Because of Winn-Dixie: Chapters 1–9

This is what happened: I walked into the produce section of the Winn-Dixie grocery store to pick out my two tomatoes and I almost bumped right into the store manager,

He skidded to a stop and smiled right at me.

The dog stopped licking the manager's face and put his ears up in the air and looked at me, like he was trying to remember where he knew me from.

Before I was born, he was a missionary in India and that is how I got my first name.

I also told him about the preacher and how he was a good man, even if he was too distracted with sermons and prayers and suffering people to go grocery shopping.

"You are a suffering dog, so maybe he will take to you right away. Maybe he'll let me keep you."

He was kind of limping like something was wrong with one of his legs.

And I have to admit, he stunk. Bad.

I was what the Friendly Corners Trailer Park manager, Mr. Alfred, called “an exception.”

And I told Winn-Dixie he had to act like an exception, too; specifically, I told him not to pick any fights with Mr. Alfred’s cats or Mrs. Detweller’s little yappie Yorkie dog, Samuel.

He looked insulted, and the whole time, he didn’t show me his teeth or wag his tail once.

He was working on a sermon and kind of muttering to himself.

Winn-Dixie looked straight at me when I said that to him, like he was feeling relieved to finally have somebody understand his situation.

Winn-Dixie looked up at the preacher and kind of gave him a nudge with his nose.

The building used to be a Pick-It-Quick store, and when you walk in the front door, the first thing you see is the Pick-It-Quick motto.

People bring in their own foldup chairs and lawn chairs, and so sometimes it looks more like the congregation is watching a parade or sitting at a barbecue instead of being at church.

"Back when Florida was wild, when it consisted of nothing but palmetto trees and mosquitoes so big they could fly away with you,” Miss Franny Block started in, ‘and I was just a little girl no bigger than you, my father, Herman W. Block, told me that I could have anything I wanted for my birthday.

But then I became aware of a very peculiar smell, a very strong smell.

“Yes ma’am,” said Miss Franny. “He snatched it up and ran.”

I imagine I’m the only one left from those days.

I imagine I’m the only one that even recalls that bear.

And Winn-Dixie, who was standing on the other side of the window, pulled up his lip and showed me his teeth and sneezed and wagged his tail something furious

so I knew he absolutely loved that leash and collar combination.

“Gertrude!” somebody screamed in a real irritating voice.

You know, my eyes ain’t too good at all. I can’t see nothing but the general shape of things, so I got to rely on my heart. Why don’t you go on and tell me everything about yourself, so as I can see you with my heart.