[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: THE CHRISTMAS PRESENT
- From: Edwin Hill <edwinx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: uwish@xxxxxxxxxx, freelist <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 16:20:42 -0800 (PST)
Barbara....that may have been the best thing I have ever read on this list,
thank you for sharing that heart-warming story.....we are blessed to have you
share your talents with us...Ed Hill
Barbara Galasso <uwish@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:THE
CHRISTMAS PRESENT
by
Barbara J. Galasso
The newspaper ad read "German Shepherd Puppies" for sale to loving homes
only. 4 males and 3 bitches. Fenced in yard a must, references
required. Deposits now being accepted for Christmas delivery. The
young man eagerly dialed the phone number and made an appointment to
meet with Mr. Decker that Saturday. Mr. Decker told him to be there
promptly at noon for he had other people who were also interested in
seeing the puppies later on that day. John was happy that he had the
first appointment of the day so if he found what he was looking for,
perhaps Mr. Decker would allow him to buy the pick of the litter.
John rang the doorbell promptly at noon as Mr. Decker requested. He
heard the bark of the mother of the puppies announce his arrival from
the other side of the door. "Get back now Helga", he heard a voice say,
and with that Mr. Decker opened the door with a warm welcoming smile on
his face. "You must be John", he said. "Yes sir, I am, John nodded his
head in acknowledgment. "Come in, come in, my boy, he insisted. Just
then John felt a nudge on his leg and a cold wet nose inspecting his
trousers. "Oh, this is my Helga, she's the mother of the pups", the old
man said. "She's just giving you the once over". "You got to pass her
inspection first, you know", he laughed. John reached his hand down and
gently petted Helga on the head and commented on what a pretty girl she
was.
Mr. Decker took John to the back door that led to the yard where the
puppies were, but left Helga inside knowing she could get a bit
protective around her young ones. John couldn't wait to meet the
puppies. He sat down on the ground so the bundles of fur could assault
his body with slobbery, wet kisses as they all jumped on him to be the
first to get a pat on the head or a tickle under the chin. John knew
exactly the kind of puppy he was looking for and his eyes searched him
out. And there he was, the boss of the litter, the biggest, most
robust male pup knocking everyone else out of the way making sure that
his head was the first to be petted by the stranger with the friendly
touch. John said to Mr. Decker, "sir this is the one right here that
I'd like to buy." "How much do you want for this big guy?"
"Now John, my boy that puppy is the pick of my litter." "He's a lot
more expensive than the rest." "He's the biggest and the strongest and
he's definitely the leader of the pack.", he told him. "Mr. Decker, I
don't care how expensive the puppy is", John stubbornly says. "I'm
buying him for my older brother as a Christmas present". Mr. Decker was
curious, and asked John why he chose that puppy. "Well sir, John
answered him, "I'll tell you why." "He reminds me of my brother." "
My brother Mark has always been the best at what ever it was that he
did." "He was always the biggest and the strongest." "He was the hero
football star, he was the best baseball pitcher, he always excels at
everything he does", he tells him. " I always looked up to my big
brother and wanted to be just like him, but I never had his strength or
popularity." "He would try to teach me how to throw a ball better or
catch one quicker but I just could never get the hang of it and would
become frustrated very easily." He'd scold me and patiently look me
straight in the eye and say, "don't you ever give up, he'd tell me,
"you'll learn." "So he took me under his wing and made me his official
coach," John said with pride. Mr. Decker looked at him with a puzzled
expression on his face. "Oh, I help Mark with his workouts so he's
always in tip top shape while he's training for the Olympics, John
proclaimed proudly." "This will be my special gift to him." Mr. Decker
is really impressed and convinced that his puppy will get the love and
proper care that he requires for his puppies. "All right then son."
"As I said, this is my pick puppy and he's expensive." "He'll cost
you $1,500." "Whew, John whistled, that sure is a lot of money, and
it'll take every bit of my savings, but you know if I can extend my
paper routes and help old Mr. Briggins down at the corner drug store
sweeping up the floors on Saturday like he asked me to, I'll be able to
swing it." "And besides," John adds "my brother's worth every penny of
it and I know he's just going to love this big guy".
A week and a half before Christmas the phone rings at John's house and
it's Mr. Decker on the line calling for him. "Hey, hello Mr. Decker,"
John says, "how are you, and how's the big boy doing?" I'm afraid I
have a bit of bad news for you John", he says. "What's the matter?",
John asks a little nervously. "I'm afraid son, there's been a little
accident," he tells him.. "Your pup fell off the back deck and took a
bad fall on his back leg and spine," he continued. "I'm afraid it
doesn't look very good" he tells him. "Will he live?", Mr. Decker",
John asks. With a heavy sigh, the old man says, "yes John, he'll live,
but he'll never be the puppy he was born to be". "The doctor says he
will be permanently damaged and he will always drag his back leg when he
walks." "Getting around will be more of a chore for him now, I'm
afraid", the old man says. "I'm really sorry John, for I know how much
you wanted to surprise your brother with this puppy for his Christmas
gift." John sits in silence listening intently to what Mr. Decker is
saying, but doesn't utter a word. "My son are you still there?", he
says. "Yes Mr. Decker sir, I am". The old man says to him," I still
have one of the other males left if you would like him instead". John
continues to listen without saying a word. "If you'd like John, you
can come and take a look at this other fellow." Just then John
interrupts him and says, "No Mr. Decker, I don't want the other puppy."
