Three alarms and a very early job

Russ wanted the job.

He had helped Gary at the little parade. Now Gary had invited him to meet the crew at four forty-seven.

Russ set three alarms.

One by the bed. One across the room. One in his boot.

You could never be too ready.

The first alarm rang. Russ caught it.

The second rang. Russ slid across the rug and caught that one too.

Quiet.

Then his boot began ringing.

Russ looked at it.

“You're supposed to help.”

He found his other sock on his shoulder, pulled on his boots, and hurried to the kitchen.

Two coffees stood ready.

“Good luck,” Mom called.

“Thanks!”

The toaster popped.

Russ caught the toast.

Perhaps he was ready after all.

The coffee test

There was a puddle.

There was a sprinkler.

And there was a gate that did not seem interested in job interviews.

Russ turned sideways.

The gate swung toward one coffee.

Russ turned the other way.

It swung toward the other.

Finally, he backed through.

Gary was waiting beside the office.

He looked at Russ. Then at the coffees.

“You're early.”

“I thought that might help.”

Gary took a cup.

“It already has.”

Behind him, Big Bertha opened one warm golden eye.

She looked ready.

Gary looked at his clipboard.

It was upside down.

Russ said nothing.

Gary turned it around.

“First test. Paying attention.”

Russ tried not to grin.

One very small assistant

The trucks stayed parked while Della showed Russ the safe visitor path.

“We stay over here,” she said. “And if you're not sure, ask.”

Linda stood nearby with Emi's lead.

Emi dropped her ball on Russ's boot.

Russ looked down.

“Is this part of the interview?”

“Emi thinks everything is,” Linda said.

Gary checked his clipboard.

“Three small tests. Careful hands. Helping eyes. Listening ears.”

Emi pushed the ball closer.

She had added a fourth.

The runaway practice cart

By sunrise, Della and Linda were setting up a welcome corner outside the yard gate.

There were paper flags, three cones, and an empty little practice cart.

Gary pointed to the cart.

“Can you put that beside the table?”

Russ rolled it into place.

Turned around.

The cart rolled away.

Russ brought it back.

Turned around.

Away it went.

Behind the hedge, Carlos watched with great interest.

Brenda watched the slope.

Caleb watched a butterfly.

Russ put his hands on his hips.

The cart waited.

“I know what you're doing.”

Gary started to raise a finger.

But Russ was already looking at the ground.

“It's a little downhill here.”

Della pointed to a level space.

Russ asked, “There?”

“Perfect.”

This time, the cart stayed.

Russ waited.

The cart waited.

“We understand each other now,” Russ said.

Gary made a check on his clipboard.

Behind the hedge, Carlos moved his own little decoration cart.

Brenda still watched the slope.

The noisy test

Mark came out of the office carrying his mug and a folder.

He put the mug on the ledge.

Then looked on the bench for it.

Russ pointed.

Mark picked it up.

He held it beside his folder.

Then looked back at the ledge.

Russ pointed again.

Mark looked down.

“Good helping eyes.”

Gary made another check.

Then came a rattle behind the hedge.

A clink.

A much bigger clatter.

Carlos's cart had found the slope.

Brenda had found the handle.

Caleb had found the butterfly.

Russ took half a step.

Gary raised a hand.

“Wait.”

Russ stopped.

He stayed beside Gary.

“What should I do?”

“Stay with me while Della checks.”

Della found a decoration cart, some scattered lightweight lids, and no one hurt.

She gave them a thumbs-up.

Gary looked at Russ.

“That was the important one.”

“Not running after the noise?”

Russ nodded.

Behind the hedge, Carlos straightened his bandana.

Apparently, that had all been part of his plan.

A welcome that would not stay put

Gary lowered his clipboard.

Russ did not notice.

He was looking at the welcome table.

Linda had tied up a paper sign. One end folded over in the breeze.

Instead of WELCOME, it said COME.

“It's in a hurry,” Russ said.

Linda laughed.

“Let's give it the rest of its word.”

Russ held one end while Della straightened the other.

The middle folded.

They straightened the middle.

Now the other end folded.

Gary watched the sign.

“It knows the practice cart.”

On the low worktable, Pepe stood up very straight.

He was wearing his bright new safety vest. Its silver stripes caught the morning light.

Pepe picked up a big paper clip.

Carried it across the table.

Stopped to catch his breath.

Then carried it the last two steps to the little supply tray.

Linda found the clip just when she needed it.

“Here we are.”

Pepe dusted off his vest.

Russ read the sign and smiled.

“That's better. Nobody has to guess.”

Room for one more

Mimi arrived at the visitor gate with her granddaughter Ryleigh.

Della waved to her little sister.

Ryleigh's long blonde curls bounced as she waved back.

