The Whispering Years (The Tail of a Dog)
When someone loses someone, someone close to their heart you say they will be ok but when it happens to you when you are put into that situation its far from that when you love someone strongly if it's a part of your family or a friend you give a piece of your heart to that person and they cherish it and when you lose that someone it cracks into a million tiny pieces you never let it go and you always remember it scars you for life and stabs you in the back when you least expect it that's what it's really like.
Running my hands through the fluffy fur of the new addition to the family was the best feeling I could feel looking into her bold blue eyes with her wet nose rubbing against mine, every few seconds every name I could think of bounced of each side of my brain when one plucked from nowhere an old family dog that passed away a while ago reminded me of the new one and that was also the perfect name for the dog "Flo" I called out so everyone could hear that I had made up my mind the dog reached out to my arm and lifted it to fit it on top of her back her long tongue stretching across my face she was just a puppy but she still had enough strength and energy to do it all, now named Flo lay on the floor asking for a good scratch on the belly, as I reached over I thought of the old Flo not completely replacing her as they were a different breed I almost thought of it as a tribute I hardly knew the German shepherd Flo and reassured my mum that the "new" collie Flo was a pure tribute and nothing else also a new friend to enjoy and love for hopefully years to come.
The first steps that Flo took with her new family were round a grassy field full of poppy flowers and cut grass the fresh smell filled all our noses sending Flo into immediate Joy that carried on for what was about 10 minutes of course normal for a puppy but I knew that she would be a little mutt in the making and would cause havoc everywhere she went like the dog of Marley and Me but hopefully Flo wouldn't be the type to eat a phone I hoped anyway. Her newly plucked puppy fur flew in the wind little strands flying right into my face she smiled as she tugged on a bark of tree hanging on the edge then falling backwards into a back flip with a mouth full of grass as soon as anyone knew it she was fast asleep in the back of the car still with grass in her mouth.
The Arrival at the new house was the worst part of all our journey, jumping straight out of the car and causing a wild goose chase down the street was just the first things Flo did scratching the floor boards and dragging up the carpet showed all of us that she was stressed having a toilet everywhere just reminded me that I had to train her everything, to sit, to rest, to bed, to roll over, to paw and to go outside that was the only thing I was dreading but the rest of it was gunna be so much fun the playing and the hugging was just a few of many things that was to come but in the meantime she had to cope with a couple of nights of pure terror of this poor pup but she was going to do all in her power to get her and Flo threw it on the brighter side that night was spent peacefully sat in front of the television with her new puppy bouncing through her head all the thoughts she had of the future and she liked it the future of a wonderful dog and a wonderful life to come the first day with Flo was going to be the first of many.
The Next Morning was a long one, not waking up until 12 0' Clock was bad enough until I had to clear up about a million toilets all done by Flo and one by Smoke my cat having a puppy is tiring work and I couldn't even blink before my mum asked me to take Flo out for a walk clipping her lead and running out of the house as fast as I could was the most fun I had all day Smoke had just produced a stinker and when I say stinker I mean stinker. Without a second thought Flo ran along beside me her tongue flying in the rain I didn't even notice it until I slipped over a puddle didn't matter though my skin was hard as rocks as my mum said and even a broken foot would fix in a matter of weeks quicker than usual, finally we had got to a massive field filled with a load of ducks this became a perfect opportunity that Flo's inner self-had been waiting for she didn't know it yet but as soon I unclicked that lead she was off through no power of her own she charged towards the ducks herding them into the field beside this one then sitting right in the middle of it looking very proud of herself, just like an adult collie herding sheep I couldn't believe what she just did and I came up with a great plan that wouldn't end that well.
With the thought of the other day resting on my shoulders I had to put my idea behind me for a while in the meantime Flo had training to do and I was there to help her after just about finishing my driving test I drove down to the infamous Pets At Home and picked up enough dog treats to make about 100 Flo's full completely forgetting that she was a puppy tugging against her lead down the treat isle just made me reach for every nice looking packet they stocked people looking at me like I was going to try and fatten her up for Christmas even the rabbits in there little glass cases looked like they were judging me but I hated going there the better enough stuff I got the least amount of times I would have to go there, picking up treats, toys, puppy pads, bed, bowls anything you can think of all just for one little puppy but I couldn't resist everyone says that but I really couldn't it was like Flo was a child me spoiling her at every second I could I especially wanted her to have a toy a rope with two ducks at each end for her to tug on it reminded me so much of the other day and I couldn't hold back all together it came to £210.00 in a normal situation I would scream out "Bloody hell" but I choose to keep it in as, as I said it was better to get it over and done with, taking it all back to the car was the hardest part with a 5 month old puppy jumping about and millions of packs of treats and bags of toys was just too much for me to handle before I knew it I once again slipped on a puddle tumbling to the floor and letting go of Flos lead she charged towards the road me to confused to notice looked towards my arm despite my tendency not to get hurt blood was trickling down my arm I quickly looked up to shout for Flo only to find a tall boy standing with her in his arms I rose up as quick as you like to face him properly our lips nearly touched and I stepped back I managed to get a T-Thanks for that with a That's Ok response taking Flo from his arms and plopping her into the car along with all the stuff that was still remaining which fortunately included the duck toy slowly closing the boot triggered the boy to say: "I'm Josh" holding out his hand to receive mine I took it and slowly exclaimed "I'm Katie" he smiled "I like your puppy I love collies…. um….do you want to go out sometime?" he asked reluctantly after mumbling on for about a minute of course as all my friends know I said- "Yeah, of course how about we meet at the local park about 7ish tomorrow" he nodded and walked away, quickly slipping into the car a smile sprouted on my face I was put into reality when Flo barked straight into my ear and jumped on my lap she knew that I was happy.
