Tessa Veerbeek “Hey, Little Man”

HEY, LITTLE MAN ____________________________________________________________ by Tessa Veerbeek, Grade 11

Imagine finding it at the bus stop. Who would’ve thought there, of all places, she would find the light of her life?

An infinite veil of pale blue shone overhead, keeping watch over the planet. Periodically, white orbs could be seen floating in the atmosphere. The air smelled of pollen and wet grass. It smelled like spring.

Trees covered with small buds of green that will grow to create a green canopy of leaves could be seen all around. The intense sun gleamed down on the bus shelter where a tall girl, no older than sixteen, stood.

Strawberry blonde hair fell softly on her shoulders, small knots forming in her wavy hair throughout the day. Freckled skin, illuminated by the artificial lighting of her phone, held reminders of her daring adventures. Honey eyes darted across the screen, skimming the options before them, attempting to find the perfect song.

After a lot of scrolling, she finally found what she had been looking for, even though she had had no idea what this something was when she started her search. A thumb, adorned with a golden band, tapped the play button and the music started.

The music boomed loudly through her headphones. She realized she should probably decrease the volume, but hey, what’s life if you don’t take risks? Her hair danced across her features as she swayed to the rhythm of the melody.

Not paying attention to her surroundings, she didn’t notice the liquid chocolate pools staring at her in desperation. The silver ball of fluff had finally amassed the courage to make its way toward the young woman.

Clumsily, the animal closed the distance between the two, one small step at a time. The girl had not yet noticed the approaching entity looking up at her, too focused on the music bellowing in her ears like turbojet engines.

Her eyes continued to lay upon the screen, lazily scanning her Twitter feed as she eagerly waited for her bus. The blonde girl wanted to return home, where she could cocoon in as many blankets and throw pillows as possible.

As she mindlessly surfed the Internet, she finally noticed something moving out of her peripheral vision. Turning her head so she could identify what was making its way into her personal bubble, her eyes were met with the sight of a small animal, an adorable grey puppy.

Her honey eyes met its chocolate ones, and she fell in love. Ever since she was a child, she had loved all animals. Even to this day, she prefers the company of animals to that of people.

Her eyes quickly focused on the small ball of fur, analyzing it. She noticed its fur was dirty and matted. The puppy resembled a skeleton; it was so thin, it seems like the critter hadn’t eaten in days. But what had saddened her most was the puppy’s eyes. They held an indescribable sadness.

She felt a dull ache in her chest when gazing down at the puppy. Ever so slowly, so as not to frighten it, she slipped her phone into her pocket and crouched down. She held out her hand for the dog to sniff, showing that she meant no harm. Cautiously, the sad-eyed animal

HEY, LITTLE MAN ____________________________________________________________ by Tessa Veerbeek, Grade 11

approached her outstretched hand and brought its nose down to her fingers.

Realizing she had no malicious intent, the dog gently and lovingly nudged its snout against her knuckles.

With the softest voice she could muster, the teen attempted to comfort the dog.

“Hey little…” she whispered, realizing that she did not know the sex of the animal. Delicately, she placed the smooth hands under the front limbs and slowly lifted the puppy off the ground.

“S’up, little man, what are you doing out here all alone?” she questioned, as if she didn’t already know that the pup had been abandoned.

The little pup let out a high-pitched whine as if trying to speak. The girl brought the puppy closer to her chest, cuddling him like a baby.

“How would you like to come home with me?” she cooed. She didn’t care if her mother complained about the stray living in their home.

She couldn’t bring herself to leave her new-found love on the streets. She decided she would keep him. Give him a warm, loving home that they both deserved.

artwork by Kevin Yu, Grade 11