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Buck the wonder dog is a series that was started by
Loren. It grew tremendously. It came to a point that many writers started
to write about Buck as well. Here is my meager attempt at a Buck Story
Dedicated To Loren Moore-
Another Buck Story
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The strange man knocked on the
door of the second story flat on a snowy Montreal morning in early
January. "Who is it" yelled the grandmother but no answer came. The
incessant knocking continued. There was no getting around it this stranger
was not going away. Slowly the grandmother walked to the door with
caution. As an older woman living alone with her granddaughter she knew
she was a prime target for criminals who prey on the innocent
"Who is it"? she
asked one more time as she approached the door.
"Listen lady", said the voice
from the exterior, "I don't have much time I have other deliveries to make
you know".
Now totally bewildered, the
grandmother opened the door just wide enough for the delivery man to push
a paper on clip board through the crack "sign here" he commands. She
obliges and passes the clip board back to him. "Wait here as I go to the
truck and get your package Madame. Sure is a bitter cold morning ain't
it????
Package what
package? Who could be sending her a package and why she thought. "I wonder
if my granddaughter had anything to do with this one" she pondered. But
she would have to wait another 3 hours before the granddaughter came home
from school to quiz her about it.
The delivery man
returned to the door and handed her a large cold steel chain which
happened to be attached to a big black goofy lab and off he went. By this
time her own dogs, a German Shepherd, and a Cocker Spaniel, were barking
their fool heads off. The goofy looking lab sat on the top step and
refused
to budge. Try as
she might she couldn't get the lab to come into the house. Yet she
couldn't leave him on the stairs that she shared with her neighbor either.
With chain in
hand, she turned around and ordered her two dogs to "go and lay down" and
she tugged on the chain with all of her might and finally the lab took the
step into the house so she could at least shut the door. As she took the
chain off she noticed the little message that was attached to the collar
around his neck. It read, Hi, I am Buck pleased to meet you.
"Well Buck", she
said, "I don't know how you got here or why but I am sure the heck gonna
find out" With the mention of his name Buck perked up his ears and let out
a big grumph!
The German
Shepherd and Cocker Spaniel were becoming very agitated. They did not take
lightly to having this strange dog in the house. Though still in the spots
where they were commanded to lie down one of them was whining and the
other was barking.
Buck just
cowered in a corner by the entrance. He seemed so scared and so pitiful.
To restore order to the house, the grandmother escorted Buck to the back
porch and there he would remain until the granddaughter came home from
school. The grandmother provided him with a big bowl of water and a chew
toy and patted his head. As she let him out the door she said to him,
"It's okay Buck, I will find out what is going on here, I promise you old
boy". Buck
just looked up
at her with those big brown eyes and sighed, grumph!
Every now and
then the grandmother would look out the window at the black lab, but he
just laid there in a corner not budging. Her two dogs quieted down and the
day continued as usual.
By now it was
time for the granddaughter to come home from school. The grandmother just
knew that the granddaughter was at the bottom of all of this. The
grandmother couldn't wait for the explanation.
True to form,
the granddaughter arrived home at 3:30 PM. She was bright and chipper as
usual. After she had taken off her winter clothing and had her usual
afternoon snack, the grandmother asked her to take a peek out the window
which led onto the porch.
"Why" she asked,
"just do it", her grandmother responded. "Okay" she said "but I don't see
anything special, what am supposed to be looking at anyhow? The
grandmother responded "well if you don't see anything, then go out and
take a better look".
The
granddaughter gingerly opened the back door looked around then let out a
big squeal. "Buck, Buck, your finally here". The big black dog jumped to
his feet with the sound of the child's voice and came right over to her as
if he had known her all of his life. Buck stood up putting his two front
paws on the child's shoulders, almost knocking her over but nevertheless
giving her a great big sloppy dog kiss.
It was like
magic seeing the two of them together. Buck seemed to be totally
transformed. He wasn't cowering in the corner anymore. He was wagging his
tail and jumping around like a puppy dog half of his size.
There was no way
that the grandmother could deny this child the joy of having this dog
around, but she still had to find out where he came from and why.
The grandmother
called for the granddaughter to come into the house. The house was now
getting chilly and she didn't want the granddaughter to catch a cold.
An explanation
for the mysterious dog was now in order. The granddaughter explained that
Buck belonged to Loren, an Internet friend that she had met through a
school project. Loren had this great big back woods dog, called Buck. Buck
was quite famous, he traveled the world. He had even been to
Australia!
Loren was going
on a business trip and he needed someone to take care of Buck while he was
gone. The business trip was going to be for a month or two at the most. To
compliment the Internet cultural exchange program, the school had decided
to take Buck as their mascot.
The children
that were interested in caring for Buck on his stay were to get their
parent's approval and then a drawing was held. The winner would be
responsible for Buck outside of school hours. The granddaughter's name had
been picked.
There was a
major problem with the execution of the plan. The granddaughter had never
informed the grandmother nor had she gotten her approval.
"Why didn't you
tell me about all of this???? The grandmother questioned.
