Homecoming
It was the 32nd of November in the land of Whatever in Calliope’s mind, and she was restless.
“Surely,” Calliope thought, “No, definitely. I know he will return soon. I can feel it.”
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the pomegranate tree nearby. Flowers bloomed, and the pollen reminded Calliope of Rusty, her one and only. He’d been gone for months, it seemed. Just like the year before. When the branches of the trees swayed last spring, pomegranate flowers shed their pollen then too, and Rusty appeared at the door. Just like that.
“Soon, Callie. You just be patient a little longer,” soothed Virginia, the woman Calliope lived with. “I know you miss him, but you’ll have to wait just a little longer. His plane has been delayed. I just received a call from him. Looks like his layover in Philadelphia has been extended a while longer.”
Calliope sighed heavily. She couldn’t wait for Rusty too much longer. Why he had to abandon her for college was beyond Calliope’s understanding. Virginia was a gentle friend, but this long-distance thing with Rusty wasn’t going to pan out if he didn’t come home soon.
“Let’s go to Philadelphia then,” Calliope whined. “You can drive, right?”
“You want to go?” Virginia asked. “Give me a moment, and I’ll grab my keys.”
“YES!” Calliope danced. “We were going to get Rusty! Stupid Philadelphia, we’re coming for you now!”
Virginia opened the door, and Calliope ran to the car singing. “He’s a comin’ home, yes! He’s a comin’ home!”
Indeed, Rusty’s scent seemed to be growing stronger. Never mind that Philadelphia was about a thousand miles away, it was significantly closer than Manhattan, where Rusty had been studying these past few months.
Virginia reached the car, and she helped Calliope into the backseat. Ever impatient, Calliope grunted that she ‘could seat herself, thank you very much, please start driving already!’ But Virginia paid Calliope no mind.
“Oh, do hold your horses, Callie. I’m moving fast as I can.”
Calliope calmed down after the engine to the car started. ‘Finally,’ she thought, ‘now let’s go to Philadelphia!’
They drove to the park instead. When Virginia put the car in park, Calliope was inconsolable.
“What is this? I don’t want to go to the park! I want to go see Rusty!” Calliope howled with rage, but Virginia did not say a word. She closed her door, and came around to help Calliope out of the car. Despite the disappointment Calliope felt, her disappointment was fleeting when she saw her friends Boo and Smarky.
“See? Your friends are here. Now go run and play with them for a bit,” Virginia said softly in Calliope’s ear.
“Ugh, FINE!” Calliope huffed. She ran to her friends. “Hey Boo! Hey, Smarky! Let’s go for a run. I’m stressed out.”
“Why?” Boo yawned. “It’s a perfect spring day. AHH-CHOO!”
“Hay fever,” Smarky trilled. “Boo has the hay fever! Let’s race, Callie. Go!”
The afternoon came and went, and Rusty’s scent grew stronger. Calliope was sure of it. Oh how she longed to cuddle with him, to smoother him in kisses, and to go for long and winding walks with him. He was the only boy for her, and even Virginia couldn’t come between the love Rusty and Calliope had for each other.
As Calliope and Virginia made their way home from the park, Virginia made assurances that Rusty’s plane had landed, and that he was on his way home. Just as they were. Calliope perked up at this news.
“Drive faster, woman!” she nudged, but they were already pulling into the driveway. Another car was there. It had the unmistakable smell… Rusty was here!
“RUSTY!” Calliope called out. “He’s here! Let’s hurry and go see him!”
“Okay, okay. Please be patient, Callie.” Once again, Virginia came to the back to let Calliope out. As soon as the door opened, Calliope sprang from her seat, and ran to the front door. Tapping on the door, she was practically howling to be let inside.
The door opened, and the wave of Rusty’s essence hit Calliope in full. She paused, however. Something was different. A young woman was standing where Rusty should have been. She smiled at Calliope.
“Well, who are you?” the woman cooed. “You must be Miss Callie. I’ve heard all about you.”
“Wha?!?” Calliope howled in rage. “Who! Are! You?!?”
Virginia reached the front door. “Oh calm down, Calliope. You don’t need to be this rambunctious. We just got back from the park. You must be Sara? Welcome.”
“WHERE IS RUSTY?!?!?!?” Calliope was inconsolable.
“Boy, she has a lot of energy,” Sara mused. “Rusty’s in the bathroom. We just arrived. Thanks for letting me stay here, Mrs. MacDonnell.”
“Oh please call me Virginia. Mr. MacDonnell died years ago. It’s just me and this little fluffy gal now. Oh Calliope, please calm down.”
“Is that Callie I hear? And Mom?” a voice called from behind the stranger at our door.
“Yes. I think your dog really wants to see you, not me.”
Rusty appeared in the doorway, and everything seemed to explode into bits of sunshine and biscuits.
“Finally!” Calliope hooted.
“Hey, puppers! It’s been a while. Come here,” Rusty crouched and beckoned to Calliope. She jumped into his arms, whined softly, and licked Rusty’s face. He smelled slightly like the girl who answered the door, but at this point, Calliope didn’t care. She had Rusty back, and this time, she wouldn’t let him leave. Ever again.
