Perspective

by Judy Ma

Red leaves, brown leaves, light leaves, dark leaves, they were all chasing after each other in the wind like a million-man marathon, all dancing together in the autumn wind. White patches of thin clouds filled the vast blue sky, moving along with the same cool wind. Children dressed in thick wool coats and cotton mittens were playing besides their older siblings, who were grudgingly raking the leaves that have fallen onto the once vibrant green yards. Bits of dry grass mingling together with dirt covered shoelaces; pieces of crunchy leaves decorated loose strands of hair. Her eyes moved across the neighborhood, absorbing all the intricate colors of the season. Katherine stood on her porch that mid-November afternoon, watching her neighbors do their daily chores with a soft smile across her face. As the wind kicked up, she felt the coolness brush against her bare neck. She took her waist long hair down from her ponytail and crossed her arms unconsciously to prevent herself from catching a cold from the cool wind.

The townspeople knew Katherine as Kate, though, ever since she could run down to the shops in her baby blue dresses and black shiny shoes, her hazelnut brown pigtails slowly following from behind. She would skip to Mr. Pollock’s liquor store to buy sweets with her weekly allowance that she earned from helping around the house. Barrels of chocolates and colorful candy filled the crowded wooden room. Milk chocolate toffees and green apple lollipops were her favorite. Adults never saw her misbehave by using profane language or sticking chewing gum on the sidewalks, and the older children loved being able to baby-sit her while Mr. and Mrs. Walter were out on their weekly dates. Everyone loved Kate, yet she was modest enough not to realize.

Over the years Kate acquired various cuts and scars across her hands and knees from falls and even the more simple tasks such as opening a letter. Kate would run down the stairs every morning, always managing to forget about the last couple of steps and catching herself fall. At formal events, Kate would try to eat ladylike, but would end up knocking over a cup with her elbow or leaving a trail of food from her plate to her mouth. Everyone thought that was cute and it was just her personality. After all, her father was just as clumsy, it was in her blood.

Together the three Walters lived together in a old Victorian house where Mrs. Walter would spend most of her day outside, tending to her lush garden in the front yard. There were flowers of all kinds: roses, tulips, daffodils, carnations, lilies. There would be days where the retired Kern couple from two houses down would take their daily walk around town and often see the two Walter gals outside in matching straw hats, kneeling on protective rubber cushions The two would be talking about school and little crushes while Mr. Walter was out talking to clients as a business man. Over little time, Kate caught on quickly to her mother’s expertise and had considered herself an expert florist as she maneuver herself from this bed to that, tending each individual’s plant’s specific needs. When one flower looked too dry or too small compared to it’s neighbors, Kate would add more fertilizer until she thought that the little guy could survive on it’s own. Kate was merely in seventh grade, no older than thirteen.

That cool November day Kate had decided to not dirty her appearance by going outside but instead she decided to finish knitting a scarf as a present for her mother. She closed the heavy door, creating a physical barrier from the chilly wind. She went into the living room with a shiver and sat in the redwood rocking chair that her great grandpa had hand carved decades ago from what is now a large tree stump in the backyard. The unfinished scarf was in the same neat pile that she had left it in and so Kate picked it up and began working on it again.

“Momma, I’m almost done! Can’t you see how pretty the yellow is with this brown? What did I say at Miss Ann’s yarn store,” Kate said cheerfully

Her wavy waist long hair was still down, lying above her cotton blue blouse and mingled with strands of yarn from the scarf. Kate held the two needles close to her face, making sure that each loop was neatly made around the smooth pointed metal; that each stitch was carefully in place. She tugged the ball of yarn, producing a longer length then she needed for the stitch.

There were tangles of yarn all around her, winding themselves around one arm, around a bare foot, around her small delicate hands. The scarf was almost done, missing perhaps four or five more rows of stitching, just in time for winter. Mrs. Walter couldn’t stand the cold, and often complained about it to Kate.

“That’s wonderful honey, now hurry on and go get washed up for supper. Daddy will be home any minute,” Mrs. Walter said in a stern, motherly tone and went into the kitchen.

“Yessu –,” Kate stood up to head over to the washroom with the unfinished scarf still in her hands as she tried to finish up a stitch, needles still close to her face. And then the town heard a cry that they had never heard before. Neighbors curiously stepped outside from their warm cozy homes, straining their necks in the Walter’s direction hoping to get a better glimpse of what was going on.

“Momma,” Kate said, choked with pain.

The sound of a rusty engine filled the air as Mr. Walter turned the corner. The car dented and scratched in every possible way. He turned off his radio, grabbed his briefcase and headed up the stairs as he always did, whistling.