???Because I wanted it to be a
surprise???, said the granddaughter,
???I knew you wouldn't say no!???
"You just can't assume things like that" said the
grandmother.
"But you told me that you had a black lab as a little girl and you always
wished you had another one so here he is Buck, just like you always
wanted" the granddaughter asserted.
"Why did the school let
you take this dog, without informing me about it???? retorted the
grandmother.
"I forged your signature on
the consent form, don't be mad please. It was the only way I could keep it
as a surprise. Then when they gave me the paper to take home with the time
and date for Buck's arrival I hid the paper. I guess I read the paper
wrong because I thought that he was coming next month not this month. I
was gonna let you know that there was a surprise coming that was gonna be
delivered to you I really was. I just got my dates wrong. I'm
sorry!" whimpered the
granddaughter.
Looking into the
granddaughter's eyes the grandmother knew that she was fighting a losing
battle. But she continued to protest. "We already have two dogs. We cannot
keep another one. The house is too small", said the grandmother.
"It's only for a month or
two", responded the child.
"We can't afford to
feed another animal, do you know how hard it is to feed the ones we
already have; queried the grandmother.
"Don't worry about that, the
school is taking care of the cost, and they have arranged with Loren, to
provide you with a little bit of money for keeping him as well. During the
day, he will be at school with me and will play in the school yard. At
night I bring him home after school to go to sleep. He won't be any
trouble at all" insisted the granddaughter.
"Well there is trouble
already, said the grandmother, he is scared of the other dogs, and they go
crazy knowing he is around".
By this time Buck was
whimpering at the porch door, trying to get to the granddaughter.
???Don't worry??? said the
granddaughter ???I will take all three dogs outside and they will run, play,
and make friends. The school has already told me how important it is that
Buck gets a lot of exercise. He is a big dog and used to hunting in the
woods. He needs to run and have fun. You will see the three dogs will get
along well???.
The final test
was put forth. If Buck could blend in with the other dogs he would stay if
not he had to go. The granddaughter took Buck downstairs to the
back yard while the grandmother let the other two dogs out. The
grandmother watched from the window to see what would happen next.
First the German
Shepherd ran down and cornered Buck by the back shed; teeth exposed, hair
standing on in, he looked a menacing sight. Buck didn't cower this time;
he stood his ground. He stared back at his adversary and let out one
ferocious growl.
The fearless
granddaughter positioned herself right between the two of them. She patted
the German Shepherd and told him "its okay boy this is Buck he is your
friend". The German Shepherd relaxed a little but still jumped in front of
Buck no matter where he went.
The Cocker
Spaniel however, went right over to Buck and started sniffing him. Within
minutes the two dogs were rolling over in the snow playing with each
other. The Cocker Spaniel and Buck were now friends.
It just left the
German Shepherd who was now being held back by the granddaughter to quit
snarling and join in the fun. Slowly the granddaughter led the German
Shepherd closer to Buck, who at this point was thoroughly enjoying himself
and not paying much attention to the big dog at all.
Each time as the
granddaughter advanced if the German Shepherd would bark, or growl she
reprimanded him.
Finally, the two
big dogs were again face to face. Buck stopped in his tracks and stared
the other dog down. The Cocker Spaniel was nipping at Buck's heels wanting
to play some more.
Buck ignored the
Cocker Spaniel, it was showdown time!
The German
Shepherd growled, Buck growled back. The granddaughter got between them
yet again. She patted Buck's head while simultaneously patting the head of
the big German Shepherd.
The German
Shepherd growled again. Buck growled again. The granddaughter continued to
pat the big German Shepherd reassuring him that everything was okay. She
beckoned Buck to come closer. Buck fearlessly approached the German
Shepherd and started to smell his butt. The German Shepherd jumped.
The granddaughter held
him tightly and said once again, "its okay, Buck is your friend, relax old
boy". Buck continued to smell the German Shepherd's butt. This time the
shepherd did an about face and returned the favor. He began to smell
Buck's butt!
Within minutes the three dogs
were rolling around in the snow as if they had been raised together. Buck
was having the time of his life. He took to the snow like a fish takes to
water.
When it was time for Buck to
go back home to Loren the granddaughter cried, the cocker spaniel ran
after the truck and had to be carried back home while the big German
Shepherd just ran from one window to another barking his fool head off.
The German Shepherd continued to look in the windows for about a week
before he finally settling down.
The evening that
Buck went home to Loren, the grandmother got out her old photo album.
Beside the pictures of her childhood companion, her black lab, she now
added a picture of Buck.
Carol Roach
winterose@videotron.ca
About Me:
I hold a masters
in counseling psychology. People, animals, and writing are my inspiration.
I have been writing for several online newsletters for the past 5 years.
Starfish is my main stay and I was featured as writer of the month on that
newsletter awhile back. My stories will be published in two up coming
anthologies, and I just signed a contract to publish my book; Picking Up
The Pieces: A Woman's Journey. Other than that this newsletter keeps me
busy I must say, and I love every bit of it
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