“Surely,” Calliope thought, “No, definitely. I know he will return soon. I can feel it.”
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the pomegranate tree nearby. Flowers bloomed, and the pollen reminded Calliope of Rusty, her one and only. He’d been gone for months, it seemed. Just like the year before. When the branches of the trees swayed last spring, pomegranate flowers shed their pollen then too, and Rusty appeared at the door. Just like that.
“Soon, Callie. You just be patient a little longer,” soothed Virginia, the woman Calliope lived with. “I know you miss him, but you’ll have to wait just a little longer. His plane has been delayed. I just received a call from him. Looks like his layover in Philadelphia has been extended a while longer.”
Calliope sighed heavily. She couldn’t wait for Rusty too much longer. Why he had to abandon her for college was beyond Calliope’s understanding. Virginia was a gentle friend, but this long-distance thing with Rusty wasn’t going to pan out if he didn’t come home soon.
“Let’s go to Philadelphia then,” Calliope whined. “You can drive, right?”
“You want to go?” Virginia asked. “Give me a moment, and I’ll grab my keys.”
“YES!” Calliope danced. “We were going to get Rusty! Stupid Philadelphia, we’re coming for you now!”
Virginia opened the door, and Calliope ran to the car singing. “He’s a comin’ home, yes! He’s a comin’ home!”
Indeed, Rusty’s scent seemed to be growing stronger. Never mind that Philadelphia was about a thousand miles away, it was significantly closer than Manhattan, where Rusty had been studying these past few months.
Virginia reached the car, and she helped Calliope into the backseat. Ever impatient, Calliope grunted that she ‘could seat herself, thank you very much, please start driving already!’ But Virginia paid Calliope no mind.
“Oh, do hold your horses, Callie. I’m moving fast as I can.”
Calliope calmed down after the engine to the car started. ‘Finally,’ she thought, ‘now let’s go to Philadelphia!’
They drove to the park instead. When Virginia put the car in park, Calliope was inconsolable.
“What is this? I don’t want to go to the park! I want to go see Rusty!” Calliope howled with rage, but Virginia did not say a word. She closed her door, and came around to help Calliope out of the car. Despite the disappointment Calliope felt, her disappointment was fleeting when she saw her friends Boo and Smarky.
“See? Your friends are here. Now go run and play with them for a bit,” Virginia said softly in Calliope’s ear.
“Ugh, FINE!” Calliope huffed. She ran to her friends. “Hey Boo! Hey, Smarky! Let’s go for a run. I’m stressed out.”
“Why?” Boo yawned. “It’s a perfect spring day. AHH-CHOO!”
“Hay fever,” Smarky trilled. “Boo has the hay fever! Let’s race, Callie. Go!”
The afternoon came and went, and Rusty’s scent grew stronger. Calliope was sure of it. Oh how she longed to cuddle with him, to smoother him in kisses, and to go for long and winding walks with him. He was the only boy for her, and even Virginia couldn’t come between the love Rusty and Calliope had for each other.
As Calliope and Virginia made their way home from the park, Virginia made assurances that Rusty’s plane had landed, and that he was on his way home. Just as they were. Calliope perked up at this news.
“Drive faster, woman!” she nudged, but they were already pulling into the driveway. Another car was there. It had the unmistakable smell… Rusty was here!
“RUSTY!” Calliope called out. “He’s here! Let’s hurry and go see him!”
“Okay, okay. Please be patient, Callie.” Once again, Virginia came to the back to let Calliope out. As soon as the door opened, Calliope sprang from her seat, and ran to the front door. Tapping on the door, she was practically howling to be let inside.
The door opened, and the wave of Rusty’s essence hit Calliope in full. She paused, however. Something was different. A young woman was standing where Rusty should have been. She smiled at Calliope.
“Well, who are you?” the woman cooed. “You must be Miss Callie. I’ve heard all about you.”
“Wha?!?” Calliope howled in rage. “Who! Are! You?!?”
Virginia reached the front door. “Oh calm down, Calliope. You don’t need to be this rambunctious. We just got back from the park. You must be Sara? Welcome.”
“WHERE IS RUSTY?!?!?!?” Calliope was inconsolable.
“Boy, she has a lot of energy,” Sara mused. “Rusty’s in the bathroom. We just arrived. Thanks for letting me stay here, Mrs. MacDonnell.”
“Oh please call me Virginia. Mr. MacDonnell died years ago. It’s just me and this little fluffy gal now. Oh Calliope, please calm down.”
“Is that Callie I hear? And Mom?” a voice called from behind the stranger at our door.
“Yes. I think your dog really wants to see you, not me.”
Rusty appeared in the doorway, and everything seemed to explode into bits of sunshine and biscuits.
“Finally!” Calliope hooted.
“Hey, puppers! It’s been a while. Come here,” Rusty crouched and beckoned to Calliope. She jumped into his arms, whined softly, and licked Rusty’s face. He smelled slightly like the girl who answered the door, but at this point, Calliope didn’t care. She had Rusty back, and this time, she wouldn’t let him leave. Ever again.