Infinite Testament (37 page)

Three Months Later:

Somewhere in Michigan, a man sweeps his store, swiping away
at all the dust accumulated on the dirty floors. As he moves by, the
sound of barking dogs fills his ears.

“Quiet!” he insists to the dogs stuck in their cages.
They ignore his requests and continue to howl. Frustrated, he tosses his
broom aside. “Forget it! I won’t broom!”

The chime of his door rings. A customer! The
stranger enters and walks straight to the dogs. Examines them. The
storeowner asks, “Something I can help you with?”

“No, thank you. I’m okay,” the customer replies.

As the storeowner examines him, he seems familiar.
“Do I know you?”

The customer ignores him. He is engrossed with the
dogs. He kneels in front of one of them, a puppy, and stares at it.
Before long, he starts whispering. Oh great, the storeowner thinks, another
crazy guy.

The little puppy lets out a high-pitched bark. The
customer stands up with a bright smile on his face. “I’ll take him.”

“You guys have a nice conversation?” the storeowner jokes.

“Oh yes,” the customer replies seriously. “It’s
always great to be reunited with a friend.”

The storeowner glares at him. What a weird guy.
Digressing, he strolls over and pulls the Shih Tzu puppy out of his cage.
“You from around here?”

“I live in L.A now. Used to live here. Just
visiting”

That explains it, the cashier thinks, he’s from
California.
Together, the storeowner and the customer head to the register. The
customer asks, “How much do I owe you?”

“Thirteen-hundred.”

Matter-of-factly, the customer states, “Wow. That’s a
lot.” He pulls out his wallet and starts to drop, one by one, several
hundred-dollar bills onto the counter. The storeowner watches with
surprise and asks, “So you and this guy are old friends, huh?”

“Yes. We go way back,” the customer says,
smirking. “By the way, the dogs don’t like when you sweep.
Apparently, the dust gets in their cages and it makes a mess. They’d
prefer it if you got a vacuum.” The customer smiles. “Just so you
know.”

Just then, the storeowner recognizes the customer.
“Hey. Now I know who you are! You’re that guy! Yeah!
That
guy
!”

The customer smiles. “I think you have me confused
with someone else. I am simply a man.” The customer, with his
flashy blue eyes, winks at him.

The storeowner frowns. This guy
is
crazy. “Anyway, what ya gonna name him?”

The customer holds the Shih Tzu puppy in his arms and says,
“He already has a name…

“…Miles.”