Pup showed up at our house circa 1973. I don't think we ever learned where he came from, but the going theory was always that my great uncle Doug Ford dropped him off. Pup was a reddish, longer-haired dog, possibly a Border Collie mix (as best I remember). I don't know why he took to us kids like he did, because I used to do stuff like trying to cut his hair with lopper shears (as long ago as that was, I have a fleeting memory of that).
The rest of this story is from stories that have been told and re-told through time and may, or may not, be the whole truth, but it is the truth as I know it.
Pup took it as his personal mission to protect Kellie and I. When Kellie was a toddler, and I was still a babe, Mom used to let Kellie out in the yard when she hung the laundry on the line in the back yard. Pup would keep watch over Kellie and if she started toward the road, pup would run in front of her and trip her, so she couldn't wander into danger.
He would also actively protect us. Back then, Dad was a gear head and shade tree mechanic, and Eddie Wayne would come up and help him work on whatever project was in the driveway. One night, they were out there working on a car and we were in the front yard playing. Eddie Wayne walked toward us, for whatever innocent reason, and Pup, sensing a potential threat, bit him. Eddie Wayne threw the timing chain he had in his hand at Pup. Dad told Eddie Wayne that he'd go get a shotgun so he could kill Pup (an eye for an eye, so to speak, as would be expected), but Eddie Wayne said no, he was just trying to protect the kids.
There was a man in the community at the time that was mentally challenged. I don't know what his condition was, but he used to ride his bike up and down Egypt Road. (it wasn't Glen, these folks lived up near the Adams) One day, he threw the chain, or some similar bike trouble, and got off and started pushing his bike. He was on the side of the road next to our house and Pup perceived that he was coming toward Kellie and I, so he (you guessed it) bit the poor guy. As I remember it, Mom and Dad put him in their car and took him home, apologized profusely, and offered to pay his doctor's bill. His mom and dad understood and said everything was forgiven, and they'd take care of their son.
Some years later (when Pup was very old), we got a phone call, rather early early in the morning. It seems that Pup was asleep in the road, and someone ran over him. The person recognized Pup and knew he belonged to us and called to tell us what happened.
If this story was repeated today, my parents would be destitute from the law suits, and there would be a campaign to outlaw border collie mutts. However, back when people still had common sense, they recognized that sometimes bad things happen due to unfortunate circumstances. Everyone involved recognized that Pup was only trying to protect "his" kids, and they, unfortunately, appeared to be a threat.
Sometimes, life just sucks like that and any attempt to place blame is either futile, or a dishonorable attempt to take advantage of others.
No comments:
Post a Comment