The Dog, Ray by Linda Coggin

Author:Linda Coggin [Coggin, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-7636-8715-1
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2015-10-16T04:00:00+00:00

This place is by the ocean. I can smell the sea air and it puts a spring in my step.

“It’s a little late to make phone calls now, Ray,” Pip says to me. “But we’ll find a pay phone and start in the morning. We’d better find somewhere to sleep.”

There is a pier and a long boardwalk by the beach. Down on the sand there is a food truck. Pip has just enough money for fries and a hot dog. He saves all his change for the phone. We sit on the beach and watch the waves breaking against the shore. Pip gives me half his hot dog and some of his fries.

“Things’ll get better, don’t you worry,” he says.

But I am worried. I’m worried that Pip won’t be able to find his dad and then he’ll be taken back to his foster parents. I wouldn’t be allowed to visit him there. I decide that if I can help it, I won’t ever let Pip out of my sight. But before that I just have to run along the shore.

A breeze has blown up now. The beach is becoming deserted and we wander back into town. We walk down side streets and across squares until we come to the back of a huge hotel. There is a grate in the pavement with hot air blowing out of it.

“Here we are, Ray. We’ll sleep here for the night.”

Pip takes out his sleeping bag and an old towel for me to sleep on. It’s quite warm by the grate, but there’s a chill in the air. I give Pip’s face a lick. It tastes salty. I can see a big tear rolling down his cheek.

“I miss Mom,” he whispers, and makes room for me in his sleeping bag. I crawl in next to him and rest my chin on his hand.

We are woken early by seagulls screaming at a trash truck. We go back to the beach. I look in the barrels that the garbagemen haven’t emptied yet. I’m surprised Pip doesn’t want any of it. There’s tons of good stuff in here. I hastily eat a potato skin and a stale muffin. Really, I can’t imagine why I was so disgusted by trash. It’s a positive haven of things to eat. Even if it’s just licking something off a paper bag.

When we get to the beach Pip throws stones into the ocean. He makes them skim across the top of the water. I can still remember my dream about Jack and wonder if he’s out there somewhere in a big wooden ship with acres of sails. I see another dog on the sand and run off to chase it. Then the dog chases me, and before we know it there are three or four other dogs all chasing one another. I hear Pip call, “Ray! Come on!”

The other dogs know it’s not a call for them and keep on running around in circles. I’m proud that Pip is calling for me and I show off by sprinting very fast across the sand, shouting as I go.

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