No Longer Alone
This May, my best friend left me … for good. I’d never known life without Mac. He was like an older brother to me. Quiet and stoic, I always felt safe in his presence. But then he was gone. And it was just me. I felt so alone.
Of course, that’s not totally true. I had Scott … and Michelle. But humans are different.
Truthfully, my heart ached when Mac went away. The days were long. I felt listless. Walks just weren’t the same without my big buddy by my side. I suppose I got more attention. But I liked my life before.
And then, one day in mid-June, they asked me if I wanted to go for a ride. Why not? There were treats in the van, and it would be better than staying home alone. After two hours, we stopped somewhere I’d never been before. They told me to be good. “We’ve got a surprise for you.”
A surprise? What could that be? A chew toy? Or could they mean a piece of salmon? I wasn’t sure, but it sounded promising.
To my horror, they did not return with a tasty treat. No, when they came back to the van, Michelle was carrying a baby … and it was NOT human. Instead, cradled in her arms was a puppy. He looked to be my size, except this thing was fat. And his breath stank.
“This is your new brother,” Michelle said, as she placed the baby close for me to inspect. In some ways, he kinda looked like a little Mac … but blond.
“His name is Bodhi,” Scott said, as if telling me this would make me feel better. Was I being replaced? Would the next stop for me be where they took Mac when he became old and sick? Well, I was having absolutely none of that, so I turned and retreated to the back of the van. Maybe if I ignored it, it would disappear.
But it didn’t. From the rear of the van, I watched as this thing tried to bite Michelle’s fingers, her hair, her chin. She gave him new toys, ones I’d never seen before, perhaps hoping he’d chew on those and not her.
When we finally arrived home, they put a wire playpen in the living room—where they placed him—and then a large crate in the bedroom. This thing was a menace. He had no manners, and he didn’t know our rules. Plus, he and all his stuff were taking over my house! I didn’t like it one bit. Nor did I like him.
Then Michelle and Scott took this thing outside. I tagged along, hoping someone would come and permanently remove him, relieving me of this thing. But no one came. So, I remained in the yard, keeping a watchful eye over this intruder. Michelle encouraged him to “go potty.” And when he finally did, she made a huge deal and gave him a treat. No one ever does that when I pee or poop. What the hell is going on?
Incredibly frustrated, I retreated inside and curled tightly into a ball on my dog bed. A few moments later, Michelle came over to me and offered me a treat. “Here you go, Bella.”
A biscuit for doing nothing? Hmmm … maybe this isn’t going to be so bad after all.
The next time they took him out, I decided to go too. Maybe, she’ll feel generous and give me another treat. It’s worth a shot, right?
My strategy worked. He did his business, and we both got snacks. I suppose there could be a benefit or two with having this thing around.
The next few days revolved around Bodhi. I wasn’t ignored, but I was no longer the “star of the show”. Still, strangely I didn’t feel so alone. Of course, this thing wasn’t Mac. But slowly, I started to become curious.
That’s when I decided to check him out. I walked over to his play pen to look inside. It was ridiculous the number of toys he had in there. Plus, they’d put Mac’s old dog bed in the play pen. Was he worthy of Mac’s bed? I think not!
Several moments later, the thing came over to me, sticking his nose though a slot in the play pen. He started wagging his tail. This thing looked ridiculous … a cross between a seal and a potato. But I guess he was sort of cute … in a weird way. It was then that he tried to lick my nose. Unexpectedly, a warmth came over me and I felt my lips curve upward. Could this thing actually be OK? Might he even be fun?
The next time we were outside, I decided to test this theory. I jumped at him. He pounced back. We continued this dance, until he tackled me head on, biting my ear.
Hell no! There will be none of that! First snarling, then barking, I put that thing down on his back then stomped away. But when I turned around, he looked sad. Yet then he sprang up to and started running my way. Is this how he plays? Was this a game to him? OK … I’ll bite.
And so, our chase began. First, the circles were small, but in no time, we started running in bigger and bigger loops until we encompassed the entire backyard. Scott grabbed his phone and started videoing us. He and Michelle seemed to approve of our little skirmish. Maybe that’s why I continued to play along … to make them happy. Or perhaps, it was kinda fun. The thing was kinda fun. Could it be that I was beginning to like Bodhi?
“Things” aren’t always what they first appear to be.”—Bella
Who is she? I think she’s like me, but she doesn’t look like my sisters or my mom. She’s got a funny face … and her tail’s short. It looks dumb. Plus, she’s always barking … in a high pitch. Her fur’s kinda like mine, but it’s got white and yellow spots… and it’s curly. I don’t get it. Is she a lab like me? If not, what is she?
They call her Bella. They call me Bodhi. I heard them tell someone that Bodhi means “the state of enlightenment obtained by a Buddhist.” What’s enlightenment? What’s a Buddhist?
I miss my sisters. And my mom. These people seem nice. But it’s all new. Everything. Even the toys.
This Bella dog has been ignoring me, turning her back whenever I attempt to get her attention. Doesn’t she want to play? Am I not fun?
Finally … she came over to say hello. Or did she? She’s not very communicative, except for the fact that she barks whenever anything moves outside. It seems to annoy them. So maybe barking isn’t the best idea. Still, I want her to talk to me … play with me … tell me it’s all going to be fine here in this new place with these new people.
Oh, she wants to play now. Oops … a bit too rough. Better start looking cute. Maybe she’ll fall for that. It seems to work with the people.
Well, if she’s not going to initiate this, I’ll step up and try to make her like me.
“If at first you don’t succeed, try again.”—Bodhi
Welcome to “The ‘Dog’ma of Bella and Bodhi” … my new blog.
While still not completely sure where I’m headed with this next writing adventure, perhaps these blogs will provide you with a few laughs and moments of joy. After all, in today’s world we can all use a time out to pause and smile. Or maybe you might find some nuggets of truth from these two pups … at least that is my hope.
A bit of background to this blog:
1. Bella is our 9-year-old Shi pooh. Originally, we had gotten her for my husband’s mother. However, Bella spent the first five weeks with us before we gave her to my mother-in-law. And then, when Scott’s mom was in the final moments of her life, she asked us to take care of Bella. Of course, I said yes, but I was hesitant. Bella wasn’t “potty-trained,” she barked incessantly, and she didn’t really seem to like me. But during the next several years, “Bad Ass Bella”—my affectionate name for her— and I became close friends. She continues to teach me a great deal about life … patience, compromise, and acceptance.
2. Mac was the most majestic black lab I’d ever known. He was almost thirteen when we had to say goodbye to him. To admit that our house felt empty without his presence would be an understatement. It didn’t take long for Scott and me to realize we needed—and wanted—another lab. And so, the search began. But finding a black male wasn’t as easy as we’d hoped. So, we took a risk, choosing a little yellow guy, our first lab that wasn’t black.
3. Bodhi—the little yellow guy—is our new puppy. (Guess that’s pretty obvious.). I’d originally suggested the name Bode. Then our older son proposed a different spelling—Bodhi—from the movie, Point Break. Curious about the different spelling option, I looked it up … and here is what I found for Bodhi: the state of enlightenment obtained by a Buddhist who has practiced the Eightfold Path and has achieved salvation. Scott and I kind of liked this … and so Bodhi it was.
4. Maybe you, like I, have wondered about the communication between dogs. There’s no doubt they have their own way of talking to one another. Could it be even deeper than how humans relate? Perhaps they feel other pups … know without words. At least, I’d like to think so.
Stay tuned for the next blog … there’ll be a guest star … Bodhi’s sister!