Author's note: Apologies for the long pause between stories. Dodger and Lilly has been one of our favorite projects for as long as we've been doing this, but the author was rather unsure what direction to go next with the characters. Thankfully, Dodger and Lilly can hit the scene again, but their storytelling is going to be a little different. We hope you enjoy the change. God bless!
As Dodger and Lilly both stepped towards the door he felt a growing sense of foreboding.
"Lilly?"
"Yeah, Dodger?"
"I'm still nervous."
"That's okay. Hang in there. We just need to meet the neighbor."
With that, she swung the door open, just to realize that there was someone directly in the doorway.
"Nervous, huh?" said the unexpected visitor. "Funny, I was just thinking the same thing. Oh, I'm sorry- I didn't mean to eavesdrop. Um, my folks made me come here...hope I'm not intruding. Name's Timothy, and to be completely honest, I'm scared to meet you. It's not that I don't like you or anything- I'm just really bad at meeting people." Their visitor shuddered. "Um, if you don't mind, I'll leave now."
"Wait!" cried Dodger. "You weren't interrupting. We'd be glad to have you stay for a while if you don't need to be any place."
"Um, well, my sister's kind of waiting for me."
"Oh! Well, can she come over too?"
"I'm sure she could, but, I'm not sure she would."
"Why not find out?" asked Lilly. "We'd be happy to accompany you! I don't bite, I promise. I'm afraid I can't guarantee the same thing about Dodger."
"Lilly!" Dodger protested, but their visitor smiled a little.
"You can come, but please try to be quiet."
"Not a problem!" Lilly replied cheerfully.
As they walked across the street Dodger wondered to himself. How did a family of Opossums find itself in the busiest neighborhood in the city? If the whole family was this shy then they would have a hard time adjusting. Well, perhaps if he avoided talking too much he could help the new neighbors get more comfortably settled.
"Just a second," said Timothy as he reached for the doorknob. "I need to make sure she's not in the backyard."
He stepped inside and closed the door, leaving Dodger and Lilly on the porch.
"Um, Lilly?"
"Yeah, Dodger?"
"You don't suppose..."
"That he left us standing here on purpose? Oh, come on, Dodger. Stop being so suspicious!"
"I'm not being suspicious. It's just that I'm a little worried that we scared him off. He really seems shy."
"You're making a big deal out of nothing."
Ten minutes later, though, Lilly looked less sure.
"I'll try the doorbell," said Dodger. When he pushed the button, however, there was no sound. "Well, maybe the knocker will work," he remarked. This time there were sharp clattering sounds, but no response came from the other side.
"Dodger, I hate to say it, but I think you're right. I think he left us out here."
"So it seems, unfortunately. Well, we know his name. We'll probably meet him at school soon, don't you think?"
"Unless he's really good at hiding. Still, I wonder why he let us follow him and then left us outside? Kind of rude."
"Maybe he forgot about us."
"How could he? We've been standing out here ten minutes- we even walked with him all the way to his house? What is he, Dory from Finding Nemo? Brother!"
"Well, I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe next time we'll have a better result."
"Next time? Dodger, I wouldn't even bother. His first act as your neighbor was to ditch you on his porch!"
"No, his first act was to introduce himself. His second act was leaving me on the porch."
"And your point would be?"
"Well, I dunno. It's just that first impressions aren't everything. You said so yourself. I don't want to risk a friendship over a misunderstanding. Let's go home, Lilly. I'm going to keep trying, but for right now I just want hot chocolate."
"Okay, Dodger. I'm still kind of annoyed."
"Well, try to let it go. After all, you know what Colossians says about 'bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection (3:13-14 NKJV).' If we're going to even have a shot at being friends with Timothy, we may have to bear with him a while. Let's give him a second chance."
"All right. I think I can handle that."
"I know you can. Let me get the teapot started. There."
"You seem pretty determined to make a friend, Dodger."
"I suppose, but really I just want to try to do what I think Jesus would do. After all, He loves us, and that's never going to change, so if He didn't give up on me, I'm not prepared to give up on someone I hardly know."
"Good point. Hey, that kettle started whistling pretty quickly!"
"Yeah, it heats up fast. Can you get the marshmallows out of the pantry?"
