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Making Amends
by Gabrielle Browne
“I’m here for my community
service. My name is Melissa Zur—”
“I know who you are,” the plump woman behind the counter
snapped. (Obviously it didn’t matter that people and their pets
sat nearby in the waiting room.) “Melissa Zurek, our graffiti
artist.”
Melissa bit her lip in order to not respond and nodded. She
fingered the silver cross that her aunt had given her the day of
the juvenile hearing. Melissa’s long brown hair hid her eyes. Her
backpack contained a brand new can of red spray paint. I guess
I’ll be carrying out my plan after all. I told Aunt Mary that there
wasn’t such a thing as real forgiveness, she thought.
Earlier in the car, her mother had warned her. “I’ll pick you up at
noon,” she said. “Be on your best behavior. They might not be
nice to you, but the judge and Dr. Tyler worked out a special
service deal. Don’t mess it up just because you’re mad at
Brian.”
Melissa had answered, “I won’t mess it up.”
“You know, when you do wrong, you have to make up for
it.”
Melissa sighed, “I know. That’s all I’ve been hearing
lately.”
Ticked Off
Her mother had stopped in front of Dr. Tyler’s Animal Clinic. A
month ago Melissa had driven here late at night while the rest of
the school enjoyed Homecoming. Brian Tyler had invited her to
go to the dance with him. When he didn’t arrive to pick her up,
she drove to the school herself. When she saw him dancing with
Shannon, Melissa didn’t know what to do. She drove to his
father’s clinic, full of anger.
The woman stood up. “My name is Mrs. Parsons. I’m in
charge of your service hours. Follow me.”
Melissa took a quick look behind her. A few people
watched her, but most were more interested in their pets.
Bitterness swept over Melissa. I can’t believe I thought they’d
forgive me. These people are so into their pets, they won’t even
notice my finishing the job! I wonder if Brian is here.
Melissa hurried after Mrs. Parsons to see where she was to
go. She ended up in what looked like a kitchen. A box of
doughnuts lay open on the table. Melissa realized she hadn’t
eaten breakfast.
Second Chance
“Put your lunch in here,” Mrs. Parsons motioned to the
refrigerator.
“I don’t have one today.”
Melissa regretted refusing Aunt Mary’s offer to make her a
lunch. “Even the Lord ate,” she had said cheerfully.
“Right,” Melissa had said, “but Jesus never spray painted an
office building before.”
Back at the vet’s office, Mrs. Parsons seemed to soften.
“Oh, well, next Saturday.”
If I do what I’m planning, she thought, there won’t be a
next time. I’ll be in juvenile hall instead. That’ll show Brian. I
won’t have to come here again.
The woman interrupted her thoughts: “You’ll need your strength
today. Have a doughnut.”
Her voice had been gentler, and her sudden kindness
caught Melissa off guard. She took one and devoured it.
“Um, shall we continue?” the woman said.
They reached the kennel area. A cage housed only one
small dog. It cowered in the back corner, baring its teeth as the
two entered.
“What’s wrong with that dog?” Melissa asked.
“Tucker can’t control his temper. We’re observing him for
two weeks to see what he might need.”
Just throw him into a cage, Melissa
thought.
Angry
“These cages will be used in the coming days. They need to be
cleaned and sanitized,” Mrs. Parsons said.
She handed Melissa a plastic bucket, a large bottle of liquid
cleanser, a sponge with a bristle brush and yellow plastic
gloves.
“Don’t bother Tucker. He may be dangerous.”
That’s what the cops said about me, Melissa
thought.
Melissa nodded, and Mrs. Parsons left. Melissa looked at the dog
in the cage.
“I don’t want to be here either. Is cleaning cages really going to
make up for what I did?”
In disgust, Melissa threw the bucket across the room. The dog
whimpered and moved as far back as possible in the cage.
Melissa’s heart jumped.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. You don’t look so dangerous,” she
told him. “I guess I’ll get your room tidy for you. Maybe it’ll
make you feel better.”
The dog stared at her. Melissa looked at her backpack.
“I have more paint. Where should I spray? I don’t want to scare
you again. I guess we’re here for the same reason. I know that
when my family does nice things for me, I feel better. I wish I
could give them something back sometimes.”
Her thoughts went back to that night. His dad’s clinic seemed an
easy target to get back at Brian. She just wanted to spray a
message to Brian. He needed to know how much he had hurt
her.
She hadn’t thought about how animals needed constant care.
There had been a kennel worker taking care of the boarded
animals late that night. He had called the police.
New Friend
She looked at the dog. “What’s the matter with you? You have it
easy. No dances, no community service, no problems. Why are
you so mean?”
The dog watched her and cocked its head. He moved guardedly
to the front of the cage.
“I know what you’ll like—some music.” She began to hum
as she returned to her work.
When the final cage was sanitized, she returned her cleaning
supplies to the janitorial closet. As she returned to make sure
everything was sparkling, she looked at Tucker. He was leaning
against the cage door.
“Are you lonely? Do you want a scratch?”
The dog wagged his tail, and Melissa reached in and pet his
head.
“What do you think I should do, Tucker?”
At the sound of his name, the dog licked her hand. “I know, I
know. You’re not really mean. You’re just scared.”
She had spent only a few minutes talking with Tucker when
she sensed she wasn’t alone. “I’ve never seen him act that way
with anyone—not even his owner,” Mrs. Parsons
exclaimed.
Melissa’s hand jumped out of the cage. “I’m sorry. I know
you said not to pet him, but he looked lonely.”
Mrs. Parsons smiled. “Well, I guess he just needed a new
friend. I’ll be sure to tell Dr. Tyler.”
She turned to leave.
Apology
“Mrs. Parsons,” Melissa stopped the woman, “I’m sorry for what I
did. I mean, I don’t think that cleaning cages makes up for it,
but I don’t know how else to show everyone.”
“It takes a while to prove to others that you’ve changed.
The important thing is that you and God know that you
have.”
Mrs. Parsons walked out of the room.
She sat next to Tucker’s cage, scratching behind his ear.
“All you needed was someone to be nice to you. And you’re nice
to me. If I spray paint again, who will show them the real
you?”
Tucker wagged his tail.
“This is the real you. I think that you see the real me.”
At noon, she checked out with Mrs. Parsons.
The woman said, “Dr. Tyler wants you to know that you
could take Tucker out in the back for a walk next Saturday—or
during the week, if you’d like to come back earlier.”
“Really? I know he’d like to get out of his cage. I’ll be back
tomorrow.”
Without any spray paint, she thought.
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