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FICTION SHORTS | Vignette
A Dog in Despair
The Vignette Gazette Edition #143 — family, bowl
The dog was homesick. Arnold Samson had been reluctant to leave his dog, Bart, with his parents. But his ailing wife, Janet, had been in and out of the hospital for complications with her kidney disease.
Bart, a 10-year-old golden retriever, was a jolly member of the Samson family. It had always been the three of them ever since Bart could remember. Every morning, he would be jolted by the memory of Janet being surprised by Arnold when she gingerly opened the shabby brown box that kept Bart hidden until his reveal.
He was their first wedding anniversary present. Bart, a puppy at the time, instantly knew that Janet and Arnold were going to be his favorite people in the world.
The three of them did just about everything together, including five long camping trips across the country.
When things got busy, either Janet or Arnold would run errands while Bart sat patiently waiting in the car. Onlookers would always come by to give him a quick nod and a smile in kindness.
Alas, after 20 days of despair, Bart’s bowl of food was left untouched from the night before. Arnold’s mother was in hysterics over the phone when Arnold received the news of…
