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I
sat alone in Bill Miller??™s BBQ eating lunch and
double-checking my shopping list. As always, Bill??™s was jam
packed and buzzing with bits and pieces of conversation.
Dishes were clanging and banging, while Christmas Carols
played in the background. Jovial waitresses were decked out
in Santa hats ??“ holiday cheer abounded!
Suddenly a rather scrubby, poorly
dressed fellow entered and approach the young clerk at the
cash register. From what I could gather, he was asking for
a handout of some sort. The clerk seemed anxious and unsure
of how to handle the situation. While speaking, the man
glanced out the front window several times, which caused me
to do the same.
Evidently he wasn??™t alone. He had two
companions outside, one being a terribly thin dog that
appeared to be a medium-sized, mixed breed. The sight of
the devoted and underweight canine friend was all it took.
My appetite vanished right along with my warm fuzzy feelings
of the holiday season.
???Oh, I can??™t handle this,??? grumbled a
man at the table next to me. He pushed his plate away, got
up, and walked to the cash register. ???I want several big
broiled chicken breasts for that poor dog out there.??? His
voice was coarse and he had a look of true anguish on his
face. ???Can you bag up a couple of to-go meals for the dog??™s
owners too????
The clerk??™s nervous expression was
instantly replaced with a huge smile. ???Yes, sir! Oh ??“
thank you so much.???
The chicken was ready before the meals,
and the generous stranger high-tailed it out the door.
Being curious, I hustled outside and lingered by my car.
Passing by the dog??™s owner, I had noticed the smell of
alcohol.
But the aroma of chicken had the dog??™s
tail wagging to beat the band. In fact, her entire body
wagged. Her newfound-friend offered small bites while
stroking her lackluster, drab, reddish coat and speaking in
a calm, loving voice.
???Her name is Sadie,??? said the man.
???She??™s a real good dog. We found her roaming the streets
about four months ago. She just kind of took to us and
hasn??™t left our side since. My name is Ed. That guy inside
is my brother, Charles.???
As I studied Sadie more closely it was
apparent she had been, or was possibly still, nursing a
litter of pups. She was definitely in need of the chicken
she was savoring.
Her big, beautiful, brown eyes spoke
volumes as she devoured each bite with all the manners of a
true lady. I wondered how long it had been since she??™d had
the satisfaction of a full tummy. What a shame, as it was
obvious she was a kind, loyal, and gentle soul.
When finished, she gave her new friend
a quick kiss on the cheek, then walked over, sat at the feet
of her owner, and continued to lick her chops. A complete
stranger had given her a gift beyond description, and I
wondered who this man might be.
Then out walked Charles with the to-go
meals and both brothers expressed sincere thanks. Ed
offered up an added comment. ???God bless you, Mister, and
Merry Christmas.???
The generous stranger looked both men
in the eye. ???You know this loyal companion of yours would
feed you first, any day of the week. Even if she had a
drinking problem ??“ she??™d meet your needs before buying
another bottle. In fact, she would lay down her life for
you.??? The brothers hung their heads in shame.
???Sir, we love Sadie. She??™s all we
have,??? stammered Charles. ???I promise you right now, we??™ll
do the best we can for her. But I want you to know she
always has fresh water from the faucet at the gas station
over yonder. And we??™re awfully careful when we find food in
dumpsters. Nothing has ever made any of us sick.???
Ed interrupted nervously. ???We took her
pups to the Animal Shelter hoping they??™d find good homes.
They said Sadie was older and wasn??™t likely to be adopted.
We couldn??™t stand to think they might put her down, so we
kept her. We??™re a family.???
The stranger spoke again with his deep, gruff voice, ???I??™ll
make a deal with you. When you can??™t feed Sadie she will
have a running tab at this caf?©, but one of the employees
will always watch to be sure she is fed every single bite.
The food is for her ??“ I hope you understand what I??™m
saying. I??™ve known the owner of this place for years. All
you need to do is ask for the boss, and tell him Sadie needs
chicken breasts -- he??™ll take care of it.???
Tears welled up in the eyes of both
men. Ed knelt down and wrapped his arms around the dog??™s
neck. ???Did you hear that Sadie? You??™ll never have to fall
asleep with your stomach growling again.???
Both men began to offer thanks once
more, but the gentleman turned away as tears began to
trickle down his face. He crouched down and spoke directly
to Sadie. ???If your owners take care of you, I??™ll see to it
that they get an occasional meal too. I??™ll be getting
reports on your condition from the folks that work here.
They??™ll be watching for you, sweet girl.???
I climbed into the car and dried my
eyes as I watched Sadie??™s benefactor walk back inside.
Through the plate glass window I could see him speaking with
the owner who was nodding his head in approval, while
shaking hands with Sadie??™s Christmas Angel.
?©2005 Kathleene S. Baker
Lnstrlady@aol.com
YELLOW ROSE
http://www.txyellowrose.com/ |
