The following day was Saturday in October. I had made an appointment for our two children, Mark and Valentino, to see a guidance counselor at our town's family doctor. They needed someone to talk to about their scary situation.
I was in my husband and myself's bedroom, upstairs. I had just hung up the phone, next to our bed on a table. "It's done, babe," I said, softly. "I called the doctor about getting our kid's help," I continued. I turned to look over my shoulder to see Russell laying on his side, with his back turned to me. He had his shirt off and was wearing shorts in bed.
I knew Russell must be upset with me about this as much as I am. "You did a good thing, Emma," I heard Russell say, quietly. "They will thank us once we get them the help they need," he continued, turning over his side, resting his head on the pillow, facing me.
I nodded and rubbed my watery eyes. "What are we going to do, if this doesn't work, babe?" I asked my husband. He just laughed at me like he wasn't paying any attention to me. "I'm serious, Russell. They might want to listen to a guidance counselor with their monster problems," I said.
"Honestly, I think we should just let our kids be themselves, hon," Russell said, resting his hand on his head on the fluffy white pillow. "They won't always be around, you know? We'll have to eventually get used to living in a quiet house together again," he said, smiling at me.
I nodded and returned a wry smile back to my husband. He put a warm hand on my leg, where I was sitting on the bed, next to him. "I understand, love. I just want the best for our children. They've been through so much. It could stress them out. And not be able to concentrate on their schoolwork," I said, matter-of-factly.
It started to thunder outside the small, family apartment. I got off the waterbed, as I heard the neighbor's hound dog barking at something. I cautiously walked over to the bedroom window. At first, I couldn't see anything in the dark of the night. I turned on the porch light switch.
Squinting in the dark shadows of the front porch, I saw the next-door neighbor's little dog, trying to bury something next to the muddy ground, by the tree. I could see in the flash of lightning as the owner of the little brown dog was digging furiously at the dirt ground. "Honey, come look at this," I said, insisting to my husband.
He groaned loudly as he crawled out of our big, waterbed. Turning to look out the curtained window, I pointed out the front of our porch. I gasped! The little brown neighbor's dog had vanished!
"What are we looking at, dear?" Russell asked, trying to get water out of his eyes. "I'm sure it's nothing to get worried about," he said, putting an arm around my shoulder. Suddenly, it lightened in the thunderstorm again.
Looking out the curtained window in our bedroom, I pointed out the window again. "Look! The neighbor's little dog is out on the loose again!" I pointed out the bedroom window. Pushing me aside, we both watched as the brown little dog from next door, was burying some bloody bones in the ground, next to the tree in the yard.
"What is that hound dog up to?" snapped Russell, angrily. He quickly walked away from the window. Opened the closet door. He then grabbed a pajama robe out of the closet. Then, he put it around him. Putting on his warm, cozy slippers, next to the closet door, Russell grabbed a flashlight out of our dresser drawer. He quickly walked out of our bedroom door.
I didn't know if I should follow him or not. I feared what was happening to us. Then, I turned to our closed, curtained bedroom window. Looking out, I heard my husband, Russell yelling and shouting at the neighbor's hound dog. Who seemed frightened at Russell's sudden movements to scare it away.
The dog quickly scampered away in the stormy night. I didn't know what else to think. I kept watching out the window. As I saw my husband looking at the hole the neighbor's hound dog was making. I couldn't believe who the little brown hound dog's bones belonged to!