Isis and Luke

Prologue: Odd Beginnings

Luke and I never started out as the best of friends when we first met. In fact, I don’t think either one of us knew the other person existed when mother brought him into the old house to live with us for the First time, and when we did it would usually be because one of us were trying to other’s food. I wanted to walk up to him and ask him his name or at least hang out since we’ll be living together, but whenever I tried to, I either came off as too strong and needy, or he just didn’t seem to care at all about knowing me.

Which I thought was silly because I’m Isis; everyone wants to be my friend, everyone wants to talk to me, everybody loves Isis even my own mother. She loves me so much that she met me for the first time, she wanted to take me away from my old house and stay at her old house to live with her forever because we had so much fun together and she didn’t want me to be cooped in a little room all day. (I say old house because I don’t know its real name and we now live in a new house I like the new house better than the old one.)

Even when people don’t want to talk to me or see me right now, they’re always happy to see me anyway because I make people happy and smile all the time. But this guy with his light brown jacket, grey pants, white shirts and shoes with his pink nose, hazel green eyes and baby face features has the nerve to just completely ignore me, try to eat the food that I want and on top of that, everyone that sees him wants to be around him all the time, pinch his cheek, scratch his chin, touch his nose and hold him like he’s some newborn baby and here I am sitting (or in my case running) around like a crazy person trying to get some attention and while it does work, people still divert their attention to something else besides me. I may not be the most important thing in the world but I should be.

Then one late afternoon on a Friday, a few months before we had move, I had just finished getting a bath and I was laying down on a couch in the living room feeling gloomy about myself because mother was mad at me earlier for getting out of the tub and shaking some of the water off instead of using a towel. As I was closing my eyes getting ready to go to sleep, I hear someone sitting down in front of me beginning to lay down as well. Now I not fully sure whether the sound I heard next was a squeaky yawn or a soft spoken “hey”, But I do know that once I opened my eyes to see who it was, to my surprise IT WAS LUKE!!! Sleeping on the floor a few feet away from me about to fall asleep as well. Before he did he looked at me for at least five seconds with a facial expression that meant he was either annoyed to see me, or just tired. I was hoping that he was tired, because i could never fathom anyone being annoyed to see me.

But I think this time the face Luke gave to me showed that he was kind of glad I saw him next to me, even though he was about to fall asleep so he got all squinty eyed about it, and because mother didn’t tell him to go to the living room, I was more glad that Luke was sleeping next to me because he wanted to be around me.

So, as we both closed our eyes and went to sleep until it as dinnertime, I was beginning to feel optimistic that something good could possibly come out of this. Nothing Romantic I may add (He was never my type and the feeling goes both ways.) but if Luke decides to be my friend tomorrow, or the day after (I prefer tomorrow), not out of guilt or by necessity, but by choice than I would be a happy gal.

Lo and behold, the next day as I was sunbathing outside on our back porch at the old house breathing heavily because I was running when I see Luke come outside holding two cold water bottles and gave both to me. I realized that my one of my many dreams was lowly becoming true but I acted natural and simply thanked him for the water. After that we stayed outside to watch the sun set and went back inside for dinnertime, he ate one two cans of tuna, one can of Vienna sausages, and three slices of bread with water, and I had chicken, rice, cornbread, brownies, macaroni & cheese, with two baked potatoes and two bottles of water.

Before I went to my bed in the living room, Luke was getting to go to his in the den room and when he was on his way to walking out he said four words in his soft, whispering voice:

“Hey Isis, Good Night.”

I nodded and said good night to him too, he left and I went to bed. From that point on, we’ve gotten use to enjoy the company of one another, talking every occasionally, about what we’re doing, sitting down outside, eating, drinking, running around (or in Luke’s case, laying around) and sleeping, we tend to do a lot of that. We don’t talk much at all about where we were or what we were doing before Mother took us in, mainly because we don’t think too much about it often and we’re happy where we are now.

Luke and I don’t always agree on everything and we can be at odds sometimes, but in the end, I think we make a pretty good team in the long run.

Part 1: New Guest

To be honest, I never asked for a friend, especially someone like Isis. Always in your face about something, always wanting attention and giving you hugs and kisses every time you see her, running and jumping with her flying nun ears and her orange hair and big brown eyes always looking at you, in all my years I’ve never met someone as excited and a handful as Isis. It makes me crazy and yet I’m just as glad to have met her as I am when I’m not with her. If that makes sense.

When I was walking around in the streets on my own, sleeping in the woods and eating what I could find or take, I thought I was content with my life and that I didn’t need anybody to help me or care about me, until I met Mother Renee and Isis. Mother Renee had seen me far away from her backyard at the old house when she was taking out trash and had offered to give me food she had already cooked for herself before I was on my out. Never been one to refuse free food, especially if I don’t have to steal it, I stayed at the woods with a long metal fence separating me and anything else from the house.