Josh was a nice guy after a couple of days out with our dogs him and I and our dogs (Flo and Oscar the Labrador) became good friends and before you knew it we were dating a couple of dates became more and more but I didn't leave Flo out in any of this with her only being a puppies and Oscar being a puppy too it was the perfect option just to during the dates take the pups either to the park or a dog friendly restaurant or beach it was a load of fun and I hope it carries on just a pop to the shops may have turned my life upside down in a good way but one thing I now had to unfortunately concentrate on was Flos puppy jabs always the dreaded trip for the puppy and the human not only did Flo have to face the needles but I had to face Flo hating me for a least 3 days, so I came up with a plan ; granted my plans didn't always go according to plan but this was sure to work, I hoped and what was this great plan? To get Josh to do it. Of course I wasn't going to let him face the wrath of Flo on his own, I was going to come but Josh had to do the dirty work get her in the vet with no fuss, I can imagine this may have been the reason why he regretted going out with me but I'm sure he was going to get me back, now for me that was the easy part now was the paper work my mum had usually done this but because Flo was 'my dog' she was 'my responsibility'. Looking down on the card with Flos information my face filled with confusion, I could see in the corner of my eye both the Vet and Josh smiling as I scanned the writing which none of it I understood more confusion accoutred, once I had worked it out then was the challenge of controlling Flo whilst the needle comes towards her. As the Vet naming Rosie went to the back for the dreaded needle and medication me and Josh lured Flo out of the cage closing the door right as her tail hit the room air, she paced the table leaving wet paw prints from the sweat and as Rosie came in she spat out a little yelp like she had just been pinched holding her down by her back and holding her collar the first needle came in, followed by the second, then the third; after each one Flo thought it was over but then another came, I think she finally got used to it after the last one was injected. As soon as you could say Vet Flo was back in her cage shivering like a fish out of water giving all of us an evil 'I hate you' scowl which was soon to go away, coming back to mine was the worst, every 5 seconds she would let out a huge yelp in the back of the car as if she was being murdered, we thought it would be best if we left her alone just until she calmed down.
After those couple of days of hate Flo was soon going to start loving me again, It had now come to the time for Flos 1st Birthday of course after a 5 month relationship with Josh he came to my new flat each present I wrapped careful I knew she was a dog and she doesn't have thumbs but I had cleverly if that's the word put a treat to get her attention so she could rip it open herself she seemed to be able to do it enough on my arm so why should a present be any different. As she ripped each present apart Josh and I sat in the corner watching her it was like she was judging us staring at us every time she could without even stopping the present opening like a lion and its prey, she wouldn't give up that was until I finally helped her and then threw them at her already being spoilt to the core when I first got her, she only received 3 presents a fox toy, a ball flinger and a new collar she grabbed them by her mega teeth and ran across the kitchen as if she was high she seemed to like them all and didn't care on the quantity which was a good thing she wasn't some spoilt brat that started crying because she didn't get the Barbie she wanted she was calm in a physiological way defiantly not a physical way we both swore that she lost it but we loved her I loved her more of course she was my dog but Josh loved Oscar more so we were even in the loving front, and if it wasn't for Flo I would never had met Josh so I Thank her for that after the moment she had stopped she lay on the floor and snored her way into the day it had just turned 8 O'clock when she woke and she was begging for a walk of course being the sucker I am gave her one just down the road Josh had left at about 6 O'clock so now It was just mine a Flos time to Lounge in front of the TV and have a great rest of her birthday, before you knew it she was once asleep again as I looked through all of the pictures I had taken that day her running around, sleeping, opening the presents and kissing josh maybe Thanking him for making me happy I will never know.
Flo had made a new enemy of course a cat just down the road completely different to my Smoke a horrible fat tabby called Charlie, Flo had done nothing to hurt him but he lashed out for no reason, With Josh at work I had to take Flo out for a walk clipping her lead onto her new collar and watering the flowers on the way I decided to take a day for a long one, passing Charlie for the first time outside a big house that I had always wanted like he was rubbing it in ours faces that he lived there, me giving him a hard look to tell him to back of getting past the little moment of the cat encounter we enjoyed the small breeze that whipped our hair back slowly and engulfed the warm sun on our skin/fur walking past the local shops waving at a couple of friends and buying a chocolate bar was the best thing as it got closer to the end Flo didn't seem fazed skipping past the fields that included ducks, cows and horses and carrying on past the school and church I panted at the last mile sort of regretting what I had decided earlier and letting Flo drag me up the hill I can proudly say I am healthy but I can be very lazy from time to time and this was one of those times as soon as we got to the level ground I fastened up knowing that it wouldn't be long until I lounged once again on the sofa almost into a small run when we past 'the cat' he once again gave us both a disgusted look and that was when it happened as if they were talking to each other arguing through the secret language on animal Charlie then slapped Flo around the face and that was my time to make action sweat pouring down my forehead from the long walk dragging her back home as long as we could still see Charlie, Flo stared at him growling like a rabid mongrel well at least she wasn't like Cujo.
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