Bailey

By Lily Tierney

He couldn’t have been in the animal shelter for more than five minutes when a very kind lady spotted him and wanted to adopt him.  His name was Bailey, given to him by the previous owner.  Bailey was part Great Pyrenees and Border Collie.  He also had what is called a dewclaw, which means he had an extra toe on his paw.  It is also like having a thumb.  Sometimes cats have this claw as well.  His lush weatherproof coat is all white with beautiful shades of tan.

Bailey came up to his new owner, wagging his tail and looking up at her as if to say hello.  His new owner’s name was Trish, and she couldn’t help but love him at first sight.  Trish couldn’t wait to take him home with her.  She swiftly filled out the paperwork and paid the shelter’s fee.

Bailey was now on his way to his new home with Trish.  When he got home, he sniffed around the rooms and made himself comfortable on the sofa.  He knew he would be happy with Trish, and she knew he was the one and only dog for her.

Trish had a pink toy pig, and Bailey decided to carry it around with him. Sometimes he would whine a little when he couldn’t reach it on the dresser.  He loved his little pink pig. Trish thought it was cute that she took several pictures of him carrying it around.  It didn’t have a name, just pink pig.

Then one day Bailey heard someone talking, and he looked around the room, and only the pink pig was there.  He again heard a voice but saw no one.  Then the voice became much louder, and Bailey looked over to see the pink pig.  He was the one who was talking.

What’s the matter? Haven’t you ever heard a pig talk before? By the way, my name is Pinky Pig. You got that?” asked Pinky Pig.

Bailey was amazed that the pig could talk, so he went to fetch Trish so she could hear him, too.  He found Trish in the kitchen, and Bailey nudged her with his nose to follow him into the bedroom. Trish was curious as well why Bailey wanted her to follow him. When they arrived in the bedroom, Pinky Pig was there but was very silent. Not a peep out of him. Trish just shook her head and petted Bailey on his head.  She returned to the kitchen to finish making dinner.

Bailey was a barker.  He would alert Trish if someone was at the door. Trish liked that she felt safe with Bailey. He was going to be her protector. Bailey loved Trish and wanted her to be safe. Trish and Bailey became a team. When you saw Trish, you often would see Bailey. They went for walks together, and his tail would be curled up at the back of him. He was a curious dog and would stop and tilt his head when he heard different sounds.  Trish would get a kick out of watching him.

The next morning, after Trish left to go jogging, Bailey heard Pinky Pig again talking up a storm.

“Hey, Bailey, what to play a game with me? How about hide-and-seek? You hide, and I’ll try to find you.  A big dog like you should be easy to find,” he said, laughing.

Bailey didn’t know what he was talking about. He never played hide-and-seek with anyone. He thought Pinky Pig must be joking around with him. Bailey turned around, and Pinky Pig was gone.  He looked all over the bedroom for him, but could not find him.  Where could he have gone?  Bailey heard Trish open the front door and ran to greet her. He also wanted her to help find Pinky Pig. She went into the bedroom to change her clothes, and there was Pinky Pig on the dresser. Bailey now knew what hide-and-seek was. Pinky Pig hid, and he couldn’t find him. Her bedroom door had scratch marks on it, and Bailey would knock on her door with his paw to let him in. Trish didn’t mind the scratches as she wanted Bailey to be right at home. He most definitely was.

Bailey and Pinky Pig eventually became friends, playing games all day long. He taught Bailey how to play red light, green light, one, two, three. They decided they needed another player, so they took one of Trish’s stuffed teddy bears. He was a talker, too.

“Hi, my name is Teddy.  I know it is not that original, but I am very original. He agreed to play with them but asked how the game was played.

Pinky Pig explained,” Red Light, Green Light, you choose a traffic cop and have the rest of the players go to a starting line.  When the cop yells, “Green light,” everyone will run forward.  But when the cop yells, “Red light,” everyone must immediately freeze. Anyone caught moving on a “red light” will be sent back to the starting line. This will continue until the first person reaches the traffic cop.  This player wins!”

Teddy and Bailey decided they would give it a try.  Of course, Pinky Pig was the traffic cop, and Bailey and Teddy had to reach him.  Teddy reached him first and won.

“How long have you been with Trish?” Pinky Pig asked Teddy.

“Oh, she was with a friend and won me at a carnival last summer. I was glad it was her and not someone else because I liked her right away. She looked so kind and friendly,” said Teddy.

“How did you get here, Pinky Pig?” asked Teddy.

“It’s a long story, but I’ll tell you anyway.  You see, someone threw me out, and Trish found me before the sanitation truck got to me.  The kid I lived with threw me out because he thought I wasn’t fun anymore,” explained Pinky Pig sadly.

Ten years must have passed, and one day Bailey never came into the bedroom to play with Pinky Pig and Teddy. They both knew something was wrong because Trish was very upset and crying.  She was talking on the phone to someone and saying what a good dog he was, and he will be missed so much.

Pinky Pig and Teddy both cried for the loss of their dear friend. They know exactly how Trish felt.  Weeks passed, and Trish seemed to be getting better. She kept Bailey’s old leash on the doorknob as if she was going to take him for a walk. She sometimes saw Bailey running towards her, and it was just a beautiful memory that she would always cherish.  He was a champ, and she was his lady.

There was one thing that puzzled Trish. She could swear she heard voices coming out of her bedroom from time to time.  And, the other night, she woke up thinking she heard Bailey barking.  Pinky Pig and Teddy smiled because they heard it too.

- Total nr. of readings: 450 Copyright © The author [2020] All Rights Reserved. This story may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the author except for personal use.