Mother Renee had a paper plate of cheese grits with three syrup covered buttermilk waffles and two pieces of fried chicken with orange juice on a plastic red cup. She handed me the plate and told me to bring the knife and fork back when I was finished and that I was always welcome for more food whenever I came back, if I asked first. From the first bite, I knew that she knew how to cook food of any kind, it tasted like what I’d imagined food in fancy places tasted like only better and I didn’t have to dream about it. When I was finished, I looked up at the house and saw that she had placed a pillow and a long folded bed sheet and cover on the ground next to an old weeping willow with a note on top of the pillow.

In a few seconds, I jumped over the fence and walked toward the will to look at the note. It was paper that had lines all over it, but was folded like an envelope. I picked it up to see if there was anything written on it (It was), what Renee had written was:

“Dear Stranger, sleep over this willow for the night if you want to. I just met you so I’m obviously reticent to have you in my house but if you’re still here by tomorrow morning I might have some breakfast for you. If you see someone on the door behind the screen door looking at you, it’s just Isis. She’s usually suspicious of newcomers coming in and around the house but I don’t think you look threatening to her so you’ll be alright. Sleep well, sweet dreams and hope to see you soon. Sincerely, Renee.”

I thought she had very nice handwriting and was very nice in general and she didn’t seem like a threat unlike most people I met, so I figured there was no trickery employed on her end to kidnap me or make me statue. Not much I can say about other than that I had a good night’s sleep under a big tree.

The Next Morning, I woke up and saw that the girl that Renee was talking about, this Isis was indeed behind the screen door looking at me. She couldn’t have been there at least a few minutes because I heard Renee talking in the house cooking breakfast.

We stared at each other for about 30 seconds. This Isis made it a lot more awkward than it should have been and when I turned my gaze to a squirrel up in a tree, she was still looking at me, looking at other things around the yard but every now and then her focus was still on me like I was common criminal and she was the big bad sheriff.

This was the first time I had met Isis, and at the time I didn’t think much of her, let alone cared for her at all. Isis had medium bright orange hair with hazel brown eyes and was taller than me, but shorter compared to Mother Renee. She looked like someone who went outside and exercise a lot because there was a tan to her pale skin and had some muscles on her arms.

When Renee saw, me walking around she told Isis to open the door and let me in, which she did with forced politeness and natural caution. There were two dinner plates on the counter meant for me and Isis: mine had scrambles eggs, sausage, and canned tuna with two slices of French toast and a glass of milk, hers had the same thing but three slices of French toast and bacon, a glass of orange juice and a small glass bowl of stew that had chunky beef, rice, carrots and peas. I figured that she was a girl who liked to eat a lot (which she does).

As I was getting my plate of food, Isis was giving Renee hugs and kisses as she was about to sit down on the dinner table. One of the first things everyone knows about Isis is she hands on and physical whenever she’s around people she likes. People like Isis usually are, it’s in their nature and at this point in our friendship it’s kind of what you would expect from her.

It was a semi-quiet breakfast that day. Renee didn’t get much out of me other than that my name was Luke, I’ve been walking from place to place for a few months, I had a mother but she died of natural causes last year and the house that I was left the house I was living in because it was literally broken beyond repair and my mother’s passing made it uncomfortable for me to live there anymore.

I should point out my life prior to meeting Isis and Mother Renee was neither easy nor was it traumatic and harrowing, but it’s not something I’m comfortable talking about to anyone. I prefer to keep certain things about myself to myself. Isis and I had sat on the kitchen floor eating my breakfast as did Isis while Renee ate on her meal on the table which was the same thing Isis had minus the chunky stew. Our sitting on the floor was something Renee didn’t mind; she’d expected it from Isis and wasn’t surprised when I did it before her. For some reason, I always preferred sitting on the floor eating my food and Isis probably did too.

After I finished eating, I immediately asked Renee if I could stay with her permanently. Isis’ ears pricked up and stopped eating when she heard me. Isis was indifferent about me, yet curious to see if Renee would say yes, if so then there would be another mouth to feed that wasn’t hers, but she might a friend to talk to, which she didn’t have yet.

“You can stay if you want to” Renee said. “Just don’t mess up the house than it already is, like this one tries to do.” She was referring to Isis by the way.

“Thank You.” I said.

“Well when you’re finished eating, go take a bath, and get a clean pillow in the living room on one of the couches and you can sleep there for tonight.”

“Yes Ma’am. I don’t like taking baths at all. Water tends to disagree with me when it comes to hygiene.”

“Oh that’s okay Luke, I understand. I also don’t like people who don’t wash themselves and walk around my house smelling funky, so if you aren’t a bath person then I will gladly help you change that attitude.” She said this with her usual sweet sarcasm that I had come to know and somewhat enjoy.