“I’m – ,” he began to say as he placed his hat onto the coat rack, but when Mr. Walter looked into the living room, his fingers unlocked themselves from his leather briefcase, dropping with a thud on the wax coated mahogany floor. Mrs. Walter was sobbing on the phone with the local doctor; papers flew around as a breeze snuck in through the wide open front door. The unfinished scarf had fallen off the needles, lying on the floor exposing the yellow and brown loops, now coated in an unfamiliar heavy moist liquid.

“My baby! My sweet, sweet baby…” Mr. Walter said in his daughter’s ears, as he held her tightly in his arms.

Everything went black.

* * *

She felt him nuzzle her neck as the warm sun shone through the bedroom window.

“Stop it Your Highness,” Kate giggled as she stretched her arms from under her blankets, scratching Prince Henry behind the ears. Strands of slobber accumulating, running down his jaws. Kate knew that if she didn't move quick then she would be having dog biscuit drool for breakfast, again.

“Down boy, go on now,” she said playfully.

Prince Henry was the Walter’s beloved six year old golden retriever. A few months after Kate’s accident, Mr. Walter had found him whimpering outside their home, no more than a couple of years old, with soft blond fur and a matching collar that only had the initials P.H. on the front side of the metal tag. No previous address, no contact number, only the initials. Seeing how the family never had a dog before, Mr. Walter thought it would be best to ask around the small town whether or not a family was missing a dog.

But all the responses were no.

A week had gone by and still no one claimed this glorious golden retriever. He was well trained and extremely fond of Kate, who ever since the first day had grown attached to him. She would hear his excited painting, his soft tail wagging in the calm air. Kate knew that she was only able to do so much without either her mother’s or father’s physical guidance so Mr. and Mrs. Walter agreed to take in the dog. It took little time to realize that P.H. was just what the family needed. Instead of calling out P.H., Kate called him Prince Henry.

The soft ring from her bronze alarm sounded off, telling Kate that it was now 8AM. She moved her hands across her leather bound book that lay on the end table, fingers brushing against the bumpy title, feeling around for the cold object until finally finding the alarm and turned it off. There was a cool breeze coming through the window, making her two thick braids sway as she got up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She found her slippers and carefully shuffled towards the bathroom where a warm basin of water awaited, the whole time her eyes lightly closed like she normally did, her hands moving flat against the smooth wall. She listened closely to her surroundings and heard her father cursing to no one in particular, probably having stubbed his toe. Carefully Kate washed her face with the soft cotton towel and left the basin with now luke warm water on the edge of the sink. Breakfast was waiting in the kitchen; the cinnamon scent filled the air. Kate had lived in the same house her whole life so she knew her way around even without the help of Prince Henry.

"Breakfast smells wonderful Momma," Kate said as she made her way to the kitchen and took a seat at the table.

"Look at you. Always trying to sweet talk to your Momma like that," Mrs. Walter said trying to hide her smile. "Make sure you fill up 'cause lunch isn't about to be for another few hours. Make sure you tell Miss Lina I say hi, all right?"

"Yessum," Kate said as she held a half filled cup of fresh lemonade with both hands to her lips, being careful not to spill. Even with her own known clumsiness, she had grown accustomed to being extra careful over the years. Prince Henry was already under the kitchen table, hoping that there would be freshly spoiled breakfast underneath the table. He preferred dusty bacon but didn't complain when he found warm pieces of buttered biscuits from Kate.

The Walter gal’s and Prince Henry made their way to the front door after breakfast. Mrs. Walter clamped the leash onto the Prince and placed the handle into her daughter’s extended right hand.

“Please be careful today,” Mrs. Walter wished her daughter with a kiss on the forehead and stood on the porch as Prince Henry naturally led the way.

* * *

“Morning to you Katherine, I mean Miss Walter, I mean Kate,” Todd stuttered and began to blush as he held the door open for Kate and Prince Henry. She let go of the leash and patted Prince Henry on the head eagerly found his cushion where the sun had been shining on, making the bed cozy and warm.

"Mornin' Todd. I don't think that Ms. Lina's here. Am I right?" Kate greeted Todd as she began to untie her hat that shaded her face from the sun. Kate felt for the counter and set her hat down.

"Oh, Ms. Lina just stepped out to talk to the delivery man,” Todd said.

Todd was Jim Harwell’s boy from down the street where Kate lived. He wasn’t the most handsome fellow from the small town but he sure was smart. Spending most of his days in his library studying and collecting butterflies, Todd carried a distinct scent of leather bound books and plexy glass chemicals. Kate and Todd were about the same age, Todd being older by a year or so. Every few days he would bring a finished preserved specimen to Kate and would describe the specimen in great detail, from the scientific name to the distinguished physical traits, and she would run her hands against the smooth surface, complimenting him. Everyday he would stop by the boutique where Kate worked as a florist. Everyday he would give Kate her favorite milk chocolate toffee and hard candy lollipop.

"Um, Kate, I happened to have some, um, extra toffee lying around my study. Would you like one?" Todd said shyly.

