A Wet Dog Tail

This is a short tail—tale (sorry) about a puppy called Bobby.

He began life on a farm. But he found the noise of all the animals a little too much. And so, one early morning, he squeezed through the cat flap and escaped to find a new home.

His first life lesson was quick to teach him that nothing comes easy. Bobby hadn't escaped for too long before he slipped on the muddy river bank. Rain had fallen for weeks and so the river was anxious to take him to his new owner.

Jenny was a retired widow. She'd been married most of her life, for almost as long as she had worked. Then last year everything changed. She retired last year with no husband, cancer had seen to that, and little money, inflation had seen to that. But thankfully she knew the secret to soul happiness. She no longer regarded money in the same way. For as long as she had a warm bed to sleep in and something to eat she was happy. She knew everything will always work out for the best.

It was unusual for her to be walking along the river so early but she hadn't been sleeping too well since arthritis had decided to accompany her during retirement. Walking was a challenge but she simply had get outdoors to keep moving and feel that rush of cold but stimulating morning air filling her hungry lungs.

She hadn't realized it was a puppy at first. She'd been throwing sticks into the river and watching them rush away. She called them "Worry Sticks" because she blessed each one with a worry that was trying to stay in her mind and every time she threw a stick it would magically make her feel lighter in spirit. But when a stick landed on a pair of wide eyes she jumped. And when the rest of the body bobbed up to the surface she realized what the eyes belonged to!

Thankfully the river was not too deep where ancient rocks had decided to create a natural barrier that checked the water for debris. And so Jenny waded out to save the drowning puppy without a second thought. Although, in truth, she did wince knowing her newly knitted socks were likely going to shrink after she had dried them by the open fire she'd left burning, a kind of phycological welcome home for her when she returned to her cottage at the end of a cold walk.

Bobby's first experience of Jenny was of her hand grabbing his wet tail. The shock made him turn in the water, giving him the opportunity to place a paw on a rock that had come to help. Together with his pushing legs, and Jenny's pulling arms, he found himself nestling inside her warm coat within seconds.

The sudden change from being covered with ice water, seemingly rushing through his ears, to being wrapped in a warm coat and hearing Jenny's heartbeat welcoming him to stay, well it was deeply profound. Two lost souls had found each other when they least expected it. What was going to be a cold wet, arthritic day, quickly became one full of warm soul happiness.

This experience never left either of them. They never left each other's side. Jenny tracked down and paid the farmer for Bobby, and the rest is history.

Time blessed them with endless days in their cottage garden. Bobby would roll on his back whilst Jenny did her thing with the plants. Every season she performed a magic trick, producing a different colored plant or flower to reflect the changing weather. She'd often bring the outside inside too, and many a vase showed off the seasons to each new visitor. Bobby's favorite was Spring time. The birds always agreed, filling the air with their approval.

It was true they struggled to pay for things, kindness fed them many a time, thankfully Jenny was friends with the local butcher and scraps were always welcomed, Bobby performing his own magic trick by making it disappear! In the eyes of many in the village they were poor, but to each other, especially when Bobby lay on her warm lap whilst she sipped at a hot cup of tea before an open fire, well, in those loving moments they knew they were among the richest in the world. After all, what more does one need?