SHORT STORY APPLE
APPLE
Automatic traslation from the original story in Spanish. Not checked manually
Marta got up like every morning. Her little dog, Apple, glanced at her sideways and remained curled up in her bed as if it had nothing to do with her. She knew her daily ritual very well and preferred to wait a bit before stretching.
The woman went to the bathroom and, after washing, went to the kitchen. She prepared her breakfast and Apple’s as well, who appeared as if by magic just as she was putting it in her bowl.
Soon after, the two of them were strolling leisurely through the city streets. Marta loved to walk, and Apple, despite her small size, as befits a Maltese, wasn’t averse to it.
After the long walk, as they were entering the stairwell, Apple thought about what was next: Marta would wash her paws, dry her with the hairdryer—she didn’t particularly like that—then she would comb her hair and they would play with the ball for a while… And finally, she would give her the duck treat she liked so much! She smiled with pleasure.
They began their daily household ritual, and once finished, Marta picked up the ball and threw it down the hall. Apple chased it several times and brought it back to her owner several times, though without giving it to her clearly. It was part of the game.
When she had run about 15 times down the long hallway, she thought it was time for her to give her the “treat” and slowed her pace as she passed the kitchen.
Marta smiled and, in a sing-song voice said, “Do you want the ‘duck’ yet?” That’s what she called the treat the dog craved, and she seemed to nod.
Just as the woman reached the kitchen door, the phone rang, and Marta said to Apple, “Just a minute, I’ll give it to you now.”
Resigned, Apple remained standing in front of the kitchen, but after waiting for a long time, hearing her owner continue talking, she lay down on the floor. Half asleep, without lifting her head from the floor, she glanced up at the jar of treats on the shelf.
Almost half an hour passed before Marta finished speaking. She looked at her watch and saw that she was running late. She quickly headed into the bedroom to make the bed and get ready for work, not remembering the treat she owed Apple.
Seeing her walk past without giving her what she owed, Apple barked, explaining to Marta that she had to give her the treat. Obviously, the woman didn’t understand, although any dog who could speak would have translated it as: “Hey! What’s wrong with my duck?”
Seeing that Marta wasn’t following along, she repeated her request, but instead of barking, she used plaintive howls. So pitiful that the woman thought something was wrong with the animal and ran to see what it was. When he reached her side, seeing her lying on the floor, he stroked her while asking, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling ill?”
Apple tried to make her eyes as sad as possible, while nodding her head, pointing at the shelf. Her owner didn’t understand what was happening to her; alarmed, she began to think the head movements might be convulsions…
Then Apple jumped up and, standing on her hind legs, vigorously began to scratch Marta’s trouser leg, while she stared blindly at the jar of her treats.
It was then that the woman, laughing, realized what had happened and hurriedly lowered the jar and pulled out a small duck stick. While she was chopping it up, Apple kept wagging her tail… After a moment, calm was restored… and now, the dog could lie down on the dining room rug to rest peacefully, while the woman resumed her chores.
Apple – Short stories series – Copyright ©Montserrat Valls and Juan Genovés