Mans best friend

Kyla Kaczowski
09/25/17
English 101




Are dogs really man's best friend? To me this is not a question but, a known truth. Dogs have always been my best friend since a sunny summer day 11 years ago, in June.  My brother and I had always spent time together, running around and loving life. The only thing missing was a furry play buddy. I had begged and begged my mother for a dog for years before and sadly nothing had changed up to this point. Till one day during that hot summer when my parents loaded my brother and I into the green mini-van with stickers plastered on every square inch we could reach, it had become our mobile sticker collection. As we drove down the bumpy Massachusetts roads to a destination no one wanted to disclose, my mind wandered out the car window and let my imagination take hold. I day dreamed we were going to a fantastic place filled with things I loved to do. As minutes passed inside my mind hours had passed in reality and we had arrived at our destination. Without looking I jumped from the parked car into what I thought would be this fantastic, magical place to be smacked with reality. A quiet run-down parking lot stood in front of me. Cracks spread from one end to the others making it look like demons from hell were trying to get out. My bright smile turned to a saddened frown. The wind rustled my hair blowing it into my view as a beat down SUV rumbled into the parking-lot. The car parked under a large and equally creepy tree which cast shadows upon the hood, which danced every time the wind blew the branches of the tree. I watched the shadows dance as the hot sun beat down on me causing a bead of sweat to trickle down my forehead to the tip of my nose and plummet towards the ground. The door suddenly swung open and my breath held in my throat as a large short woman came out. She grinned at us and waved her hands beckoning us forward across the deserted parking lot. She wasn’t very far from us but, as I made the walk towards her I held my mom's hand as her features came into view. Her eyes held mine making each step harder than the last. Her lip quivered and shook as she smiled at me. Her hands twitched and hung at her sides looking lifeless. I couldn’t understand why my parents would usher my brother and I to this place where it looked as if we would be served to this lady as a meal. When I was close enough to the run-down car to touch it, she greeted my parents and knelt down to my brother and I. She asked us if we wanted to see what was in her car, and my brother and I slowly looked at eachother both knowing eachothers curiosity couldn't handle saying no. As if connected by the same brain we both screamed yes to the woman. With a smile she unlocked her truck and as the back opened I heard the most wonderful sound...little whimpers and small barks escaped through the open door and greeted us. I sprung towards the car and what I saw was better than anything I could have imagined. Small fuzzy balls of fur all different shades ran out the back of her car. Each made different little squeaks and growl sounds but, one stuck out the most to me. He was light gray and white and had brown eyes. When I stepped closer he stopped chasing his puff ball tail and looked up at me through all his fluff and a little pink tongue rolled out and he ran towards the small make-shift gate and jumped up on his hind legs and barked at me. I slowly reached out to pet him and was met with a cloud on legs. He would lick my fingers for as long as I'd let him. I turned to my mom and dad and I think they had the same connection with this little guy so we took him out so my brother and I could play with him. When he was finally put down he saw a grasshopper and started to growl and bite at it till it finally hopped away and the puppy was so confused he just laid down and stared at us. My brother had found a stick and slowly brought it to the puppy and he waved it in front of his face and I've never seen such a look of surprise and happiness on a dogs face as I did when that puppy saw the stick in my brothers hands. We ran from the puppy stick in hand and spent what felt like days running through that parking lot and through the unkept grass that led to the woods behind it. We pretended the puppy was a giant lion trying to eat us and we had to run to safety, after a few trips and cuts we called it a day and the giant lion slowly shrunk back into a furry little puppy. Although I was tired, in those moments where the wind rippled through my hair and I ran for my life just laughing and being marry, I've never felt such bliss. While I was having the time of my life my mother and father were purchasing the animal that would develop into my best friend. That night on the ride home, we stuck our heads out the door like our puppy, whom we named Nico after an escalated discussion in the car. We barked at passing cars and people walking, we totally immersed ourselves into the role of our new dog. I never knew that day how important that dog would become. Looking back know if it weren't for him I wouldn’t have the passion and love for animals that I do now.