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June 20, 2004 One Two. Small words, correct? Useless information, yes? Yet hidden within the intricacies (which there are none) of the following story, meshed with the twists and turns deeply woven throughout, (oops - none of these either) your mind will undoubtedly desegregate with the emotional roll-a-coaster (this part could be true) of life cast upon one individual. You'll feel the pain and love combined as a bond so strong manifests itself in such an unusual way. Useless information? You decide. Life hands us stuff; all kinds of stuff, cartloads even. Some get good things. Some get bad things. Everyone gets a little of both. My cart was filled with this and that, just like everyone else's. It started to lean to one side then finally tipped over; all the way over and covered me up. I tried to crawl out from underneath but the cart was so heavy I give up trying. One day a gray and white puppy came walking by my cart. He must have come a long way for he lay down beside the cart and fell asleep. While he was sleeping, he started to whine and jolt as though in the midst of a nightmare. From under my cart-prison I stretched my arm out as far as I could but only my fingers would reach him. I rubbed his little ears and feet until his whining ceased and the jolting subsided. I slept myself then, holding as much of his foot as I could. When I awoke he was lying on his back looking under the cart at me. He had the most incredible blue eyes. Almost made me laugh. Almost. He got to his feet and started to run and play, jumping through the air like a cricket and rolling in the grass. He seemed to have a passion for digging holes and was quite good at it, quick too. I watched him play for some time then he ran back and threw his body on as much of my fingers as he could. He put his nose to my skin and followed my scent as far as possible. When he reached the barrier of the cart he tried desperately to dig the rest of me out from under. He bent down on his front paws; his head almost level to the ground looking at me and whined. I could see his eyes so desperate to touch me and enter into my world. The harder he tried the more I recoiled. The cart had become my home. Outside the world was fearful. Days passed and my fingers were coming badly scratched. This puppy was going to get to me somehow. Each night the puppy pushed his body close to the cart and slept, always whining and shaking at some point during his nights sleep. I, in turn, would touch his body to calm him. After awhile I noticed when I would awake in the morning, the puppy was not there, but came later, bounding to me ready to play. One morning he was being particularly puppyish, trying to catch a butterfly. Each time he'd miss, he'd look all around and underneath himself for that butterfly, all the while standing in the same spot. Suddenly he heard a sound. It startled him and me as well. He came running towards the cart as fast as his legs would carry him. I'd been leaving my fingers outside the cart for his need. He landed on them and started scratching with all his worth, tail going break speed. Again the sound reverberated from under the cart. The puppy stopped for a second, then immediately continued his digging. The sound pleased him. His tail wagged even faster. His panting increased to keep time with his digging at my fingers. I couldn't tell which was worse, the pain in my fingers or the echo in my ears. The next morning I woke with a start. I felt something warm against my chest. I reached to the warmth. It was the puppy curled close to my body. He stretched, looking backwards up at me, then snuggled closer and fell back to sleep. Tenacious little guy, that puppy. There was that sound again, only softer. It was becoming part of life under the cart. Never again did I hear the puppy whine or shake in his sleep. Never again did I sleep alone. The puppy had provided himself with his own doorway to come and go as he pleased but he chose to spend most of his time under the cart with me. Little by little though, he'd coax me closer to the edge of the cart. One day he woke and stretched his body. He stood up and overturned the cart. I was almost blinded. At first I tried to pull the cart back over me and when that didn't work, I tried to climb under it again. The puppy, now half grown, would have none of that. He grabbed me by my shoulders, pulling me forward. That must have been a sight: me kicking and screaming. The puppy pulled with all his might, dragging me into the yard quite a distance from the cart. He sat down beside me and every time I tried to get back to my cart he'd stand in front of me and glare. I could see his thoughts. "Just try it," he'd speak to me, our minds connected as one. We stayed in the yard quite some time. He never took his eyes off me. I tried to escape back to my cart while he was asleep. Nope: he was right on top of the situation. I had things in my cart I needed, lots of little green bottles. The puppy wouldn't let me near the cart. One morning when I awoke, the yard was covered with little green bottles he'd chewed up - causing that sound again. The sound was much more frequent now. The puppy delighted in the sound. Every time he heard it, his tail would wag and he'd bound to me. He'd taken to running at me near 30 miles an hour - then oomph!! - right on me!! But by now, though, the puppy was full-grown (61 lbs.) and his name is Two. I discovered one day Two had a fondness for Cheese Puffs and Meaty Bones. He'd come to me and I'd give him a cheese puff. Within 3 seconds he'd be back. Not much one can accomplish in three seconds. I started giving him cheese puffs in small Baggies. I thought he was taking them out in the yard, pulling open the bags and doing the natural, eating the cheese pulls. This went on until one day I was playing "you chase the ball and I'll sit here throwing it for you" with him. Once he actually made ME get the ball. That's when I found Two has been burying his bags of cheese puffs. I tried to pull one up. He was on top of me like a lion on fresh meat. No way was he going to allow me to pull his cheese puffs out of the ground. In fact - I'm certain he's waiting for a cheese puff tree to grow. And from the look he gave me for trying to unearth his precious yellow seeds, I felt as though he was threatening me with a Meaty Bone Bush if I ever touched his stuff again. That's the one mind thing, remember? Two has been my constant companion for three years. Why he came by my cart, I have no answer. People say everything happens for a reason. Yes, it does. It happens because it happens. Period. Two wandered in to my life because that's where he ended up one day. I thank God everyday for that gift. Two gives me unconditional love, support and most of all he is always there. He listens when I cry. He loves when I laugh and still wags his tail at that sound. He did what all the pills in the world couldn't. He knew what I needed when no one else did. He is and always will be my best friend. But right now I have to figure out what he meant about that Meaty Bone Bush. Explaining why I might have a Cheese Puff Tree growing in my yard was hard enough here. To have to go back under that cart just to explain why I might have a Meaty Bone Bush, never. But mostly because there may be other stories, other carts, but I know in my heart God only made one Two. ------------ About the author: Ann lives in the middle of a 'Corn Field' and is writing a novel titled 'The Bridge'. Love to hear from anyone. Email: aplooster@acsnet.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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