Things are quiet around the Smith compound tonight. MA is asleep upstairs, the Golden Girls are with me submerged in my study. all of us, everything is...quiet.
and this is strange. of late, at least, this is strange.
no one hated silence, it seems, more than my little black friend, Farnsworth.
no, I'm not looking at skin-color again here. its fur color to which I refer.
Farnsworth was my little black puppy friend. he is gone to a new home. he has been gone for now one week. it has been a tough week.
the little guy ran in front of my car and into my life some 6 months ago. on Apple Grove Road, in the middle of nowhere, he jetted out from the mountainy roadside and got my attention, sure nuff!
my special little guy provided an additional, needed, male presence around the place. Trixie and Scarlett? both girls. of course, MA is all woman! and though one of our cats is technically 'male'...well, c'mon! its a cat! Little-Big-Man gave me another guy to pal around with and a man around the house when I was gone. one more vote for 'us guys'.
yes, that is quite lame. he is a dog, not a human. but I don't care. species be damned! I mean, you just had to know the pup and you'd understand.
Farnsworth kept my attention for the summer. and the fall. and I was, truth be told, hoping the rest of his little dog life. though it wouldnt have been fair to him, to Trixie and Scarlett or even to me and MA. it just wouldnt have been right. he needed a real home.
Trixie and Scarlett--two grown and nearly grown golden retreivers--keep us very busy. it takes a lot to care for dogs, that is, to care like one should care. we couldn't take on a third.
I believe I saved Farnsworth's life, and I believe he believed that.
and though I only brought him home to give him some water that day, I quickly loved Farnsworth enough to let him be ours until we found the right home. and we did. it was the right thing to do.
Zack, and seemingly very cool 8-year old young man, and his father Frank, and the mom of the family now have a new pet. a new family member, I hope (and bet!)
They had no dog, and they were looking. they were at the barber shop one day. I was at the same shop, the same day.
Frank and I later talked about coinsedence.
Frank said he doesnt like the word. I said I'm trying to rid it all-together. it was the right thing to do.
the little guy, 'strong like bull' though he be, came with us to Florida for the New Year celebration. it was great! MA's folks have a BIG back yard, fenced (well enough to trick Farnsworth, who is no dummy!). he ran to his and my heart was content. it was a beautiful sight. he barked at and chased the fireworks that ended 2008 and began 2009.
we strolled the beach together, just one day before he met his knew family.
for a season, I had a fearsome defender and constant companion: unusually smiling, many times peeing, always loving.
the term 'bitter sweet' it is pitiful excuse for the conflict of emotions this rough and tough, little , furry, black tornado has caused me. though a little painful, I'm glad to have them at the end of the day.
he is cared for, very well I hope and pray. and though Scarlett visibly looks for him, I have been able to hide it more. but I'm not as able to hide my tears for my friend who I may never see again, outside my memory and I pray, on God's Golden Shore. and I dont care about hiding the tears. its a good cry, in every sense. and I hope I always remember: it was the right thing to do.
adios amigo!
and goodnight to the rest of you.
MMS
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1 comment:
Sorry for your pain Mateo. I was relieved to get to the end of the post, because for quite awhile I thought that Farnsworth had gone on to that big kennel in the sky.
Anyway, perhaps a cup of Joe would take the edge off the pain. Let me know.
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