Chapter 9

Tragedy

Everest was riding in Jake's truck, wondering where he was taking her. Then his truck pulled over at one of town's churches.

Everest was surprised.

"But Jake, I'm not part of this fold."

Jake looked back at her and began, "I know, Everest, but there are two dogs here who would like to talk to you."

Everest looked over and noticed and eccentrically dressed Airedale terrier and borzoi nearby. The borzoi bore a strong resemblance to Ivan but looked older. As soon as Jake let her out, she approached the two dogs, unsure of what to expect.

"Good afternoon, Everest," greeted the Airedale. "You can call me Father Boris."

"And my name is Konstantin, I am Ivan's father," responded the borzoi in a distinct Russian accent.

Everest was about to apologize for having insulted his son, but then he stopped her.

"You don't have to apologize; I've called him that several times myself. But there is something else you do need to see."

Everest nodded, and followed the two other dogs into the church, and past the main hall, into what looked like an office. Once there, Konstantin retrieved a picture and placed it in front of her. Showed a young Borzoi, about Ivan's age.

"Who's this," asked Everest curiously.

"This was my brother, Vasili," said the wolfhound somberly. "The two of us were close as could be when were puppies, we used to get into so much trouble together," remembered Konstantin fondly.

"So, what happened to him?"

"What's happening to my son," he said in the same somber tone.

"Huh?" asked Everest curiously.

Konstantin then turned his head toward her. "That vile stuff can't just get you drunk, enough of it can kill you," he stated in a serious tone.

"Is is that what happened to him?"

The borzoi gave a somber nod. I remember, like it were yesterday, sniff, seeing his eyes close, Sniff, for the last time, sniff, after saying, sniff, I love you brother," stated Konstantin as he began to cry. "I if only, sniff, I had, sniff, done more, sniff, to keep him away, sniff, that vile potato,"

"It wasn't you fault Konstantin," interrupted the priest.

"If only I…"

"There was nothing you could have done," countered the canine cleric.

After regaining his composure, he looked back at Everest, still teary-eyed. "It is terrifying to see the same curse that took my brother from me consume my son. I don't know if I could take losing another so close to me, and I know Anna couldn't take losing her Sasha, I don't know what she would do if that happened," informed Konstantin, who briefly imagined, in horror, his mate throwing herself in front of a train in grief.

Everest, meanwhile, was struggling to keep her composure. Tears had already begun to stream down from her eyes, a fact that had not gone unnoticed noticed by Father Boris. He smiled. Konstantin really had moved her.

As the Father lead her out of the church, she saw Jake waiting for her in his truck.

As she approached him, Jake noticed her distraught face. As much as he hated to see her upset like this, he knew this ultimately meant she had been moved in the way he had hoped. It was now only a waiting game.

Notes:

But Jake, I'm not part of this fold: I refuse to go into the subjects of the pups personal beliefs because there is no way to do that without offending someone, besides how would I even insert that?

Eccentrically dressed Airedale terrier: See Birthday

That vile potato…: He's alluding to vodka

Literary Reference: Somebody please tell me they picked up on this

It was now only a waiting game: Think about what Jake might mean by this