I had my dog, Marco, for six years. He’s a Jack Russell and Boston Terrier mix, which means he’s a maniac! But so adorable! I was living with my sister and brother-in-law at the time, and my son was with me every other week during the Summer. We had talked about getting a small dog, but didn’t really look around for one. It was just understood that when we found the right one, it was OK to bring him home.

Enter Sue, who owned a local kennel and knew we were open to adopting a dog. Marco wasn’t her dog; a friend of hers knew that he no longer fit into his current owners’ family. So, Sue and I went to visit him.

It was a beautiful, warm day at the end of May. When Sue and I reached the front of Marco’s house, before we even got out of the car, Sue exclaimed, “Oh, Crystal! He’s so cute!” Marco’s expressive ears were all but waving in the Spring breeze, as if to greet us.

Unfortunately, 5-month-old Marco was tied to the porch railing by a fraying leash, and there was an empty water bowl in front of him. I could only hope this wasn’t how he was treated consistently, but in my heart I knew it was.

I knelt down in the grass and approached Marco cautiously, with my hand outstretched. He, however, ran at me like a whirlwind! He immediately jumped into my lap, put his puppy paws on my shoulders, and began licking my face like I was a long lost friend.

Needless to say, that was it. At that very moment, Marco became my dog. Sue gave me a bag of puppy food, and I took him home.

Marco took to everyone in the house as quickly as he’d taken to me. Well, all except the cat, but that’s another story!

I left the bag of puppy food unattended, while I went upstairs to put away my things. When I returned, Marco had gotten the bag open and was voraciously chowing down, right out of the bag!

It took several weeks before he realized he would have good, proper love, care, and all the food and water he needed. But he came around, and he brought so much joy to our lives for the six years I had him.

When I moved two years ago, I couldn’t bring Marco. The pet deposit was $300, and I had enough trouble paying the security deposit, not to mention the extra $25 tacked onto the rent each month if tenants had a pet. I miss Marco and often smile, remembering all his antics. However, he is still well loved, fed, and cared for. And if he saw me today, I’m sure Marco would still love me, as I still love him!

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Written for
#Threethingschallenge #420: Bag, tale, run

The driver turned to his partner and sighed.

“One more job and we’ll call it quits forever!”

Quietly, they entered the house, clipped the appropriate wires as they had a hundred times before, and just as quietly left.

Only this time, a police car met them on the street.

“You’re under arrest for asaulting batteries!”

“But we’re electricians!”

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Written for
#SixSentenceStories: Clip