School Days

By David L. - New City, NY

When my children were young we had a Black Lab mix named Niki. As a typical lab Niki loved to play, especially with children. Whenever a group of children would walk by she’d run over to play with them. We lived about a block from the elementary school that my kids attended. Across the street from the backyard of our house was a very steep hill with a long set of steps that led directly to the back of the school. This was the way my kids went to school each day.

Two things that you should know about Niki: first on the weekends we would take her up to the empty school yard where she would chase a ball as far as I could throw it. The second was that she loved to wander. Sometimes she would sit in one spot in the yard by herself for hours but then something would catch her eye and she’d just take off. One summer Sunday she took off, we searched the neighborhood and found her leading a group of six children up the steps towards the school.

One afternoon after school was over for the day I was at home with my two children when the phone rang. “This is Ms. Romanoli at Little Tor School,” the caller said. “Which one of my kids is it this time,” I asked. “No, it’s not your children,” she replied, “but Niki is sitting in my office. She wondered into the school.” “How do you know it’s our Niki,” I asked since her name wasn’t on her tag. “The students told me, the whole school knows Niki. At least someone from your house likes to come to school!”