Spoiler Alert: The following is the sequel to this furry little tale.
I thought she was a goner. Dead dog walking. The old man told me she had canine TB and less than six months to live. Our sadness embraced.
After I fell hard for his pooch, the old man invites me home to meet his wife. He tells me they have been married since 1949. For 40, no, 50, yes, 63 years. He says, she’s the brains of the family, and the beauty. She frets; he had a massive stroke, he repeats himself, he can hardly move. But he keeps moving, she says. He asks if I want to see how beautiful she looked at their wedding, how beautiful, how beautiful, and I restrain myself from jumping up to help as he struggles to get out of his seat.
Like the old man, the story of his wife’s youth is a dazzler of survival. Poland, circa WWII. Dead family, lost friends, war, starvation…the works. The little dog and I listen raptly scarfing biscuits as their epic stories intertwine like branches on their tree-hugged balcony, winking in the afternoon sun.
I think; love is life’s response to death, the only thing that outlasts it.
Turns out, the old man’s memory skipped a beat. It was his late brother who contracted TB as a young soldier, not our fluffy, four-legged friend. And he wasn’t the only one who had it wrong. The vet had diagnosed fatal leukemia and advised the old man and his wife to put her down but they flatly refused, and then one day, just like that, our hungry, little heroine wakes up, inhales some macaroni and gets her groove back. A battery of tests, a horrible mistake, and she’s not sick after all. The old man beams. We thought she was finished. His wife smiles. The little dog laughs.
See/click on Puppy Love, Part 3: Never Say Die-
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GORGEOUS. YOU are getting your groove on too.
lm
Comment by leilamarshy — August 23, 2012 @ 3:06 pm |
Such a beautiful story, gorgeous photos – you have outdone yourself! Love indeed.
Comment by nedbouhalassa — August 23, 2012 @ 3:12 pm |
Brenda,
Puppy Love is …..Sublime!! Filled with hope and heart. Thank goddess they didn’t put her down. ( Little detail: ‘resurrection’ is spelled with two r’s,)
jean e.
Comment by Jean Elliott Manning — August 23, 2012 @ 4:24 pm |
Hi Brenda, this was very beautiful thanks for sharing, and thanks to the couple for opening their door. best, shokoufeh
Comment by Shekoufe S — August 23, 2012 @ 4:54 pm |
I love this sentence: “I think; love is life’s response to death, the only thing that outlasts it.” It brought tears to my eyes, and it’s so true.
Comment by Judith Alexander — August 23, 2012 @ 6:35 pm |
Lovely
Comment by Norm Keesal — August 23, 2012 @ 7:39 pm |
A beautifully told story filled with love! The pictures are lovely.
Comment by Holly Klein — August 23, 2012 @ 8:39 pm |
I love this story!!
Comment by Jackie — August 23, 2012 @ 9:31 pm |
Beautiful story Brenda,
Our amazing neighbors have a similar story. They survived Auschwitz and met in the DP camps in Sweden. They came to Seattle in the 50s and have been married over 60 years. Their commitment to each other is inspiring. Yesterday afternoon my family walked up the steps to their backyard which is a mini orchard.One fig tree, 2 pear trees 4 plum trees and 2 apple trees. Every year they share their bounty with the entire community. He derives so much joy from sharing bags full of fruit. I walked down the steps carrying a bag full of figs and the desire to pass on the goodness that my neighbor has brought into this world.
Comment by Elisheva Hiller — August 23, 2012 @ 10:19 pm |
Wonderful story, Elisheva, beautifully told. The goodness is passed on and on and on.
Comment by Brenda Keesal — August 24, 2012 @ 8:25 am |
Thanks all, your comments are much appreciated. I’m trying to build my readership, so if you feel so inspired, do share this post and any others you like!
Comment by Brenda Keesal — August 24, 2012 @ 8:24 am |
[...] See Part 2… Share this:EmailDiggLinkedInRedditTwitterTumblrPinterestStumbleUponFacebookPrintLike this:LikeOne blogger likes this. Comments (16) [...]
Pingback by Puppy Love « burns the fire — August 24, 2012 @ 8:25 am |
After seeing him on a bench with his dog this Summer and looking sad and now the three of them smiling together, my heart skipped a beat and I’m smiling also.
Comment by Joe Graber — August 24, 2012 @ 8:51 am |
Brenda, there is only one blog that I want to follow, and it’s yours !
xx
Comment by Geneviève Letarte — August 24, 2012 @ 6:41 pm |
love it!!! love. love rules! that couple is so inspiring. and their little miracle dog! love it. well done.
Comment by sharonnecohen — August 27, 2012 @ 7:26 pm |
Life never stops surprising us. Sometimes these surprises take on an obscur and sureal personna. The event take flight and almost gets away from us and take us to a place that we would never dream of going to.
I find it amazing that the old man’s angish and sadness for his little dog got mixed up with the grief and the mourning for his brother, so many years ago. It just goes to show that events are not as important as the emotions and the connections that are stirred by these events, and that love is stronger than time and matter. The old man has suffered irreversable damage to his brain, but the essence of who he is still remains intact, and has not been diminished by the brutality and harshness of his life experiences.
Comment by Celia Dessertine — September 5, 2012 @ 9:05 am |
I, too find it amazing that the one who turned out to have tuberculosis was his long-deceased brother. He died as a young man in the Polish army. In my conversations with the old man, his brother comes up every time. I may have to continue the story.
Comment by Brenda Keesal — September 5, 2012 @ 10:22 am |
[...] Puppy Love 2: The Resurrection. Like this:LikeBe the first to like this. Leave a Comment [...]
Pingback by Puppy Love 2: The Resurrection « burns the fire — September 5, 2012 @ 12:26 pm |
[...] The following is the second sequel to an undying tale. See it stand alone, or click on: Part 1 and Part 2. Now, for Part [...]
Pingback by Puppy Love 3: Never Say Die « burns the fire — September 17, 2012 @ 4:18 pm |
[...] 1: Puppy Love, Part 2: The Resurrection, Part 3: Never Say Die, Part 4: C’est La [...]
Pingback by Puppy Love 5: I am not alone | burns the fire — March 27, 2013 @ 2:44 pm |