[Critique Group 2] SHORT STORY I SUBMITTED TO the OTHER GROUPS

[sharon t]

-- 
waiting for Christ's return


BABES
A Short Story
By Sharon Tewksbury
667 words

Babes was 3 months old when she first came into my life. Born January
10th 2003, I brought her home April 12th of that year.

Darlene, my wonderful sister who passed in 2015, had told me about
babes the day I brought her home. Nine months later, Darlene got a
Boston Terrier, named Angel, and she and Babes grew up together.

    Darlene drove  me down the street to where Babes lived so  I could
see that  little ball of fur.

The moment she put her in my  hands, I fell in love with her.  I said,
"Hello Babes." and our love affair began.

 We've been through a lot together. She got lost in some woods behind
my apartment complex in September 2003, but was returned home. That's
another story in itself.

  We've been through two hurricanes,   one move, and of course the
little trials of life dogs and owners go through.

A friend said she looked almost  like a fox terrier. Her former owners
said she   was  part Chihuahua    and part Pomeranian, but I’m not
sure what her breed really is, because folks say she just looks like a
Terrier.
 Her coat was two shades of brown and a shiny white, but now is
completely gray due to her age.

 Short haired, and  long-legged,  she has a fox Terrier’s  nose and is
kind of long and lean, and folks say she has the  Dachsund   build.

She has pointed Terrier ears, terrier's   face, and some people have
said she looks like she's  wearing eye makeup because of the black
under her eyes.

 Her toenails look like they have been painted black and consequently
attracting attention,  this makes her even more vain than she normally
would be.

  Head held high, and ears pointed up,   she struts her stuff.

 If noticed by  a crowd of humans, she will certainly be the bell of
the ball, or else.

Though she is not considered a small dog, she is in the medium range and
   only weighs 23 pounds. Since she weighs under 30 pounds, people
would assume she isn’t heavy, but she tends to be because of bone and
muscle.  I used to pick her up and let her look outside at the rain,
but I can't do that now because of back problems.

Before now, she would disobey me.  Jumping on a chair or bed, and
staking out her territory, she would act as if I couldn’t do anything
about it. But, I was the giant who could say whether it was her
territory – or not, and I laughed,   picked her   up, and moved  her
somewhere else. She finally got the message, and now obeys my command
staying in one place.

 I call her princess Dianna, because of her royal little ways.  Her
snobbishness just seems to add to her appeal, and One thing that's
particularly humorous is that I'm-better-than-that air she has.

 I laugh at her when her feet touch wet grass, or if she gets cold, or
anything else that might make her world less than perfect. Heaven
forbid.

If off her leash,   She refuses to get wet if it's raining.    If it’s
wet outside, and she's on her  leash she might pull if she’s feeling
hyper, but most of the time she is obedient and docile  obeying
commands.

If   disconcerted or worried, wrinkles appear between her eyes, and
she assumes a thoughtfulness,   as if her decision will completely
change the world.

Her little quirks shine through all the time. Her moods change like a
kaleidoscope. She loves to
 hide from me when I’m about ready to go somewhere. In times of
potential danger,  she is all gusto and bark but if she really gets
scared, she runs and jumps in my lap. I've tried to tell her she's the
"protector and I'm the "protected, but she doesn't listen.


 Though almost 14, she is still smart, independent, and stubborn. She
gets her stubbornness from me, but that's our secret.