She was carrying a paper flower.

“I brought this for the table.”

“It's lovely,” Linda said.

Russ stepped forward to help, then stopped.

The three cones made the entrance a little narrow.

He looked at Della.

“Could we move this one over? Still on the visitor path?”

Della checked the space.

“Good idea. I'll show you where.”

Together, they made a wider opening, safely away from the parked trucks.

Mimi and Ryleigh came through easily.

Ryleigh put her flower in the little vase.

It leaned left.

She turned the vase.

It leaned right.

Russ tucked a folded piece of paper around the stem.

The flower stood up.

“You fixed it!”

“It only needed a little help.”

Mimi smiled.

Gary said nothing.

But he and Mark exchanged a look.

Russ had stopped wondering what was on the clipboard.

He was too busy helping.

One more thing

Gary reached for his pencil.

It wasn't on the clipboard.

Pepe had found it at the far end of the table.

In his bright little safety vest, he carried it back.

The pencil was almost as long as he was.

One careful step.

Then another.

The pencil was wider than the gap between the supply tray and the flowerpot.

Pepe tried sideways.

Too wide.

He tried the other way.

Still too wide.

He looked at the pencil. Looked at the gap.

Then lifted the eraser end.

Through it went.

Pepe took two proud steps, set it beside Gary's clipboard, and straightened his shiny silver stripes.

A very big delivery for a very little helper.

Gary picked up the pencil.

Three tests.

Three checks.

Mark opened the folder.

Russ stood a little straighter.

Gary raised one finger.

“One more thing.”

Russ looked at the cart.

At the coffees.

At Emi's ball.

“There's another test?”

Gary smiled.

“We need your name for the badge.”

Russ blinked.

Mark held out his hand.

Gary gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“Junior helper. We'll teach you one thing at a time. I handle the truck. You start by learning how we look after people.”

Russ's smile got very big.

Then he glanced at the practice cart.

“Even though that got away from me?”

“You noticed why,” Gary said. “And you fixed it.”

“And I had to ask Della.”

“Asking was part of getting it right,” Della said.

Mark handed him the badge.

RUSS.

Russ read it once.

Then again, just to make sure it still said the same thing.

Bertha's warm golden eyes softened.

There was room for another helper.

A place on the team

Ryleigh gave a little cheer.

“You got it!”

Mimi smiled at the new badge.

“A good morning's work.”

Smitty stopped outside the visitor gate with his mug.

He saw Russ. Saw the badge.

“A new helper?”

Gary nodded.

“A good one.”

“Then here's to Russ,” Smitty said, lifting his mug.

Mark lifted his clipboard.

Russ quietly pointed to the mug on the table.

Mark exchanged the clipboard for the mug.

“I knew that.”

Everybody smiled.

Della said, “Careful hands. Helping eyes. Listening ears.”

“And good coffee,” Gary added.

Linda laughed.

Emi dropped her ball on Russ's boot again.

Russ looked at Gary.

“First job?”

Gary looked at the ball.

Then at Emi.

“She seems to think so.”

With Linda holding Emi's lead, Russ rolled the ball the short distance back to her paws.

Emi nudged it straight back.

Gary shook his head.

“That supervisor never takes a break.”

Behind the hedge, Brenda pointed to a level patch.

Carlos looked at it.

Looked at his cart.

Moved the cart over.

This time, it stayed.

Caleb placed one paper flower inside.

The butterfly landed on it.

For a moment, all three raccoons stood very still.

Their little crew had finally got something exactly right.

On the worktable, Pepe sat beside his blue lunch bundle.

His vest was a little crooked.

His smile wasn't.

Gary looked at Russ.

“Same time next time?”

Russ glanced at his boots.

“I'll be ready.”

“Three alarms?”

“Two. The one in my boot wants a different job.”

Gary laughed.

Russ tucked his new badge safely into his pocket.

He hadn't done everything perfectly. He had taken care, asked questions, and helped.

Gary rested a hand on his shoulder.

“That's what good helpers do,” he said. “And you're not on your own here. We help each other.”

Russ looked at the welcome sign, standing straight. At Ryleigh's bright paper flower. And at the little cart that had finally learned to stay put.

Small things. But everyone had helped make them right.

Mimi and Della smiled. Ryleigh gave one more cheer.

Behind the hedge, the three raccoons looked rather proud of themselves. And Pepe, the tiny helper on the table, gave his bright vest one last little brush.

Then Emi nudged her ball back to Russ's boots.

Russ laughed. “All right, supervisor. I'm coming.”

When the next visitor reached the gate, Russ was ready with a smile.

“Come on in. We saved you some room.”

This time, he wasn't wondering whether he belonged.

He was helping somebody else feel welcome.

And it was a very good day to begin.