TWELVE

I spoke with him today like I do each day as if nothing has transpired from 122 days ago.  I know he's listening, keeping watch echoing my thoughts deep in the caverns of my mind.  Today would have been HIS special day as each of them have and come to celebrate.  I know at this time last year, it was my fervent prayer that he would have been with me to mark this occasion.  I attempted to "bargain" shamelessly with God to give me another year.  But the words, "the Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away hauntingly ring in my ears.
We would have arisen early as that robin in my back yard searching for the proverbial worm.  He would have searched aimlessly about the house for something totally ridiculous for what do you give an 84 yr. old but maybe a new lease on life.  As is customary, just he and I would have piled into the "bellomobile" and headed off to the nearest store.  This being his lucky day, he would have been able to saunter in and sashay about the aisles meandering about eyeing what suited his fancy.  If he was lucky, some unsuspecting babe would have felt a wet nose on her backside or better yet, the infamous sniff at her crotch.  Embarrassingly, I would have had to excuse his manners, harboring some totally farcical explanation, that for a senior citizen, he can't really see or smell that well anymore. Knowing full well it was a totally inept and nonsensical description only to be chuckling ridiculously under my breath.
I would have guided him to the shelf with some semblance of a reinforcer that garnered some sort of preposterous sound that faintly approximated a duck.  Only to be amused by the cocking of his head and the excitement of his body would I continue the taunting till he feverishly jumped and slobbered on it.  Then we were committed and the words, "lovely to look at, once it's wet, consider it bought for your pet" rang through my head. So, we would continue our journey in this target rich environment and venture down another aisle as I told him we couldn't go home empty handed without something for his friends.  I knew full well that once he arrived home, his excitement for his $12.99 toy would diminish faster than a block of ice on a hot asphalt pavement, only to be "stolen" from his grasp by the "Remster".  But I have to admit that watching the teasing and interplay of the three of them only brought smiles to my face.
I told him about the "new kid on the block", but again, he knows the little bugger is here certainly not as a replacement for him, but to bring some joy and happiness back.  I know he would approve and I'm eager to speak to him again and get his response.  I know he would tell me that I did a good thing and the little pooper needed a good home and he won't find a better one.  I know he'll be telling him what a softy I am, and that all he'll need to do is look at me with those "baby browns" and I'll melt.  I'll tell him that I'd like to believe that I adopted Kody but he rescued me.  Dancer, meet Kody.  Give him a tour and don't teach him to jump on the counter to get the cat morsels!!
Happy 12th Birthday Dancer, till we meet again.