登陆注册
972700000045

第45章 你是我生命中的阳光 (15)

They drove the 108 miles to Rawlings, Wyoming. There they rendezvoused with a woman named Cathy, who’d come 118 miles from Casper to meet them. Cathy laughed when she saw Snoopy. “What a funny-looking little serious creature you are to be traveling in such style,” she teased. “Imagine, private chauffeurs across five states.” But that evening, when she phoned Rod in Indiana to report that Snoopy had arrived safely in Casper, she called her "a dear old girl" , and admitted that, “If she were mine, I’d go to a lot of trouble to get her back, too.”

Snoopy went to bed at Cathy’s house a nondescript little brown-and-white dog, very long in the tooth, and woke the next morning a celebrity. Word of the seventeen-year-old puppy with a bad cold who was being shuttled across mid-America to rejoin her family had reached the news media. After breakfast, dazed by the camera but, as always, polite, Snoopy sat on a desk at the Casper Humane Society and obligingly cocked her head and showed off the new leash that was a gift from Cathy. And that night, in Fort Wayne, the Topps were caught between laughter and tears as they saw their old girl peer out at them from the television set.

With the interview behind her, Snoopy set out for North Platte, 350 miles away, in the company of a humane society official in Casper who had volunteered for the longest single hop on Snoopy’s journey. The two of them stopped overnight and arrived in North Platte at noon the next day. More reporters and cameramen awaited them, but as soon as she’d been interviewed. Snoopy was back on the road for a 138-mile trip to Grand Island.

Twice more that day she was passed along, arriving in Lincoln, Nebraska, after dark and so tired that she curled up in the first doggie bed she saw despite the growls of its rightful owner.

With a gift of a new wicker sleeping basket and a note “Happy to be part of the chain reuniting Snoopy with her family,” Nebraska passed the little dog on to Iowa. After a change of car and driver in Des Moines, Snoopy sped on and by nightfall was in Cedar Rapids.

At nightfall of her fifth day on the road, Snoopy was in Chicago, her next-to-last stop. Whether it was that she was getting close to home or just because her cold had run its course, she was clearly better. Indeed, the vet who examined her told the reporters that, “For an old lady who’s been traveling all week and has come more than 1 300 miles, she’s in grand shape. She’s going to make it home tomorrow just fine.” The Topps, watching the nightly update of Snoopy’s journey on the Fort Wayne TV station, broke into cheers.

The next day was Saturday, March 17th. In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, the little dog sported a new green coat with a green derby pinned to the collar. The Chicago press did one last interview with her, and then Snoopy had nothing to do but nap until Rod’s assistant, Skip, arrived from Fort Wayne to drive her the 160 miles home.

Hours before Snoopy and Skip were expected in Fort Wayne, the Topps were waiting excitedly at the humane shelter. Jodi and Matthew worked on a room-sized banner that, when it was unfurled, read: WELCOME HOME, SNOOPY! FROM ROCK SPRINGS, WYOMING, TO FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, VIA THE PUPPY EXPRESS, with her route outlined across the bottom and their signatures in the corner. Reporters from the Fort Wayne TV stations and newspaper, the Topps, friends and family and the shelter’s staff all crowded into the shelter’s waiting room.

Somewhere amid the fuss and confusion, Rod found time to draw Nancy aside and give her word that Snoopy would be arriving home with her boarding bill marked “Paid in Full ”. An anonymous friend of the Humane Society in Casper had taken care of it.

Then the CB radio crackled, and Skip’s voice filled the crowded room. “Coming in! The Puppy Express is coming in!”

Nancy and Joe and the children rushed out in the subfreezing air, the reporters on their heels. Around the comer came the pickup truck, lights flashing, siren sounding. “Snoopy’s coming home!” screamed the children, “Snoopy’s coming home!”

And there the little dog was, sitting up on the front seat in her St. Patrick’s day outfit, peering nearsightedly out of the window at all the commotion. After two months of separation from her family, after a week on the road, after traveling across five states for 1 500 miles in the company of strangers, Snoopy’s odyssey was over.

Nancy got to the truck first. In the instant before she snatched the door open, Snoopy recognized her. Barking wildly, she scrambled across tile seat and into Nancy’s arms. Then Joe was there, and the children. Laughing, crying, they hugged Snoopy and each other. The family that didn’t give up on even its smallest member was back together again.

