To See What We Can See

By Hilary Franey

Steve, Laika, and Raoul-a threesome you won't soon forget. They each are just too clever for their own good. Steve, an orange fluffball of a cat, is the youngest and naturally most curious of the bunch. Laika is an older gentleman, a gorgeous silvery husky that seems to possess the wisdom of Solomon when it comes to sound thinking. And then there's Raoul. What can one say about a smart-aleck parrot decked out in brilliant green plumage? But he's even wiser than Laika where longevity and experience are needed to get the motley crew through some harrowing scrapes that they call adventures. Their owners are caught unaware when Raoul comes into their lives and seems to have full communication with their dog and cat. Of course that's not possible, they tell themselves, but soon discover that all things are possible with their wildly clever pets! And with God...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098080082

Book preview

Story 1

Laika

Rain, rain, rain. It had been raining for such a long time. Steve was so bored and wanted to see new places, maybe even have an adventure. The orange kitten thought and thought, and finally, an idea popped into his head.

If this rain ever stops, he said to himself, Laika can lead the way! Steve had seen the husky slip out of the gate several times. Laika seemed almost invisible when it came to getting away just when no one was looking.

The next day, Steve waited by the big glass door, hoping Laika would amble by. Sadly, the rain continued, but soon the cat’s patience paid off. Laika padded over to the window soaking wet but glad to see Steve sitting just inside. They each pawed the glass. It was their way of greeting each other. Now that Steve had Laika’s attention, he desperately wanted to have a conversation with him. The clever kitten knew that his owners gave Laika his dinner around four. So he waited and waited and waited. Finally, he heard the mom say to Will, the older boy, Okay, it’s time to feed Laika, please. As soon as Steve heard the footsteps coming and saw the glass door opened, he scurried outside. He heard Will say, Hey, it’s wet out there, you silly kitten! But Steve had things to do.

Laika was just around the corner of the house when Will put the metal dish down on the patio. The hungry husky came trotting over. Steve sat by the dish and paused. Privacy was important to make sure his idea was a secret. He waited while Laika nosed around in his kibble and said, Psst, hey, I have something to tell you.

Laika sneezed and then said, What is it?

I want to see what’s down the street—maybe see the street after that one. I want to see what we can see!

Sure! I need to get loose again. It’s fun. But I don’t get very far because the family always finds me.

So they put their heads together and made a plan. The first day of sunshine they would meet in the backyard when the house was busy and noisy. Laika knew how to get the gate open when he really put his mind to it.

Sure enough, a few days later the rain suddenly stopped and the sun shone brightly. Steve was concentrating carefully, gazing out the glass door when out of nowhere, Laika was there looking at him. They both nodded and the game was on. This was the day!

When the front door opened, the dad hurried outside to get the boys to school. Steve scampered out with much excitement. He hid under a bush and stayed very still. His family hadn’t even noticed him leaving the house. Good, he thought, just as I planned. When the family was gone, he ran around to the other side of the garage and sat by the gate. He gave a little meow and heard Laika signal with a short howl. Within a very few minutes the gate sprung open. Laika had banged against it with his heavy body until the latch came undone. They ran to each other and touched noses. They were both so excited, Laika especially. You see, he’d never known a cat that liked him.

Follow me! Laika howled. So off they went. Steve stayed right behind Laika as they made their way down the hilly street. They stayed close to the edge, watching for vehicles. Soon a car whizzed by and then slowed down, then backed up to get a better look at the funny sight. The woman behind the wheel of the car rolled her window down and said, Are you guys going for a walk? Where’s your family? But Laika and Steve pretended they didn’t hear her and kept going. This was their chance to stretch their legs and romp around the neighborhood. Nothing could stop them now.

In a while, they were in a place Laika had never seen.

Where are we? Steve asked.

Actually, I don’t know, said Laika.

There were tons of huge trees. There were so many they couldn’t see the sun anymore. Then they came upon a big green, open place with absolutely perfect grass. Yippee! they both cried out. They ran across the never-ending, beautifully clipped grass full speed. Suddenly a little white ball came out of the sky like a rocket. It landed right next to Steve. The whistling sound it made before it landed caused him to jump about ten feet off the ground. He sniffed it. Laika ran over and sniffed it too. They batted it around for a few minutes until they heard a far-off scream. A man way down on the other end of the field was waving a long, funny club in the air and hollering at them to get away. They were puzzled. It was just a little ball. Weren’t balls made to play with? Why was the guy so angry with them? They sat for a while to catch their breath but the man, in his motorized cart, was coming toward them quickly. They both agreed it was time to go. As they entered the trees, they heard the man yell, And don’t come back! No animals allowed!

What shall we do now? Steve asked.

Well, usually by now, the family has tracked me down. We can just keep going, but the sky is getting dark. Maybe the rain is coming again. Maybe we should head back, Laika answered.

Steve cried, No! Not yet! We can’t give up now!

Then there was a loud crash. Thunder! Then another crash and a flash of white light! They looked at each other nervously. It was time to find their way home. Laika put his nose in the air and puffed his cheeks in and out. He got the scent he was looking for and said, Okay, Steve, we’ll be home soon.

Hey, Laika, I’m scared. Can I have a ride on your back? So Laika got down flat, and Steve jumped aboard. He dug his claws into Laika’s thick fur and said, I’m ready. Let’s go.

Within a few minutes, they were in a downpour. The rain came harder than ever before, or at least it seemed so. Laika put his head down and closed his eyes halfway and continued climbing up into the hills. The thunder and lightning were so scary. The fat raindrops pelted their fur. Are we there yet? Steve asked. Laika spotted something out of the corner of his eye. It was a huge tree that had fallen many years ago and was hollowed out in spots. It laid just off the road, slanting down into a canyon. Laika made the decision to quickly take shelter in the tree. Soon they were out of the rain and snuggled together. Then they fell asleep.

There was a sudden shifting of the tree or the ground or something. The two friends awoke with a terrible fright.

What’s happening? Steve cried.

I don’t know, said Laika, but we need to move! Laika opened his mouth and picked up Steve by the scruff of his neck and leaped from the tree just as it was sliding down into the canyon.

Wow, that was close! said Laika. We better get going. It’s getting really dark, and our family will be worried about us. The rain continued to hammer the ground and sadly, the animals too. They were exhausted. They both thought of home and food and warmth and most of all, their loved ones, their family. It was hard to see through the rain. It had to be past five o’clock.

Then without warning, a pair of headlights was blazing in the dark, shining on the road and on the bedraggled kitten and dog. The car slowed down and stopped. Steve shrieked, It’s them! It’s our owners! They’re here! Sure enough, Niko and Will jumped from the van and ran to the saturated animals. There were many hugs and cries of happiness. As it turned out, Steve and Laika had been gone ten hours. It seemed way longer. They all rode together and were home within minutes. The dad was angry at first, but he was so glad to see these two knuckleheads, he was soon smiling. The mom was happy and relieved too. The boys had worried terribly, mostly about Steve since he was just a baby. They knew Laika was an experienced adventurer.

If only the family could hear the whole story. If only there was a way to tell them about their day out. Anyway, it was a fine evening. Laika and Steve were rubbed down with warm towels and allowed to dry in the