Sadie has a sad, sad day

Sadie was sad. Sadie hadn’t felt this sad since the day a couple of years ago when she lost her family and ended up in jail. She remembered feeling so alone even though she was surrounded by other dogs in other cells. Maybe it had something to do with Brutus, the one who said “BARK BARK BARK, That’s it buddy, they’ve dumped you and yer never gonna see the outside world again!” When she heard that, she did everything she could to claw and eat her way out through those cold metal bars, until her paws bled and her jaws ached.

But Brutus was wrong, because pretty soon she found herself with a new mama, living on a farm with lots of other animals. And though she grieved for her old family for a long time, she soon came to love her new mama and her animal friends. She had lots of animal friends. There were pigs that went OINK OINK OINK and SQUEAL SQUEAL SQUEAL. There was an alpaca who went chatter-chatter-chatter-chatter, especially when a bear came near. There were coyotes who howled and yipped, and of course, there was Charley who looked a lot like Sadie herself and spoke the same language – colliespeak.

Oh, and there was the cat, Allie. But mostly she ignored the cat.

And soon there were more dogs – Belle, the bossy little princess, and Oliver, the funny guy who liked to dance. And when the piggies and alpaca went to new homes, her new mama took Sadie and her canine sisters and brother and Allie the cat to a wonderful new home on an island where she could run on the beach and play in the fields and sleep on the couch and enjoy life with her friends and siblings.

But today, Sadie was sad. Something was wrong - terribly wrong. It began about two months ago. First the funny little dancing dog disappeared. Then the princess. And, today, mama took Charley out in the van and came back home without her!

Poor Sadie. She checked the back yard. She checked the mud room. She even stood up with her paws against the gate and checked the carport. No Charley.

She went into the house and told the cat. “I think Charley is gone. I’ve looked everywhere and there is no Charley. There are NO MORE DOGS! I’m allllll alooooonnnnnne!"

The cat, who had a little of the devil in her, whispered in Sadie’s ear. “Heheheh......yer gonna be next, furbutt!”.




Then mama went out again and Sadie thought “Maybe she’ll bring Charley back this time. Maybe Charley just went to for a visit somewhere.” But mama came back again, and still there was NO Charley.

This time Sadie was really worried. She checked the back yard. She checked the mudroom. She even stood up with her paws against the gate and checked the carport. There was NO CHARLEY!

She looked all over the house, but No Charley. She asked mama to let her back outside, but there was No Charley. She went over to the gate, and she lay down and put her sad furry face on her big furry paws. Mama called her to come inside but she didn’t move. Mama called her again but she still didn’t move. Mama called her a third time, this time in her no-nonsense “Lady Sadie, you-get-in-here-right-now!!” voice, and she still didn’t move.

Mama knew Sadie was sad and worried; Sadie never stayed out in the yard without her mama. In fact, she usually knocked mama right off her feet trying to barge through the door ahead of her. So if Sadie stayed outside, Sadie was sad.

All day, Sadie stayed by the gate, head on her paws, eyes watching the driveway. Finally mama said “Sadie, car ride!” which would usually make Sadie jump up and down with glee. But Sadie just became sadder.

“Ohhhhh noooooo,” thought Sadie. “Now it is my turn. I’m going to be taken to jail and I’ll never see my mama again!”

Sadly she plodded over to the van. She stood at the door but wouldn’t hop in. Finally mama picked her up, all 60 poounds of her, and put her in the van.

“Ohhhhhh nooooooooooooooooooo!” wailed Sadie. Sadie was so sad she didn’t even look out the window as they drove down the road.

Suddenly she sniffed something familiar. “I know those smells”, thought Sadie. “That’s Auntie Karen’s place! I smell Quinn and Drew and Amy and Kabuki and Dolly and Vimy....and......and....and....CHARLEY! Hmmmmm….she smells kinda funny. She smells all girly and clean.....not her grubby self that she has been for the past three months".

Sadie pondered for a moment, and then she jumped up on the seat. "Oh oh oh oh oh – I remembers! This is where Charley and me comes when we gets a bath! Auntie Karen is our groomer!!!! Charley has just gone for grooming! (Oh boy am I glad I didn’t have to go too).” And Sadie sat up tall, and looked out the window, and wiggled her furry butt and waggled her floppy ears and got a biiiiiiig grin on her fuzzy face.

And soon mama stopped the van, and she got out, and a few minutes later she came back with Charley, A beautiful, sweet smelling, shiny-furred Charley. Sadie hopped down from the back seat when the side door of the van door opened and she kissed Charley on the nose. Then she jumped back on the seat cuz if Charley was just fine, she sure wasn’t gonna give up her favorite spot in the vehicle! Then she jumped down again and checked once more. “Yup, that’s Charley. Charley’s fine. Oh good.” And she jumped back up on the seat.

Soon they were home where Sadie bowled mom over in her dash to get inside.
Allie came over to apologize to Sadie. Sadie said “It’s okay, cat, I knew you were only teasing!”



And they all settled down for a nice long nap.


The End.