Rehash

This is a story I told last summer. I'm using it as a filler, so I don't have to write. Outside work is calling me. I still enjoy this story. I hope you do as well.

WARNING: Traumatizing Story

This morning, my brother (Stevie) comes to my house & tells me that I need to come with him. There is a dog that has been ran over on the highway & he is afraid that it is our dog, Coco. So, the boys are asking me questions & I tell them we will talk about it when I get back. Stevie & I drive up to the highway. I can see the dog laying on the other side of the highway. I can see it's a chocolate lab, like our Coco, but I'm still hoping that it's not her. Sadly, it is Coco. There is blood pooled around her head & she is already stiff. My brother loads her in the pickup.

When we get back to the house, I tell Stevie where I want to bury her. We take her to the back of my house near a pond. So, it's time to face Colten & Riley. I knew Colt would take it harder than Rye, because Coco was always "his" dog. We affectionately called her "our fat lard". I've held up pretty good so far, but as I go to tell the boys, the tears start flowing.

The boys are stone-faced until after Uncle Stevie leaves & then as I predicted, Colt breaks down. We hug & cry. I tell Colt to remember that dogs don't have souls, so we don't have to worry about how she is now. She was a dear pet to us while she was here. Riley, in true form, reminds us that Coco was getting old anyway. Didn't we remember she was getting gray hairs? (Rye is always good for comic relief! He offered to shoot a friend's cat before when he heard her complain about the cat.)

Now, Riley goes out to inspect Coco's body while Colt & I are getting ready to go bury her. Colt is pretty emotional, so I tell him if he doesn't want to help me dig Coco's grave, that it's okay. He assures me that he'll be alright.

We start digging the ground near our back fence. Let me tell ya, it was VERY hard. I'm thinkin' there is NO way we are gonna be able to do this! We move over just about a foot & thankfully the ground was a bit softer. It was still HARD WORK!!! It's going to take awhile!


I have to go inside to get a bandana to tie my hair back. While I'm inside, Colten comes running in hollering - "MOM! MOM! COCO ISN'T DEAD!" Ok...I'm freakin' out. I'm thinking....I'm gonna have to shoot my own dog in the head....then I remember... she was stiff as a board, there is no way she was still alive!!

I finally say...."do what?" Colt is screaming..."Come outside, Mom. She's here...she's alive!!!" I go outside & sure enough, there is Coco right outside wagging her tail & licking Colten on the face while he is hugging & petting her. So, now the tears come again...maybe even harder because Colt is so relieved that Coco isn't dead! This is a joyful reunion & Coco is just as enthusiastic as Colt. Rye says, "Do you think this is Coco's ghost?!"


Ok....now....what about the dead dog? Yes, now the story gets interesting.

Colten & I can both say now....after the fact....that her face didn't look quite right, but we both thought it was distorted from getting hit & the stiffness. Wonderful mistake we've made.

I have someone else's dead, chocolate lab in my backyard! What the heck do I do now?! I call my Mom & brother. Stevie & my cousin, Chris, tell me to take it back up to the highway. Are you kiddin' me?! Can you imagine what people are going to think of me unloading a dead dog on the side of the highway? Of course, that's out of the question.


But, what can I do? Colt said..."Mom, if it was Coco & we didn't know she died, wouldn't you want someone to let us know?" Well sure, but I don't even know who this dog belongs to!! I didn't want to go ahead & bury the dog & then the owner have a sentinmental wish to have their beloved pet buried under their apple tree...ya know what I'm saying'?!!

So I call a neighbor to see if he knows whose dog it is. Thankfully, he did. The owner (a lady) had already called crying & asking if they would "get rid of the dog". He said they couldn't figure out what happened to it!! I told him that I would go ahead & bury her dog.


Well, our entire morning was used burying someone else's dog! Digging a grave is NOT easy, let me tell ya!!! We worked our butts off! All the time, "our fat lard" was laying beside us sunning herself.

We are wore out tired & I'm thinking I'll be sore in the morning. Colt said, "Mom, I hope Coco doesn't die again anytime soon."