How The Boy Got His Dog

Once upon a time, there was a family with no pets. Four kids. No pets. “Pets are too complicated with our lifestyle. They cost too much money. We already tried and had to give two away,” said the dad.

But the universe had other plans.

The family moved again, and there were tiny kittens dying in their bushes.

“I’ll just let them in out of the rain. I’ll just take them to the vet to see why that one is so small and sick. I’ll find homes for them,” promised the mom.

One home was found for one kitten, but there were three kittens. Who would make a home for the other two kittens? So their family did. The two kittens thrived and grew in their home, and the family loved them.

The kittens, however, did not love the dad. They just accepted that he was part of the family deal. The family moved, and the kittens did too: from Gabon to the USA. And from there to Mexico.

And at that same time, the world shut down. No one went out, and no one new came in, and we all stayed inside together. 

The parents of the family had various ways to cope, but for the children, it was hard. Hard to be new. Hard to have no friends. Hard to have classes online. Hard to have those classes in Spanish. Hard hard hard.

One day, the mom watched her youngest try to play catch with one of their cats. The cat (while he was a majestic creature) was not receptive to the sport, and the family was just sad. 

The mom declared, “It is time to get a dog. We can handle moving with pets. Our cats are wonderful, but they are not a dog.”

The dad said resignedly, “A dog we shall get, and it will be mine. This pet will love me.”

The dad searched and looked. Researched and wondered. And finally determined: a beagle it would be. 

He called and texted. Scouted and paid. We drove for two hours and came home with a beagle.

The mom missed Gabon so very much that she asked if they could name the beagle Gabon and call her Gabo.

All acquiesced. 

They soon discovered their beagle was a girl, and Gabo was a name for boys, and in Mexico those lines never get crossed. So Gabi she was renamed except for every fifth time when the mom calls her Gabo again.

And Gabi loved her boy.