at the request of Miss Maggie, we have a part II to Old Dog, rather than a rewrite
Old Dog, Part II
“You home?” Joseph calls from the kitchen.
You lean back against the front door, wanting to hear scrabbling nails on parquet, instead your stomach roils.
He comes out drying his hands on a dishcloth. “Got rid of him? Good. Damn peeing. Gotta have standards.”
Instantly you realize you’ve lowered yours. Surrendered Buddy for the love of this supercilious man. Shaking your head, you jingle your car keys then rest your forehead against the door.
“I can’t leave him there.” Your tears blind you, except you see better now.
“Him or me.”
You smile. Your first easy decision of the day.
The woman at the shelter raises an eyebrow at your approach.
“I need my Buddy back,” you say, and this time the tears come followed shortly by scrabbling nails.
end
Sascha Darlington
Part one is more emotionally powerful and heartwrenching, but I far prefer part two. This is a much better ending.
Thank you. Part one was in response to my looking at a local shelter online and all I saw were old faces looking back at me. It was easy to write something angry.
However, happy endings, especially in cases like this, are preferred! 🙂
This actually made me cry! Easy choice–I’ve made it myself. THANK YOU!
And sometimes the pet…in my case, my cat, made it for me. ha!
Ah, I like them both!
Thank you, Alicia! 🙂
Enjoyed your pieces, Sascha, although I must say I felt a certain repeat rejection by association. No, it’s not that I’m a dog, but the other thing. No-one is perfect, and clearly the protagonist here accepts certain imperfections in her pet. Are we all oafish unfaithful bores? Mmm come to think of it … 🐒
…at first I thought you were talking about alligators. But erm…are you talking about….erm…men?
I am certain that it won’t help, if this is the case, to add that actually in my head the person in the Dog I was a man, but someone presumed it was a woman so I changed the gender.
I feel that I must make amends. Mea culpa.
I am by no means nor definition man-hating! 🙂
Sorry Sascha, I was just trying to be amusing in my own pathetic way. It’s only a couple of storyettes, I certainly didn’t make that assumption about you, and I feel no more rejected than usual. Also I might … even have a few imperfections myself. 🤓
ha. It might be because I am currently living in the land of Republican USA where women are scapegoated, and I wonder if my writing reflects an aversion.
We are safer with alligators. 😉
No offenses all around….not that I would feel one from you, but I would hate to give one.
TBH I steer clear of politics on WP. Mind you, if I started I’d never stop. 🙂
I try to steer clear of politics everywhere. You discover disheartening facts about other people.
Did I mention I’m a card-carrying member of the Free The Alligators party?
who’s holding them captive? the crocs?
No-one in the party seems to know. The alligators are basically just whingeing that they don’t have basic rights: they want credit cards and minimum wage guarantees.
….and not to be made into belts and handbags?
That too. 😜
Thank you.
🙂
I enjoyed this piece. The angst, the decision, the choice.
Thank you! 🙂