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Wally Darling, Homes' local artist, considered himself to be a pleasant fellow, and would put his all into being the very definition of one.
His morning visits with Poppy for knitting and sewing, assisting with Sally's plays in means other than acting, conversing with Howdy during lunchtime and shopping, learning about the local flora and fauna from Frank, tagging along with Julie in whatever game the rainbow monster had cooked up next, and assisting with Eddie in the post office.
He would make sure to be diligent with anything that had to do with helping each of his fellow neighbors, even as small as lending an ear to listen to their troubles.
But as of late, Wally found it harder to keep his energy up. Spacing out during moments that never required his immediate attention, along with periods where his mouth fell weighted and shut, were never new to him. In fact, his neighbors were quite used to his slow mannerisms and pattern of speech. It didn't change how Wally would feel limited by it, making it harder to be the attentive friend he wanted to be.
His best friend and local clown, Barnaby B. Beagle, was very aware of this matter and would tag along with Wally to make sure his lil' buddy could go through his day without a major hiccup. Painting together helped immensely when Wally needed an outlet, and Barnaby always made an interesting muse.
His own cozy Home would take over at the end of those eventful days, making sure to assist Wally in decompressing by preparing a warm bath and a tidy bed, making sure that Wally never went to bed unhappy, no matter what troubles Wally had.
But some days would prove to be more difficult than most. Such as the one that takes place in this story.
Wally and Barnaby had planned to spend the autumn day on a picnic in the apple orchard, and Wally was just finishing up the roast beef sandwiches when he heard a knock at the door.
Home took the liberty to open the door themselves, letting in Barnaby, and greeting him with the squeaks at the door's hinges.
"Well, a good morning to you too, humble abode!", exclaimed the dog as he turned towards the kitchen. Seeing his pompadour-parading pal, he rushed over to scoop Wally into a big ol' bear hug! "And a good morning to you lil' buddy!"
"Good morning, Barnaby," says Wally, nonchalantly, his smile beaming as he lay limp in his best friend's hold. "Home and I made roast beef sandwiches for the picnic". He then pointed to two hefty sandwiches, structured quite tall on the countertop.
Barnaby whistled in approval at the sight of the main course. "And what a job you two did! And with the soda pops and chips I got from Howdys', it looks like we're going to have quite a lunching, eyy bucko?"
"Indeed. With apples to finish off." Wally couldn't wait to visit the local apple orchard, knowing that the ruby-red apples had just ripened and were ready for picking. He had already prepared a basket to take the ones he didn't eat to take home.
Barnaby let his small friend down gently. "Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's pack our sandwiches and head on over there!"
But just as Wally was packing up the sandwiches, Home banged the cupboards and drawers in a panic. Both buds were shocked at the news they had to tell.
"Rain?! It can't be, can it?!" Wally cried as he sprinted towards the windows to get a better view. "The radio forecast said that today would only be partially cloudy, perfect picnic weather!"
Unfortunately, the forecast was seemingly mistaken as the rain was starting to pour, becoming heavier by the second and drenching the neighborhood.
The trio looked on in despair, knowing the plans of the picnic had been ruined. "Welp," Barnaby stated scratchin' his fuzzy noggin, "certainly seems like Mother Nature continues her 'reign', amiright?"
He looked down at Wally, only to see that his friend's cheery disposition was fading and his eyes were growing wider, fixated on the falling rain and the apple orchard, just out of reach. Wally said nothing, but Barnaby knew that his silence came from the stress of his apple-related plans being ruined. Barnaby also knew that it meant that he and Home needed to redirect his attention, STAT.
"Hey, lil' buddy, I got an idea. How 'bout we move this picnic indoors? We can eat lunch with Home, maybe do some drawings, whaddya say?" Barnaby placed a paw on Wally's shoulder, turning him away from the view of the outdoors.
Wally looked at Barnaby, then back at Homes eyes, standing awkwardly and playing with the buttons of his sweater. "But.....the apples.....they're getting wet....."
Barnaby then led Wally to the kitchen and began to unfurl the picnic blanket he brought. "No need to worry kid! Once the rains clear up, we'll head on over there to pick some. They taste better washed by the rain, anyhow." Home's framed pictures spun around in reassurance.
Wally took a big breath for composure before he attempted to carry the sandwiches. "Alright then. Let's have the picnic here." Both Barnaby and Home shared looks of relief before assembling items for their day inside.
Despite Wally's hesitations, the trio was starting to have a fun day of playing Snakes and Ladders, then a rather interesting round of Go Fish. Once lunchtime rolled around, the three were conversing about the latest events around the neighborhood over the towering sandwiches, with soda and chips to complement them.
"What do think about Sally's new play?" Wally questioned as he held his sandwich.
"All I can say is, it's a shame that I'm currently banned from performing in her plays for the time being. She seemed to have outdone herself for her rendition of Hamlet," Barnaby stated as he finished the last of his roast beef sandwich. "You gonna finish yours, pally?"
"No", said Wally before handing the uneaten meal to Barnaby (he had intended to give it to his blue buddy in the first place). He then stood up and started heading towards his art supplies drawer. "I'm going to get my crayons and papers. I feel like drawing something."