托普斯一家站在路边,眼睁睁地看着他们的卡车发动机颤抖着熄了火。南希和乔夫妇带着他们的两个孩子,12岁的约迪和15岁的马修,还有老狗史努比,在离家1,500英里远的怀俄明州的一条公路上,就这样陷入了困境。就连擅长修车的乔对他们这辆破卡车都无能为力。那只患有白内障的小狗用晦暗的眼神焦虑地望着家人们的脸。

托普斯一家正在旅途中。5个月前,乔的一个外甥告诉他说纳帕山谷有工作可干,于是他们便决定冒险去看看。他们带着孩子和史努比从印第安纳州的韦恩堡的家出发,赶往加利福尼亚州。可到了那里,乔并没如愿地找到仓管工作。南希和孩子都非常想家,而且他们的积蓄也快用完了。到了1月份,原来的美好愿望都落空了,于是他们决定返回韦恩堡。

卡车只能将他们带到怀俄明州的罗克斯普林斯这么远了,他们现在唯一的办法就是把卡车以25美元的价格卖给旧货商,然后搭便车去长途客运站乘客车回家。然而到了车站,迎接他们的有两个坏消息:一是他们手中的钱根本不够买四张去韦恩堡的车票;二是车上根本不允许带狗。

“但我们必须让史努比和我们一起走啊!”南希哭着哀求售票员。

乔把南希从售票窗口拉走说:“为史努比操心没用,我们先得想办法使我们四口人坐上车才是。”一家人实在想不出什么好办法了,就打电话给旅行者援助组织寻求帮助。该组织立即伸出了援助之手,当地援助组织的代表给他们安排了房间过夜。房间里堆满了小包大包的东西,他们打电话给老家的亲戚,亲戚们答应给他们凑路费,然后第二天汇过来。

“史努比怎么办?”等他们一挂电话,马修就迫不及待地问道。

“我们不能没有史努比,”约迪有气无力地说道。史努比17岁了,心脏不太好,肾脏也有毛病,因此托普斯全家都为它感到忧虑。

同类推荐
  • 社会交往英语口语即学即用

    社会交往英语口语即学即用

    取材于人们所从事的社交活动的方方面面,范围广、实用性强。共包括7个部分:社交惯用语、家庭交往、社会生活、电话交往、商务交往、出行交往和社交语气。希望该书对具有中低层次英语水平的读者提高英语口语水平有所帮助。
  • 用英语介绍中国这里是广州

    用英语介绍中国这里是广州

    外国人面前,你能否用一口流利的英文介绍自己所在的城市呢?走出国门,你是否能够让更多的外国人了解广州灿烂悠久的文化?本书为读者奉上原汁原味的人文阅读精华,详细介绍了人们最感兴趣的广州历史文化、城市风景、广州生活、名人逸事等,带您全方位地了解广州。读者在学习英语的同时,又能品味这座南方文化名城的独特魅力。
  • 终成眷属

    终成眷属

    《终成眷属》讲述了美丽而有才干的女主人公如何费尽心机去争取一个出身高贵、狂妄肤浅的纨绔子弟的爱情。
  • 我的故事

    我的故事

    海伦·凯勒——人类永远的骄傲!了解了海伦·凯勒语录,你就了解了这本书,你也就了解了海伦·凯勒其人:黑暗将使人更加珍惜光明,寂静将使人更加喜爱声音。身体上的不自由终究是一种缺憾。我不敢说从没有怨天尤人或沮丧的时候,但我更明白这样根本于事无补,因此我总是极力控制自己,使自己的脑子不要去钻这种牛角尖。忘我就是快乐。因而我要把别人眼睛看见的光明当作我的太阳,别人耳朵听见的音乐当作我的乐曲,别人嘴角的微笑当作我的快乐。如果静止的美已是那么可爱的话,那么看到运动中的美肯定更令人振奋和激动。
  • 英语短语动词精选

