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I was awakened that morning with a voice so sweet, it rattled my insides. Drowsily lifting my head, I pricked my ears up to take in the music. Smiling, I knew that it was my girl. I stood up, and stretched with my tail up in the air; the kind that felt oh so good, and trotted into the family room.
There, I spied Dani, the little girl who never neglected to take care of me. She scratched me in all the right places, fed me at all the right times, and loved me whatever the circumstances. I leaped up on the couch and sat on my haunches. I sang along. We sang together, me and my girl, my high pitched howling no match for her sweet melody.
When she finished her verse, Dani flopped down on the couch beside me. She was beautiful with hair the color of butterscotch and a face as dainty as a flower. I put both paws on her legs as she scratched behind my large, velvet ears. She quietly whispered, “Oh Maestro, what would I do without you?” Maestro. I loved that name. My girl picked it for me because she thinks I teach her things. I don’t know what, but she seems to be assured, so I take the credit. I was just about to lick her face, when her father came in, huffing on a cigarette. “It’s time for school, get moving,” He gruffly stated.
As Dani reached down to grab her backpack, I glanced sullenly at her father. I didn’t like the smell of the smoke that he emitted, and I could sense that it upset my girl as well. As Dani walked out the door for school, I followed closely at her heels, growling slightly. She lay a hand on my head as if she could read my mind and told me to stay as she skipped to the entrance of her school.
I waited as I was told, at least around the perimeter of the school yard. I enjoyed hopping up on the windowsills outside the school and watching the little kids giggle with glee. After a romp around the playground, I lay down outside the school waiting for Dani. At last the bell rang and I greeted her with tail wags and bounds as she ran out the door. She hugged me and together, we went back to the house.
Most days went like this, sing in the morning, and then go to school. However, there were some lucky times when my girl got to stay with me the entire day without going out. I overslept on one of these particular days and awoke to Dani crying. She immediately squeezed me with both arms and wept into my neck scruff. Not completely awake, I could not process what was going on, but stayed there and comforted her. When she finally settled down, she closed her eyes and rested. I was about to curl up next to her when a loud crash sounded from the kitchen.
-I briefly skidded to a stop in front of the kitchen only to be greeted with another crash. Dani’s father had thrown a plate at her mother, and it was shattered into tiny pieces on the floor. Puffing on his cigarette, he continuously yelled at his wife, her shaking her head and yelling back. The volume increased to the point where I was shaking and I galloped back up to Dani, curling against her warm body. She had all the right in the world to cry.
A couple years passed and the same routine went on. Most nights, Dani would come crying to me, and I would comfort her until she eventually fell asleep. Then one night, the slamming of a door startled us both. Running downstairs, we were just in time to see her mother hop in the car and drive away. Her father looked out the window, with a grim expression, huffing on his cigarette. My girl and I never saw her mother in the household again.
-I made sure to accompany my girl everywhere after that night. Months later, she still had not shown a glimpse of happiness. One morning she started to sing again. After a long period of no music, I delightedly joined in. She stopped and smiled, her first smile in a very long time.
-More years went by and I continued to be loyal. As Dani scratched my ears, I licked her nose over and over again to show my appreciation. Then one morning I smelled something funny on her breath. It sent chills down my spine and didn’t feel right. I barked and barked incessantly until her father came in. They both looked at me like I was crazy, but I knew something was wrong. I didn’t stay quiet until her father decided to phone the hospital. Even he knew there had to be something wrong with my girl.
-I was allowed to ride in the back with Dani as the car drove to the hospital. Furthermore, I was allowed in the hospital but not in the room with my girl. Frustrated, but abiding by the rules, I lay outside the door. It was awhile before her father threw open the door and yelled, “Lung Cancer?!” I saw him throw his pack of cigarettes on the ground, stomp on it, and then shove it in the trash. I never saw him smoke again from that day on.
Every day, I visited Dani in the hospital. Now being allowed in the room, I hopped up on her bed and reassured her everything was going to turn out fine. She was strong, but I could tell she was as lost and scared as a child in the dark. In the many days she stayed there, she acquired a new talent for drawing, and I loved watching what her mind could create. Often, she drew me and I could not believe I could be that beautiful. Eventually came the day where she was deemed cured from her cancer, and everything returned to as normal as life can get.
-More years passed, and my girl grew into a pretty young lady. I no longer needed to walk her to school, her friends did that for me. However, that did not stop me from welcoming her back home with the usual bounds and tail wags. Excitement lay on her breath this afternoon and I shared it with her, as I always shared things with her.
That evening, Dani threw a party. All of her friends came over and I enjoyed the extra attention and leftover food sprawled about. After a few hours, I felt a bit sick to my stomach, so I retired to my girl’s room. Dani spotted me and followed close behind. When I lay down she stroked my back before feeling a lump with her hand. She frowned for a minute, then shook it off and went back to her friends.
-The next day I continued to lie down for long periods while Dani stroked me. She had to leave me later in the evening with a silk gown and a square hat with a funny little garnish on the top. I smiled, she looked funny in that, but I would never think less of my girl because of it. She was gone for quite a while when I let out a deep howl. Her father ran up and got a sinking feeling. He carried me down the steps, layed me on the sofa, and talked into the phone frantically.
-The next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes in a big white room that smelled of other animals. Dani was peering over at me in that silly gown. She had a fake smile on her face, I knew she was sad for some reason but was trying to support me as I had done for her all these years. I crawled over into her lap and lay my head down. She shed a single tear as she scratched behind my ears and said, “You’ve done right by me all these years, Maestro, and now I will do what’s best for you.” She paused. “Even if it hurts me inside. I know I’ll get through it, because you made me a stronger person.” She hummed that sweet melody quietly as I closed my eyes. A shot was given, and I drifted into a deep sleep as I lay in my girl’s arms.
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Great story though.