Page 14 of Whispered Southern Secrets

There’sthe woman I used to be. The woman I am. And then there’s the woman who I want to be. For reasons I can’t explain, I feel a sense of purpose here in Magnolia Grove. It seems like everyone has found there’s, but I’m still looking for mine.

The morning air feels nice as I walk aimlessly around Magnolia Grove. My auburn hair is swept up in a high pony tailon top of my head. I’m wearing black shorts and a pale blue shirt that has a ball of yarn and crochet hooks that reads “I’m a HOOKER in my spare time.” Another gift from Mimi. Pepaw didn’t think it was funny.

There’s a foul whiff in the air and I worry the sewer ditch might be backed up. I’m about to turn around when I hear a faint sound. Anxiety courses through me as I wait for the sound again. There it is. A faint whimper. It’s coming from the ditch. I walk to the edge and hold my breath. There’s the source of the sound. A sweet little puppy is trapped. He looks like a beagle or some kind of hound dog. It’s hard to tell because he’s covered in mud. Or at least I hope it’s mud. He keeps trying to climb up but it’s too slick that he can’t get his claws to grip. Fear like I’ve never felt grabs hold of me. If I go for help it might be too late. There’s only one thing to do, I’m going in.

I take my phone out of my back pocket and place it on the ground. “Don’t worry. I’m coming little cutie.”

The smell is nauseating as I crouch down. “Easy does it,” I tell myself. It’s early, so the ground is coated in a cold morning dew. As I try lowering myself down, I realize all too late that it’s a lot deeper than it looks. I lose my footing and take a ride down the worst smelling slide of my life. The only saving grace is that I keep my chin up and no water splashes my face. Immediately I begin to gag and regret my decision.

A tiny whimper followed by a bark, however, makes all the foulness of the situation disappear. The puppy is alarmed by me joining him. I don’t blame him. No doubt I look like a crazy person.

“It’s okay. Hey, it’s okay, baby. I’m here to rescue you.”

As if he considers that a worse face he scurries away from me. Struggling to stay out of the water, climbing the muddy wall, and avoiding me, his little legs work so hard.

“Let me save you!” I call out. “I love you! I just want to help you! I wouldn’t wade in a shit ditch for just anyone!”

A part of me wants to cry with how gross my skin feels. Each step has me wanting to gag. The puppy must take pity on me because he stops moving away from me. He whimpers and gives little barks, but he doesn’t move. The closer I get, I see that he is very small, barely old enough to leave his mom. I scoop him into my arms and whisper my new found love and devotion to him.

“Little stinker,” I coo. “Yeah, you’re a little stinker. Don’t worry. We are kindred spirits. I, too, always find myself getting into deep shit. Trouble just seems to find us, huh? Yeah.”

Now to see if I can climb up this with a puppy in one arm. I dig my fingers into the damp soil and pull myself upward. I’m able to hoist myself up once more before we slip and slide down again. We don’t fall on our butts because I’m able this time to slow the fall by gripping the soil.

By my fourth try, I hear heavy footfalls. Someone is jogging. “Hey! Hey! Help!”

I’m motivated by the thought of help to climb even harder as I call for help. A pair of gorgeous blue eyes peep over at us. I look up to the sky and silently say,not funny.

“Honey?” J.D. stares at me in the ditch, and then at the puppy in my arm, then at the ditch, and then back to my eyes. “Do I even want to ask?”

“It’s a shitty situation. But I’ll be forever grateful if you’ll take Little Stinker so I can climb the rest of the way out.”

“Trouble,” he says as he shakes his head.

“No, I named him Little Stinker.” I think about it for a minute.” But you’re right, maybe he should be named Trouble.”

“Those are all terrible names.”

“Well we can discuss his name after we get him—and me—out of here.”

J.D. lies flat on his stomach and then leans over as far as he can to grab the puppy from me. I begin my climb and am shocked when two very large and capable hands wrap around my wrists and hoist me up. What is this man, a giant?

I hurry over to my new puppy and take him into my arms. “Whew-wee! We’ve got to get home and get a bath.”

“Maybe rinse off with a water hose first. Do a little pre-rinse cycle.”

That’s probably a good idea. I realize I’m standing here disgusting in front of him. “Thank you for coming to our rescue.”

J.D. sinks his teeth into his bottom lip and looks like he’s struggling to hold back his laughter. “Nice shirt.”

I realize I’m wearing my crochet themed shirt, that reads “I’m a HOOKER in my spare time.” I smile brightly. “Thank you.”

“And nice puppy.”

“Yes! I heard him crying and went to his rescue.”

“Then I heard you and went to your rescue.”

“Yeah… Don’t let that go to your head.”

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