    英语短语动词精选

    学好了英语短语动词,也就学好了英语,《英语短语动词精选》精选1194个英语短语动词词条,较之其他英语短语动词书,本书独特的地方在于给每个词条标注了”不及物”或“及物”,对于用作及物动词的短语,又进一步标注了”不可分”,”可分”和”必分”三种情况,使得这本书具有了更大的学习价值。本书由李道庸编著。
热门推荐
  • 遇见你是心动的感觉

    遇见你是心动的感觉

    【全文完结】新书《萌妻娇俏:帝少,我嘴挑》已发布。她优雅站在他面前,挡住他的视线“帅哥,晚上有空吗?”他扫了她一眼冷冷道:“滚!”五年后,他将她堵在回家的路上,“女人,晚上有空么?”她身后蹦跶出一可爱萌宝摇头道:“没空,蜀黍,我们没空!”某男愤怒掀桌:“连罪证都有了,现在……你有空了吧!”
  • 小社工的大世界

    小社工的大世界

    她,社会工作专业毕业,陪朋友面试,机缘之下进入了社工行业。面对着智力障碍孩子的“小心计”,挑战着一个又一个的“第一次”……职场小新丁,却也越挫越勇!助人的满足、渐入佳境的亲情、友情与爱情。开始懂了……原来,竟然是这样的社会工作啊!
  • 快穿攻略:男神我宠你!

    快穿攻略:男神我宠你!

    〖跳出轮回,意外绑定系统,扭转时空,回到前世,复仇嗦泡谈恋爱……“好喜欢你~”少年歪着头,甜甜的笑着。“我对你的喜欢,有那么那么大!”年幼的霸道总裁笨拙的比划着,眼里似有星辰大海。“你不要走好不好?”外人面前冰冷无情的魔君委屈巴巴的,语气中满是讨好的意味。……“不准亲我!”小可爱瞪着水汪汪的卡姿兰大眼睛,捂着红肿的唇,眼里流露出期待。厍醉:……口是心非,不过……老子喜欢……我只做你一个人的白痴——厍醉我只做你一个人的傻猪猪——男主〗〖双重人格〗
  • 在他怀里撒个娇

    在他怀里撒个娇

    寒月新文:《天才医女:懒妃狠绝色》希望大家继续支持,谢谢大家!【本文略虐,入坑慎重】为救哥哥她被迫与他结婚,新婚夜,他说:“我不是柳下惠,做不到不碰你。”从此她成为他的私养娇妻,他冷酷、霸道、势力滔天,逼走哥哥,迫她怀孕,却在她怀孕三个月时,带着其他女人回来,而那个女人已有孕五个月。她悲愤交加撂下一句:“渣男,姐不侍侯了。”便消失的无影无踪,他邪邪一笑:“女人,在我没玩腻之前,你想往哪里跑。”
  • 穿书老祖的星际修真日常

    穿书老祖的星际修真日常

    星际,修仙,炼丹,美食,傀儡 修真界青云派老祖田甜从21世纪胎穿过来修炼了一千年,好不容易要飞升成仙,居然被雷劈到了星际时代,后来头疼发现她穿越到一本书里,成了从小虐待反派大佬的炮灰姐姐。这里灵气浓郁,遍地灵草,可惜星际人都不识货,她利用自己练的丹药,美食,机关傀儡在星际混的风声水起,一不小心就成了全民女神。她练的丹药,众人哄抢。她制作的美食,受全世界追捧。她制作的机关傀儡,比机器人更受欢迎。
  • 淘宝开店一点通

    淘宝开店一点通

    《淘宝开店一点通》围绕“如何成功在淘宝网上开店”这一主题,阐释了如何开店,如何打造人气旺铺的方法和技巧。并分享资深店主的成功经验,涉及行业内资料收集、整理、分析和实践的各个方面,是淘宝店主经营淘宝店的必备手册。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 往事如秋天

    往事如秋天

    一些周边的人,周边的事,道听途说,扑风捉影,人生入局,步步惊心,人生如戏,我喜欢听到你的喝彩。
  • 怪力女帝妖孽你站住

    怪力女帝妖孽你站住

    她一个怪力女萝莉,从出生那刻起就身赋巨力。片段一“这个石头一点也不重啊!”云忆新“……”众人,这颗陨星石重达十万斤。你力大你说了算。
  • 敕赐滁阳王庙碑

    敕赐滁阳王庙碑

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。