After I finished eating, Renee picked me up and took me to the bathroom to start my bath. She had sat on the toilet and turned the hot water on in the tub, and had let the water fill up the tub enough so that there was enough for the bath, but not so much that I would be drowning in it. She had dish washing liquid for soap and had commenced my tar and feathering of the day.

The Bath was just like any other bath, but because of my dislike in taking them at the time, it felt like torture to me. I had washed the private areas of my body and Renee cleaned the rest of me off. When I was finished, she dried me off with a long blue towel and I went on my way to the living room.

As I entered the room, I saw Isis’ bowl of beefy stew on the floor half-eaten, and Isis on a couch sleeping. I had already eaten, but what she had did look good to eat and I decided that maybe I should give it a taste, and besides, since we’ll be living together, it’d make sense to share some of our food. Sharing is Caring as they say.

As soon as I picked up the bowl to take a bite, Isis’s eyes immediately opened as if she had just heard someone try to break into the house. She jumped out of the couch and yanked the bowl right out of my hands and was right in front of me like she was about to attack me.

“I DON’T EVER WANT TO SEE YOU TOUCH MY FOOD EVER AGAIN!!” She screamed at me angrily and defensively

“I’m sorry. It was just standing there on the floor and I wanted to see what it tastes like.”

“YOU HAD YOUR FOOD ALREADY!!! THIS IS MY FOOD!!! I DIDN’T TOUCH YOUR FOOD, YOU DON’T TOUCH MY FOOD!!!”

“ISIS!! ISIS!! ISIS!!! Calm down. Renee said as she came out of the bathroom.

“Mommy he tries to eat my food. He’s not supposed to eat my food; you gave me this food. Tell him.”

“Luke you’re not supposed to eat Isis’s food. That stew was for her and I should have told you that. As a matter of fact, any food that I give to Isis is for her to eat. Do you understand now?

“Yes Ma’am, I understand.”

“Good to Know, see Isis he knows now. He’s won’t eat your food from here on out, and you’re not going to gang up on him whenever he makes a mistake like that again, ok?

“Ok.” Isis said. She got up from the couch and put the bowl down on an ottoman that was next to her.

“I’m need to use the bathroom.”

“Ok. The screen door should still be opened in the kitchen, make sure to lock it when you come back.”

“All right.” She picked up the bowl, gave it to Renee and left the living room. She looked back at me quite defensively to make sure I wasn’t touching her bowl. When Renee heard the screen door open and close she turned to me.

“Are you all right?”

“I think so.”

“Isis isn’t use to meeting a lot of new people, but she’s very friendly once you get to know her.”

“I find that hard to believe, but I’ll take your word for it.

“Don’t worry Luke she won’t do anything to you. She’s a very sweet girl.

“She’s a very weird girl.”

“Give her time Luke, Isis will warm up to you. She usually does to everyone.”

“If you say so.”

“I know so. Now with that out of the way, welcome home, make yourself comfortable, there still some breakfast if you’re hungry again, and if you need anything make sure to tell me first.

Renee had gone back to the bathroom to clean the tub out and I was by myself in the living room. For all the talk, I had about how I’m better off alone, to be in house with someone who gave their food, welcomed me into their home, and said I could stay with them even when they had every right to say no, made me feel reminiscent of what I had before when I was with my mother before she died.

I looked around the kitchen as I got hungry again, and teacup of milk with a plate of tuna and eggs on the counter for me to eat. Renee probably must had put the milk and food there when she left the living room, I must thank her when she’s finished with the tub.

As I took a bite from the tuna, I heard noises outside; footsteps running on the dirt and leaves rustling around the ground. I went to the screen door to see what it was and I only saw Isis outside. She had seen a squirrel walking around and was chasing it. The squirrel must have taken off when it saw Isis and climbed to the willow. Isis was pacing around, barking at the squirrel and waging her tail around in excitement while she was breathing heavily from all the running she was doing.

Isis was as much a handful back then as she is now. Always barking at anything that was walking around or toward the house, jumping up and down whenever Renee was playing with her, always walking around and had to be told to sit down, and always looking at or trying to take other people’s food even when she just ate a moment ago. At least she didn’t start sniffing and licking me all the time whenever we would meet, that would happen later unfortunately.

Isis turned her attention to the screen door and saw that I was there. I was rubbing my head with my paws and meowed at her before leaving. I was still sour about our last encounter and was doubtful if I would like this girl at all, but then again, it takes a while for me to like people, especially dogs.

At the time, I wasn’t sure whether deciding to stay with a stranger and her eccentric, constantly moving orange dog was a good idea, or how far it would take me figuratively and literally or for that matter, that I would be friends with said dog. But I just hopeful that there was a better chance living the two of them than being on my own for the rest of my life, and so far, I haven’t been proven wrong.

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