Age 9: "Mom, can we get a dog?"
Mom: "Maybe."
Me: "Please?"
Silence.
Age 11: "Hey, Mom, wouldn't it be great if we had a dog?"
Mom: "Yes, sweetie."
Me: "So can we please get a dog?"
Silence.
Just after my 13th birthday, I spent two weeks of my precious summer taking a dance workshop with my Irish dance teacher & other girls from my class. It was three hours every morning & I just wanted to sleep! But I went everyday, more or less voluntarily, and learned new techniques and steps to add to my repertoire of my three years of Irish dancing.
At the end of every session, my Dad usually picked me up & we'd head home for lunch. But on the last day, since my Dad had just flown to California for my uncle's birthday party, my Mom picked me up after dance. She was sitting in our brand new Buick Le Sabre, which we had dubbed "Baby," reading the newspaper. There was a folded section of the paper sitting on the passenger seat when I got in. I tossed it aside, not paying much attention - especially since I was a] starving & b] thrilled that my workshop was finally over!
Mom: "Well, how was it?"
Me: "It was good. Eileen says I've learned how to be graceful with my long legs. Plus I finally mastered that reel she's been teaching us."
Mom: "That's great! I'm so proud of you!"
Me: "Thanks, Mom. What's with the newspaper?"
Mom: "You might want to take a look at that section. I put it on your seat for a reason."
Me: "Th-this is the Pet Section."
Mom: "Mhmmm. I already called that one."
Me: "'Litter of Cock-a-Poos - 8 wks - 3 females, 3 males - $250/each.' Cock-a-poos? Never heard of those."
Mom: "No, but I called & asked the woman if we could come see the puppies today. What do you think?"
Me: "We're getting a dog? We're getting a dog today?!?!"
Mom: "Well, we're going to see if we like one of them before we decide."
Me: "We're getting a DOG!!!! Wooohoooo!!"
Mom: "I asked if we could see the three girls & she said we can come over in an hour. So let's get some lunch & then we'll go, okay?"
Me: "Just the girls?"
Mom: "Yes."
Me: "Good. We don't need anymore boys in the house."
After a delicious stop at the McDonald's drive-thru - so healthy after a dance workshop - we pulled up to a house in Montgomery County, which at the time was like the country to me...I had no idea how close it was to Philly! Anyway...
"Hi there, come on in! You must be Kathy."
"Hi, thank you for letting us come over so soon. This is my daughter."
"Mom, look!"
Tiny little balls of fluff - the apricot colored puppy was the most like a poodle with wiry hair; the brown pup was the most like a cocker spaniel with sleek, straight hair; and the little black puppy, the one who walked over to me first - the brave one - looked like the perfect mix of poodle & cocker spaniel: wavy hair. Plus she looked like a little bear cub! I knelt down & instantly the cub was in my lap sniffing me, inspecting me, making sure I was good people. I must have passed the test - within seconds her small tongue was devouring my face & hands.
"Mom! Look at her! Ahhh!!!"
"I think she likes you, honey."
Mom signed the check & I gathered the black fur ball into my arms. I could hold her in one hand, she was so tiny. Crawling into the backseat of our car, the little black fuzz climbed up my shoulder & looked out the back window. She cried for a minute, then licked my ear. That seemed to calm & soothe her.
"What should we name her?"
"Oh, right. She needs a name."
"What about Duchess?"
"Ugh! No!!! Then she'd need a diamond, sparkly collar!"
"What about Elmo?"
"Elmo?"
"Yeah. Wait, Elmo's a boy. What's his friend's name? Zoe?"
The puppy looked at me then. "Mom! I think that's her name! Look! Hi, Zoe!"
Her response was to soak my face & ears.
"Well, that's settled. Hi, Zoe."
"She's trying to climb up to the front seat to see you."