"Sure thing."
"Thanks."
"A toast!"
"To what?"
"Making new friends."
"Alright then, a toast to new friends!"
As Dodger and Lilly both stepped towards the door he felt a growing sense of foreboding.
"Lilly?"
"Yeah, Dodger?"
"I'm still nervous."
"That's okay. Hang in there. We just need to meet the neighbor."
With that, she swung the door open, just to realize that there was someone directly in the doorway.
"Nervous, huh?" said the unexpected visitor. "Funny, I was just thinking the same thing. Oh, I'm sorry- I didn't mean to eavesdrop. Um, my folks made me come here...hope I'm not intruding. Name's Timothy, and to be completely honest, I'm scared to meet you. It's not that I don't like you or anything- I'm just really bad at meeting people." Their visitor shuddered. "Um, if you don't mind, I'll leave now."
"Wait!" cried Dodger. "You weren't interrupting. We'd be glad to have you stay for a while if you don't need to be any place."
"Um, well, my sister's kind of waiting for me."
"Oh! Well, can she come over too?"
"I'm sure she could, but, I'm not sure she would."
"Why not find out?" asked Lilly. "We'd be happy to accompany you! I don't bite, I promise. I'm afraid I can't guarantee the same thing about Dodger."
"Lilly!" Dodger protested, but their visitor smiled a little.
"You can come, but please try to be quiet."
"Not a problem!" Lilly replied cheerfully.
As they walked across the street Dodger wondered to himself. How did a family of Opossums find itself in the busiest neighborhood in the city? If the whole family was this shy then they would have a hard time adjusting. Well, perhaps if he avoided talking too much he could help the new neighbors get more comfortably settled.
"Just a second," said Timothy as he reached for the doorknob. "I need to make sure she's not in the backyard."
He stepped inside and closed the door, leaving Dodger and Lilly on the porch.
"Um, Lilly?"
"Yeah, Dodger?"
"You don't suppose..."
"That he left us standing here on purpose? Oh, come on, Dodger. Stop being so suspicious!"
"I'm not being suspicious. It's just that I'm a little worried that we scared him off. He really seems shy."
"You're making a big deal out of nothing."
Ten minutes later, though, Lilly looked less sure.
"I'll try the doorbell," said Dodger. When he pushed the button, however, there was no sound. "Well, maybe the knocker will work," he remarked. This time there were sharp clattering sounds, but no response came from the other side.
"Dodger, I hate to say it, but I think you're right. I think he left us out here."
"So it seems, unfortunately. Well, we know his name. We'll probably meet him at school soon, don't you think?"
"Unless he's really good at hiding. Still, I wonder why he let us follow him and then left us outside? Kind of rude."
"Maybe he forgot about us."
"How could he? We've been standing out here ten minutes- we even walked with him all the way to his house? What is he, Dory from Finding Nemo? Brother!"
"Well, I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe next time we'll have a better result."
"Next time? Dodger, I wouldn't even bother. His first act as your neighbor was to ditch you on his porch!"
"No, his first act was to introduce himself. His second act was leaving me on the porch."
"And your point would be?"
"Well, I dunno. It's just that first impressions aren't everything. You said so yourself. I don't want to risk a friendship over a misunderstanding. Let's go home, Lilly. I'm going to keep trying, but for right now I just want hot chocolate."
"Okay, Dodger. I'm still kind of annoyed."
"Well, try to let it go. After all, you know what Colossians says about 'bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection (3:13-14 NKJV).' If we're going to even have a shot at being friends with Timothy, we may have to bear with him a while. Let's give him a second chance."
"All right. I think I can handle that."
"I know you can. Let me get the teapot started. There."
"You seem pretty determined to make a friend, Dodger."
"I suppose, but really I just want to try to do what I think Jesus would do. After all, He loves us, and that's never going to change, so if He didn't give up on me, I'm not prepared to give up on someone I hardly know."
"Good point. Hey, that kettle started whistling pretty quickly!"
"Yeah, it heats up fast. Can you get the marshmallows out of the pantry?"
"Sure thing."
"Thanks."
"A toast!"
"To what?"
"Making new friends."
"Alright then, a toast to new friends!"