I understand John", he says. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of further
assistance to you and had to ruin your brother's Christmas present with
this sad news." "Naturally, I'll refund you your money", he tells the
boy. "Wait a minute, wait a minute", Mr. Decker John stops him. "Who
say's I don't want this puppy anymore"? "I'm still taking the pup." "I
don't understand John", Mr. Decker says. "He's no longer the pick of
the litter. He's now disabled. "With all due respect sir, if I may,
you are wrong about that" John challenges him. "It's not his legs or
gait that makes him the pick of the litter." "He still has that "I
think I'm special attitude" he's always had." "That's something that he
was born with". Although the physical may change, his attitude remains
the same. "He'll just have to try a little harder at everything, that's
all", John said in his defense. "Yes sir Mr. Decker, I'm still buying
my brother that puppy.
Christmas morning comes and John and his brother Mark go outside on the
patio so they can enjoy a cup of hot chocolate together. "Gee, it's
chilly out here Mark says, as he eagerly brings the hot liquid up to his
lips and cautiously takes a sip from the mug. Just then, they hear a
rustle from behind the hedge, and out pops a puppy's head from between
the thick branches. "My goodness, looks like a puppy somehow got caught
in the hedges in our yard", Mark says. With that, the pup manages to
untangle himself from the hedge and hobbles dragging his rear leg behind
him over to where we are sitting. He sees blankets hanging over the
sides of our chairs to keep our legs warm from the cold. A blustery
wind kicks up and blows our blankets around a bit. The pup decides this
is an invitation to play tug of war with the windswept blankets. With
will and determination, he manages to wrestle my brothers blanket to the
ground and struggling tries to make it up on his lap with his disabled
leg hanging over the side of my brother's chair while the good leg
pushes ever so harder to try to get to its destination without success.
The puppy falls to the ground and whimpering, he tries again. And once
again he falls to the ground. My brother taps his lap encouraging the
pup to try again. The pup barks at my brother as if to tell him "Can't
you see I'm trying, but I just can't do it". "Come on fella," my
brother invites him, again tapping his lap. The puppy continues to
whimper and circles him trying to figure another way to get up on his
lap. My brother reaches down and pats the pup on the top of his head
and tells him, "you can do it". With that the pup licks his hand and
once again begins the struggle of trying to reach the destination of
sitting on my brothers lap. This time he pulls with all his strength
with his front legs and pushes ever so harder with his good back leg.
He'll get no cooperation from his bad leg, so with one more thrust from
his strong body, he's finally triumphant and finds a comfortable spot on
my brothers lap to smother his face with his sloppy wet kisses and baby
breath, while nibbling at his ears. My brother has a broad smile on his
face hugging him and telling him ,"I knew you could do it".
Because it's so chilly, I pick my brother's blanket up off the ground to
cover his crippled legs and tuck it into the cushion of his wheel chair
so it won't blow away again. "Yes, brother, this bold little fella
certainly is a winner", Mark says flooding my heart with memories of
that car accident he was in three years ago and hearing the doctors tell
my parents through their sobs, "your sons hopes of ever being in the
Olympics are shattered forever". I find myself chuckling out loud
now. "Yeah, but now he's a star in the Special Olympics instead", I
whisper to myself. My brother turns to me and says, "hey what are you
doing over there, talking to yourself again John?" With that the wind
kicks up again and knocks one of the empty mugs off the table. The
puppy becomes restless and wants to go to investigate this foreign
invader laying at the foot of Mark's wheel chair, but he doesn't quite
know how to get down to do it. He looks up at my brother for
reassurance. My brother takes the pups little face in his hands and
looks him straight in the eye and says to him, "don't you ever give up,
he tells him, "you'll learn". With that the pup cautiously takes a leap
off my brothers lap and lands on the ground with a tumble and roll while
my brother and I laugh at the courage he shows. My brother says, "yes
John, he's certainly a winner". "I like his spirit and his spunk."
"This is one beautiful puppy", he tells me ignoring the obvious disabled
leg that twists grotesquely out to the one side as he sits there,
panting with his big tongue sticking out. "I wonder who this little
guy is and who he belongs to John", Mark continues. And I have the
satisfaction to say to him "Happy Holidays brother." "Say hello to your
Christmas Present." Mark sits in silence for several seconds before he
speaks again. My brother's eyes well up with tears and he swallows hard
and looking at me says , "and I will call this puppy Johnny for you
brother, because it was always you who tried the hardest; things came
too easily for me." " "It was you who always believed in me, you who
helped me train through all that physical therapy and you who rubbed
down this achy, disfigured body, and your heart, well your heart always
remained the same even when you were always being unfairly compared to
me." "Your heart Johnny, your heart, he sniffled. "It was always
true". " My gift is not this puppy.........he's just a messenger, a
reminder if you will, to help me tell you all these words that I forgot
to tell you all these years." "You my brother are my Christmas
present." The two brothers eyes stayed locked on one another for
another second longer knowing that no other words needed to be said and
then they looked down on the ground at the frisky little puppy who was
now fast asleep dreaming his little puppy dreams with his chubby little
body forming a bridge between the two brothers feet.
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POST is Copyrighted 2005. All material remains the property of the original
author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind
are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the
Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY
MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS
PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY
FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE
PROSECUTED.
For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx
VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://www.showgsd.org
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