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Empty Dish |
| Written by r.e.potter | |
| Tuesday, 26 August 2008 | |
Larry walked through the door, and the first thing he noticed was that the dogs' water dish was empty again. But there was nothing unusual about that. For the last thirteen years when arriving home after work, the water bowl was always empty.
For the last thirteen years it had been the same routine. At six o'clock in the morning Max would jump up in Larry's bed with the leash already in his mouth, nudging him with his cold nose and waking him from golden slumbers. The alarm clock that sat next to his bed needed only serve the time; it had been years since the alarm itself was actually used, ol Max made sure of that. But with his wet nose continually nudging; Larry knew what Max wanted, and he didn't mind. Whether it was sunny, cold or just plain nasty out, Larry enjoyed the walks as much as his dog. Max was a faithful friend and he loved him more than he had loved anyone in quite sometime. Without his little buddy by his side, he couldn't imagine where life might have led him, perhaps the unthinkable, perhaps not. But Max was his best friend... And Max was his only friend.
With the loss of his wife and daughter in a tragic auto accident; Larry delved into a secluded world that consisted only of memories booze and self pity, and most nights, even the bottle wouldn't suffice. Though he had some acquaintances from his job in the factory, Larry still hadn't any real friends to speak of, and sadly, that was fine with him. As he sat there wallowing one night in front of the television, he caught his reflection in the glass as he turned it off. He saw a lonely man. A man he didn't know anymore, and even more so, a man he didn't like. The next morning, Larry drove to the pound and did the unthinkable. With dog in hand, Larry caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror that hung by the exit, and as the dog licked his face, he smiled. But smiles only last so long as he would find out from the sleepless nights of house breaking. But time went quickly, and after a few hard months of house breaking, things were fun. Max was full of energy, and the new dog had pulled him out of his state of latheriest. Since he never had the desire to remarry or even date again, he devoted all of his spare time into training Max and making him the most obedient dog he had ever owned. By doing so, he quickly developed an emotional bond that he hadn't felt in quite some time, and with his new friend in his life, he had become his ol self again.
Every morning at six he would hop out of bed from the persistence of ol Max; put his sweats on and then brush his teeth. He would then have a quick bite to eat, with max slopping up his own food right there beside him. It was right after they ate that he took ol Max for his two mile walk/run journey through the neighborhood. Looking down at his buddy leading the way, he knew that it was only because of Max did he get any exercise at all, and because of Max, he had never felt better. Larry would often tell anybody that would listen how he thought his dog was sent from heaven above. An angel dog he would often joke, but he truly believed that the dog was his saving grace.
Returning home, he would get Max a bowl of fresh cold water as he showered and got ready for work. It was their routine, and one that neither one cared to change. Every evening, he would come home to an empty water dish and a dog all too eager to play. On weekends he would take Max to the country to hike the hills, and even sometimes to the beach if the weather was sunny enough. It was more than an unbreakable friendship between man and dog, they were best friends. The bond that he and the dog had developed was certainly uncanny and perhaps even odd in nature. But he didn't mind if anyone was talking, he was happy in his life and that's all that mattered.
Max was a pure bread golden retriever with a coat of brown silk and a spotted tongue, and as he grew in age he developed gray markings around the eyes and mouth. Even in his old age he would always wobble to the front door and greet his master arriving home from work, and even on some occasions have the leash in his mouth ready for his six in the morning walk. It was out of the normal routine for him, but the dog was becoming senile, and Larry knew that he would soon lose his faithful friend to the cancer that was beginning to form in his body. It was another heartache he wasn't ready to deal with, but knew he would soon have too. For thirteen years he had the same routine with Max, and he knew that it would be hard to break old habits when the time came to say goodbye to his dear friend.
When Larry walked through the door, the first thing he noticed was that the dogs' water dish was empty again. There was nothing unusual about that... or was it. Everyday he would fill Max's bowl up with water before he left for work. But this day it was quite unusual that the water dish he filled up that very morning from sheer habit was now empty.
He had buried his faithful friend, two days earlier.
Copyright 2008 r.e.potter |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 August 2008 ) |
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