"Alrighty then," Barnaby mumbled as he took a large bite out of his second sandwich. He then watched Wally lay on his stomach, feet kicking in the air as he began to draw. Shapes and funny faces covered the papers as Wally's crayoned hand moved across them.
Halfway through his sandwich, however, Barnaby noticed how Wally was becoming increasingly fixated on one particular drawing. His attempt to draw the trunk, the texture of the leaves, and the shape of the apples, never seemed to be quite right, and Wally would cast a drawing off to the side once he found a "mistake". The more Wally fixated, the shaker the drawings would be and the more the paper would crumble, causing the puppet to cast them aside quicker. Home and Barnaby looked on in concern.
"Hey Walls, you doing okay? That's a lot of paper you're leaving to the side," the dog questioned as he moved closer to his friend. Wally said nothing, as he continued to draw, eyes focused on the paper.
"Okay, then. I'll grab us some apple juice, to keep us as hydrated as the apple orchard." The dog then got up and trotted himself toward the refrigerator. "Home, you still have some in supply?" The cupboards creaked in conformation, and the refrigerator opened to reveal a pitcher of apple juice, ready to be poured.
"Thanks, pally!" Barnaby exclaimed, as he took two out glass cups from the cupboards, and began to pour out the frosty beverage. But when pouring the second cup, the sound of sniffling stopped Barnaby as he looked around to find the source of the sound.
That's when he found Wally, who was now sitting up, with a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. His eyes were glassy as tears filled them, and his free hand was wiping away any that were gliding down his face. Barnaby put the pitcher down, and headed to the floor, lying beside his weeping pal. Home's drawers groaned in concern, questioning what Wally was so upset about.
"I'm fine." That was all Wally could say as more tears streamed down his face. Unsure of what to do, Barnaby examined the surroundings of Wally. His latest attempt at a drawing was completely crumpled, and red was scribbled all over. And his previous attempts seemed to be scattered, shaping up to look familiar as if it were a forest-
Oh. That would explain it, then.
Barnaby placed his paw on the little one's back, feeling a bit of relief when Wally faced more towards him. "Look, buddy, I'm sorry we didn't get to go to the orchard today. That's what's upsetting you, isn't it?"
A tearful Wally looked at Barnaby, his mouth quivering and body trembling as he began to sob. The poor pompadored puppet brought both his clenched hands to his face, as he gasped and tried to collect himself. Barnaby then pulled Wally in for a hug, and both sat there as they listened to the rain and the sobbing that shook the smaller one. Home, who couldn't do much to physically comfort their resident, began to play one of Wally's favorite records, filling the house with music.
After some time, Wally was able to calm himself down, and his crying came to a halt as he lay limp in Barnabys' arms. "How 'you feeling now kid?" Barnaby questioned his floppy friend.
Wally hesitated a bit before speaking up. "I....wanted to draw the apple trees.....from memory......I remember them clearly, but......they're not drawn the way that they look........I couldn't do it......."
"I see," Barnaby murmured. "That's what got you so upset?"
"It's silly, I know," Wally sighed, as he adjusted himself off of Barnaby. "I'm a grown-up, a drawing shouldn't derail me like that."
The blue dog took hold of Wally's hand, not too tightly to damage it. "But it did, buddy, and that's okay. Being an adult doesn't mean that we don't get upset over minor inconveniences. We just need to ask for some help when dealing with them. And you, whether you want to hear this or not, need more help than other adults when you feel upset, and that's not something to be ashamed of."
"But you never cry when things go wrong for you," Wally pouted.
Barnaby chuckled at this. "Sure I do, kid! Remember that time I fell off my unicycle, snout first? I began bawling more than the juggling balls which caused me to slip. But you and the other neighbors helped me out of my funk, especially when I couldn't smell for the next couple of days."
Wally contemplated on that event for a moment. "Well, still, you got hurt. Of course you cried."
"You got a bit bruised up today too! Just more on the inside rather than the outside," stated Barnaby as he poked gently at Wally's heart. "Your feelings matter just as much as your body, you know!"
Wally giggled at Barnaby's poking, his permanent smile softening to a genuine one. "Thank you for the reassurance, Barnaby."
"Anytime, kid," Barnaby chuckled.
Suddenly, Home's window curtains flapped about in excitement, alerting the two puppets on the floor. As Home opened the door for the two, Barnaby and Wally headed outside to see that the skies had now cleared, leaving the town washed and wet, and in the skies shone a vivid, colorful rainbow!
"Well, look at that, kid! We'll get to go visit the apple orchard after all. Let's get our rainy gear on and-"
"Hold on," Wally said, stopping Barnaby in his tracks. "As much as I want to visit the apple orchard now, can we enjoy the rainbow a bit longer?"
The blue dog beamed at the idea. "Sure, kid. Sounds like a swell idea". Home's door hinges squeaked in delight.
The three enjoyed the rainbow until it faded away, sending Barnaby and Wally to go off and enjoy the apple orchard.
The End.