Kate was walking around the familiar room, smelling each flower, making sure that they were in the right place and properly arranged. Todd looked in her direction and saw her picking up a pink carnation that was mixed with the pink roses and carefully placed it where with the bouquet of other pink carnations belonged. Todd had the same look of awe across his face when ever he saw Kate do something like that, his mouth slightly opened with curiosity. Her head turned towards Todd’s voice and she gave a polite smile.

"You didn't have to," she replied. The bird from the grandfather clock began to chirp, signaling to Kate that it was now 9AM. "Todd, hurry on to class now before you'll be late and I'll have to listen about how Teacher Priscilla scolded you again."

"Alright then. I'll see you later. Well actually. I’ve been wondering. You see…" Todd searched for the appropriate words aloud, his face flushing pink as he looked at down at his shoes. “Would you like to –,”

Just then, an early customer walked in, sounding the bell that hung above the door. The gentleman tilted his hat to Todd who accidentally brushed against his arm when trying to enter the small store. Todd stopped mid sentence and glanced at two golden letters sewn to the man’s hat in an oddly familiar font. Nodding his head apologetically, Todd was now on his bike speeding down the street with an even deeper shade of pink across his cheeks. As the door closed behind him, the man’s eyes drifted over to the where Prince Henry was and smiled.

"Mornin' Miss. A dozen of red roses and maybe a few lilies? I know they're her favorites," the man said with a deep friendly voice, changing his gaze towards Kate.

"You're not from around here, are you Mister?" Kate asked, noticing the unfamiliar voice, as she began picking out a bouquet of fresh roses which were just opening. The bell echoed in the room as Miss Lina entered the shop.

"Good morning Sir, I trust that you’re being helped by this lovely lady here," Lina asked with the same bright expression that she always had, placing both hands on Kate's shoulders. The man nodded.

"I'm actually – visiting a friend. I'm staying at Joices Inn, right down the road," the stranger chuckled covering his mouth with his hand, looking down at his feet. "I must say though, I have never seen such the town more beautiful. It's been, well, years since I've last visited."

"Oh, that's awfully considerate of you," Kate replied, "Here you are sir, I'm sure your friend will love them.” Kate found the counter again and gently placed down the beautiful bouquet. “Miss Lina will gladly ring you up."

"Thank you, I'll see you around then Miss…," he waited with a slight curious yet expecting look across his face.

"Katherine Walter,” she held out her hand towards the man's voice, her face still facing the bucket of roses, "nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Kate" the man said, as he gave her a kiss on the hand and with that he paid Lina without giving the chance for Kate to ask for his own name.

* * *

Summer slowly ended, and then autumn came again. Todd had finally built enough courage and asked Kate out on a date. The two of them strolled along the park of the small town with approving eyes all around them. Prince Henry leading Kate stuck out his tongue happily, as a sign of approval of the autumn wind against his blond fur. The old Kern couple was resting at a nearby bench, chatting with one another reminiscing about those old days. Early love they called it.

As they reached the end of the park, approaching a small street that separated the park from the town cemetery, Todd noticed the same unique hat with two gold letters sewn into the left corner. The man was crossing the street, from the cemetery, towards the park. The man caught Todd’s curious stare and instantly recognized Kate. Just then, Prince Henry noticed a small squirrel and raced after it, yanking lose from Kate’s hand.

“Oh!” Kate gasped as Todd caught her from a close fall. The man quickened his pace and grabbed Prince Henry’s leash.

“Thank you so much,” Todd said, “now that wasn’t very considerate of you Henry.”

“Hello Kate,” the deep chuckling voice was now familiar, and Kate instantly recognized the man’s voice.

“Oh my! Hello! You’re the man from the store that ordered roses and lilies for your friend. I wasn’t able to ask for your name,” Kate said enthusiastically.

“My apologies, that must have been awfully rude of me. My name is Philip Hanson, people call me P.H. for short,” he patted Prince Henry on the head.

“P.H?” Kate said stunned. “Prince Henry… I mean my dog, wouldn’t happen to be your dog would it?”

“His name’s Prince Henry?” The man chucked and continued playing with the golden retriever. “Actually, he was my wife’s. Our original retriever had just had puppies a few years before my wife passed away, and we managed to train each puppy to help people like… yourself.” The man said calm, choosing each word carefully.

“Oh,” Kate replied.

“Unlike yourself, my wife was born with it. She was never able to experience the beauty at all. As her condition physical condition grew worse, she knew that she wanted to be able to help others like herself. Then I heard about your incident. We decided to leave this little guy in front of your house, anonymously.”

Kate was speechless.

“Thank you,” Todd said

The man looked up from Prince Henry and smiled.

The autumn wind had picked up now, and he bid the two farewells. The leaves chased each other just as the years before, just like every year. Only this year, Kate listened, and she heard it. That was enough for her to absorb the beauty.