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Authors: Andrew Grey
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all for now,” Wendy told him. “If it’s okay, I’ll come by in a few days to see how you’re adjusting.” She pressed a card into his hand, and Howard ran his fingers over it, the Braille bumps containing a phone number. “Feel free to call me at any time. I’ll be glad to help any way I can.”
“Thank you,” Howard said. “Token is going to make a real difference in my life. I’ve always tried to be as independent as possible, and he’s going to aid with that.”
“You’re very welcome,” Wendy said, and Howard followed her out toward the front door.
“Did you train Token?” Howard asked as he traced the familiar path through his home.
“Yes, and I’ve got another dog that will be going to a good home in about six months. Token is the eighth dog I’ve trained, and he’s one of the best I’ve ever had.” His doorbell rang. “I’ll answer it for you,” Wendy said. “Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”
Howard heard the front door open, and Wendy stepped outside. “Howard,” Gordy said tentatively.
“Come in. Thank you, Wendy,” Howard called, and after a few moments, the door closed. He sat on the sofa and called Token, who curled up near his feet. “What did you need, Gordy?” Howard still smarted a bit from Gordy’s rejection.
“Is it okay if I sit down?”
“Sure,” Howard said, stroking Token’s head gently. “What do you want?”
“I’m sorry about how I acted the other day,” Gordy said.
“You mean about leaving fast enough to leave a trail of fire in your wake? If you weren’t interested, all you had to do was say so. If I misread the signs, then I’m sorry too. I know being with a blind person can be hard, and if you don’t want that, then it’s fine. I can deal with it.”
“It’s not that,” Gordy said quickly.
“Then I’m really confused,” Howard said. Token must have sensed his distress because he rested his head on Howard’s knee. “It’s all right,” he said to the dog.
“I’m not good with relationships,” Gordy said.
“What does that mean? Gordy, you don’t have to come up with a bunch of excuses. The truth will do just fine. I’ve heard lots of excuses in my life. I’ve been ignored and avoided because I sometimes make people uncomfortable. I can deal with that. I guess it’s part of the territory.” What hurt was that Howard had thought Gordy might be different. He’d seemed in tune with what Howard needed without overhelping. That was rare, and he’d let himself think there could have been something more. “If you want to be friends, then say so. I’m a big boy; I can take it.” Howard paused and waited.
“Like I said, it isn’t that. I haven’t had many relationships. Those I have had haven’t lasted very long.” Gordy swore softly under his breath, but Howard heard it very plainly. “This is hard.”
“Anything worthwhile is rarely easy,” Howard retorted. He was an expert on that particular concept.
“Earlier, when I told you about my family, I stretched the truth a little bit,” Gordy admitted. Howard did his best not to react and let Gordy explain. “Well, I guess left a few things out is probably a better description. My mother….” Gordy hesitated. “She didn’t understand, and acted like I told you. My father didn’t take things nearly as well. I’d come home from college. I hadn’t been home much since leaving. My father never accepted that I disobeyed him.”
“You went away to college. Many kids do that. It’s normal,” Howard said.
“‘Why can’t what we have be good enough for you?’ he asked. ‘You should be content with the Lord’s gifts,’ he told me more than once. My dad and I didn’t get along. He had very specific views about the world and our place in it.”
“Those views didn’t include you going to college?” Howard asked. “Didn’t he want a better life for you?”
“That’s just it. He thought God provided everything we needed, and
“Thank you,” Howard said. “Token is going to make a real difference in my life. I’ve always tried to be as independent as possible, and he’s going to aid with that.”
“You’re very welcome,” Wendy said, and Howard followed her out toward the front door.
“Did you train Token?” Howard asked as he traced the familiar path through his home.
“Yes, and I’ve got another dog that will be going to a good home in about six months. Token is the eighth dog I’ve trained, and he’s one of the best I’ve ever had.” His doorbell rang. “I’ll answer it for you,” Wendy said. “Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”
Howard heard the front door open, and Wendy stepped outside. “Howard,” Gordy said tentatively.
“Come in. Thank you, Wendy,” Howard called, and after a few moments, the door closed. He sat on the sofa and called Token, who curled up near his feet. “What did you need, Gordy?” Howard still smarted a bit from Gordy’s rejection.
“Is it okay if I sit down?”
“Sure,” Howard said, stroking Token’s head gently. “What do you want?”
“I’m sorry about how I acted the other day,” Gordy said.
“You mean about leaving fast enough to leave a trail of fire in your wake? If you weren’t interested, all you had to do was say so. If I misread the signs, then I’m sorry too. I know being with a blind person can be hard, and if you don’t want that, then it’s fine. I can deal with it.”
“It’s not that,” Gordy said quickly.
“Then I’m really confused,” Howard said. Token must have sensed his distress because he rested his head on Howard’s knee. “It’s all right,” he said to the dog.
“I’m not good with relationships,” Gordy said.
“What does that mean? Gordy, you don’t have to come up with a bunch of excuses. The truth will do just fine. I’ve heard lots of excuses in my life. I’ve been ignored and avoided because I sometimes make people uncomfortable. I can deal with that. I guess it’s part of the territory.” What hurt was that Howard had thought Gordy might be different. He’d seemed in tune with what Howard needed without overhelping. That was rare, and he’d let himself think there could have been something more. “If you want to be friends, then say so. I’m a big boy; I can take it.” Howard paused and waited.
“Like I said, it isn’t that. I haven’t had many relationships. Those I have had haven’t lasted very long.” Gordy swore softly under his breath, but Howard heard it very plainly. “This is hard.”
“Anything worthwhile is rarely easy,” Howard retorted. He was an expert on that particular concept.
“Earlier, when I told you about my family, I stretched the truth a little bit,” Gordy admitted. Howard did his best not to react and let Gordy explain. “Well, I guess left a few things out is probably a better description. My mother….” Gordy hesitated. “She didn’t understand, and acted like I told you. My father didn’t take things nearly as well. I’d come home from college. I hadn’t been home much since leaving. My father never accepted that I disobeyed him.”
“You went away to college. Many kids do that. It’s normal,” Howard said.
“‘Why can’t what we have be good enough for you?’ he asked. ‘You should be content with the Lord’s gifts,’ he told me more than once. My dad and I didn’t get along. He had very specific views about the world and our place in it.”
“Those views didn’t include you going to college?” Howard asked. “Didn’t he want a better life for you?”
“That’s just it. He thought God provided everything we needed, and
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