Dogs Don't Tell Jokes (Someday Angeline 2)

Gary wished he could cheer her up. “We’re on a double date,” he whispered into her ear. She stopped crying for a moment and laughed, then continued sobbing at the movie. He almost put his arm around her, but chickened out.

At the end of the movie the boy and the dog came home, the boy’s parents hugged them, and everyone was happy. Gary thought that would cheer Angeline up, but instead it made her cry even harder.

“That was the best movie I ever saw,” she said when they left the theater.

They all went out to dinner.

Gary had a great time. It wasn’t like it was two adults and two kids. They were just four friends out on the town. “So how’s the garbage business, Abel?” he asked.

Angeline’s father drove a garbage truck. “Not too bad, Gary,” he replied. “We just got a C.D. player for the truck. Except it’s hard to hear over the noise. Plus, we have to stop about every thirty seconds, so it’s kind of hard to get into a song.”

“What kind of music do you listen to?” asked Gary.

“I don’t really care,” said Abel. “Gus likes country music. And opera. What do you like?”

Gary shrugged.

“People need to recycle more,” said Mr. Bone. “We waste so much. At the rate it’s going, the garbage dump will be filled up in less than five years. There will be no place to dump.”

Gary nodded. He remembered back in the fifth grade Mr. Bone was always talking about recycling, and saving the rain forests, and whales and stuff.

The waitress came by and took their order. Nobody ordered mashed potatoes and gravy.

“Actually, Gary, you want to know what I like best about my job?” asked Abel.

“What?”

“The little kids. I don’t know what it is, but little kids love to wave at garbage trucks.”

“Do you wave back?” asked Mr. Bone.

“You bet.”

“Tell them about the talent show,” urged Angeline.

“Our school’s going to have a talent show.”

“Gary’s going to tell jokes!” said Angeline.

He shrugged modestly. “I just hope somebody laughs.”

“The important thing is that you do your best,” said Gary’s former fifth-grade teacher.

“I will,” he said. “I’ve already gone through half my jokebooks. I’m searching for the perfect jokes.”

“I thought you were making up your own jokes,” said Angeline.

“Anyone can pick jokes out of a jokebook,” said Melissa.

“Besides, your jokes would be a lot funnier than any jokes in a jokebook,” Angeline said.

Gary thought about it. “Okay, I will!” he said firmly.

“If you’re going to do it, do it right,” said Melissa. “I know you, Gary. You start things and then don’t finish them. You need to give one hundred percent.”

“Oh, I will,” he assured her. “This is the most important thing I’ve ever done in my whole life.”

“Darn, I wish I could be there for it,” said Angeline. “Bird feathers!”