Prompt and Circumstance

Retrenched

'stumped' (May 13-15, 2016)

"See you, Ruby. Be a good girl... " and the man climbed back into his fancy four-wheel drive utility.

"Bye Ruby," and the woman waved from her window as they drove away.

I held her collar, imagining she would want to follow them and get back up onto that tray-top. But Ruby offered no resistance at all, instead turning her head to lick my other hand. Shortly after their vehicle disappeared from sight, I slowly and carefully let her go. She simply sat down and for the next little while, stared across the paddock at the highway where she had last seen the vehicle disappearing. Her confused eyes and small body quivers fairly shouting she was as totally stumped as us.

Nine years old, they'd said. Had her since a pup. And that's really OK, they'd said, her strange bow-legged stance with toes turned in somewhat. She'd been born that way. Never stopped her from being a fully active, playful dog all her life so far. Healthy as... they said, insisting they would never have parted with her except they were moving from farm to seaside town block, and she wouldn't fit in. Their little terrier would, so he would be making the move with them.

Good dog and really obedient, they said. But never any good as a working dog, despite her strong Kelpie genes. Not like their other Kelpie... now there was a natural born worker. Neighbours had snapped her up as soon as they heard about the move. But they didn't want Ruby. Nobody did.

In desperation they'd put her photo and a 'Free to Good Home' message on the community notice board at the local shopping centre. That's where I first saw her... although now we could see the photo was a few years old.

I didn't have to seek any serendipity this time around. The timing had been immaculate. One old girl had died a month or so before of old age, and our other sweet kelpie, our Kelly, kept grieving. Me too. We two-leggeds are too old for a puppy now. Between hubby on a wheeled walker and myself getting a few creaks and groans on bending and the like. And kneeling? Yes, well-ll... An adult dog would definitely be the 'go'. But a 'mature age' model like Ruby? She surely didn't look nine years old, b-u-t ... those eyes fairly bled her plea and I found my old rescuer's heart engage again, like old times.

Her eyes were beautiful, her immediate affection for me especially appealing. When her other parents parted with her so casually, without a tear... or sniffle... not even a final, regretful look, Ruby came into our lives and our hearts.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In those earliest moments, when she abruptly stood up again, I moved forward, expecting she might now trot up our driveway to the road. Wrong! She turned to me and hurled herself into my open arms. Her quivering body and wagging tail were the body language giving more than a hint of her newfound joy.

Her great dark eyes fixed on mine adoringly, and in a series of loving whimpers and yelps, she positively answered my question,

"Is this your forever home now, Ruby love?"