~On With the Show!

"Treats & Memories"
By Ron Hevener

The moon was high … the indigo/night air smelled like water and the air sizzled its arms around you . . . that’s how it felt, as we waited . . . .

She wasn’t born in our kennel. Already a champion in the fierce and competitive world of racing, she was bought by a lady as a one-way ticket to Greyhound stardom. And that’s how it was -- until the fateful day when, of all things, she slipped and fell on her way to the vet’s, breaking a hind leg and ruining her life as a racing dog forever.

No more was she the hot sprinter at Palm Beach, thrilling all who bet on her and those who didn’t, as well. No more, would she see the other dogs and interesting people who entertained her so much. Ahead, as a brood matron, lay the calm routine of home, and her spacious kennel run. Ahead, lay colorful toys and special treats from the lady she liked so much.

As a treasured daughter of one of the finest champions in her breed, only the greatest mates were considered for her. Only the best chances of bringing a new star into the world were attempted. With great anticipation, everyone looked forward to her first litter. It would be great! Surely, there would be a champion among the pups! Friends, the remorseful veterinarian, and her owner crossed their fingers as wine and caviar flowed through the night.

It was an easy birth. Yes, that much, it was. As such things go, it was uneventful and without drama. In fact, it was about as “un- anything” as the faces of those who still remember that night … or, perhaps, have long-since forgotten it. Forgotten, because there was nothing special about her puppies, except just that they were puppies. As the years went by, there were no champions in that litter, or the next, or the next.

And so it was that the once-great dog made her way to a new home. Had she known the story of a horse named “Black Beauty,” she might have understood how the lives of horses and dogs, just like the men and women who love them, are so very much alike. She might have known that the promises of Life don’t always become our reality in the twists and turns of its path. Time and Destiny have a way of sneaking up … and, as we rush through the Greyhound race of life, sometimes, destiny can surprise us.

The brave and loving dog was happy at her new home, though she missed the woman who once played with her, and talked to her as if she was the greatest thing in the world. She missed those special treats, too.

Day after day … month after month …. through the savage beauty of Autumn, the white and wicked treachery of Winter, and the sigh of relief called Spring, she wondered. Why had the woman given up on her? She, herself, hadn’t let go of the hope that, one day, she might create a likeness of herself to carry on into the next generation. But, she was only a dog.

As it always did, the moon rose that night, blowing kisses of silvery light to the house where the gentle dog grew restless. Circling her whelping box, as if searching for an answer to the greatest mystery of life, she gazed through the shadows around her, and into the depths of her own heart. Remembering other times such as this, she drifted into the waters of herself, understanding the ritual that all mothers have known since the beginning of time. Something would be here, she knew. Something special would be hers tonight.

Greyhound lovers far and wide know the almost-secret ceremony bonding them to their broods in what some of us call “a puppy watch.” Deep into the early morning hours, our veins surging with strong, black coffee, we laugh and tell stories . . . hoping for the best, but dreading the worst; standing by the great matrons and protecting the bloodlines we watch over.

As dawn broke, and rays of the morning sun touched the kitchen where she lay near the stove in her wooden box, the mother dog nuzzled her wobbly puppies. Her keen eyes took in their colors and our smiles as we helped them nurse in the ancient bond of love at its most elemental stage. As we sat there with her, we knew wars had come, and wars had gone. We knew the price of gasoline had risen and it had fallen. Jobs had been created and they had been lost. Presidents, Kings, Princes and Queens of countries, industry and movies had tasted their power and seen their day. But, this Greyhound and her puppies cared nothing about that. Nor, for a few moments, at least, did we.

Patiently, the dog had waited for this. She had waited to be the mother of one whose spirit, like her own, was proud and dancing and free. Faithfully, she had waited to give the world another champion as great as she, herself, had once been.

As the mirror of Life reflected a little princess by her side, and barn swallows heralded the birth, the dog’s ears perked up. There was a familiar knock at the door. Someone was knocking urgently at the gate of her life. Open up! Let me in! I must see!

Did she recognize those footsteps? Did she remember the voice calling out her name as if she was the greatest treasure in the world? If she did, she never let us know. For just an instant, she held out; dangling the heart of one who came to her now …. commanding the marionette strings in a delicious switch of mastery.

What took her so long? - she must have been thinking. Look at her, crooning and fussing over my special puppies. I should never forgive her for giving up on me, and letting me go. I should not love her. But, after all this time, she thought, as her tail began wagging, how could I not love the one who brings me . . . such delicious treats and memories.

Author/Artist RON HEVENER specializes in animals and the romantic, adventurous people who love them. Mr. Hevener's collectible figurines and the prints from his novels ("Fate of the Stallion!" ... "The Blue Ribbon" ... "High Stakes") are now bought and traded throughout the world. Today, Ron Hevener's illustrated animal stories are published regularly in magazines, newsletters, newspapers and on websites around the globe. He is currently on tour - speaking at bookstores, libraries, theaters, schools, gift stores, pet stores, dog shows, art shows, horse shows and public events. "Your life is a movie," he says. "On With The Show!"

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