书城外语让我留在你的身边
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第23章 最爱红蝴蝶结ThePuppywithaRedBow

佚名/Anonymous

在我8岁那年,她走进了我的生活。父亲是在工作时发现她的。她迷路了,还很饿。父亲看了看她说:“你似乎可以拥有一个温馨的家了。”父亲打开车门,她一下子跳了进去,尾巴一路上都摇个不停。

当父亲和小狗到家时,我还在学校。父母已经喂过了她,还给她洗了澡。她是我的第一个宠物。

我一直都想要一只狗。父母告诉我,等我长大之后,有了责任感,就可以拥有一只小狗了。

哦,我猜他们认为时间已经到了。

我从公交车上跳了下来,并不知道家里有什么在等待着我。走进家门,令我感到惊奇的是,一只黑白相间的小狗,头上还扎着蝴蝶结,朝我跑了过来,还舔了我好几下。一种十分特殊的友谊就此产生。

如今,她需要一个名字。哥哥嘲笑她,说她的尾巴很丑,不能前后摇摆,只能转圈摇摆。

他用一根手指绕着她的耳朵说:“她很古怪。”因此,“古怪精灵”成了她的名字。她很聪明,我教她玩捉迷藏,一玩就是几个小时,我们每天一起学习,一起成长。

11年来,我们一直在一起,成了挚友。后来她患上了关节炎,年龄也大了。父母知道应该怎么做,可是他们让我来裁决,让我作决定。

她承受着巨大的痛楚,药物似乎也帮不上忙。她几乎不能走路了。我看着她深褐色的眼睛,明白是时候让她离开这里了。

我抱着她来到了兽医站,将她放在了桌子上。“古怪精灵”向前歪着头,舔了一下我的手,似乎在说,她明白要坚强一些。她的尾巴依旧像往常那样转着圈摇摆着。

兽医先给她打了一针镇静剂,因为最后要在她的前爪上打一针,会很痛。她先睡着了,可是尾巴还在不停地摇摆。随后,兽医在打针之前问我:“你确定吗?”我的心情十分沉重,满眼泪水,点了点头。

最后一针扎了下去。我盯着她摇摆的尾巴,几秒钟之后,尾巴不动了。兽医听了听她的心跳,说:“她走了。”我用她最喜爱的毯子将她裹住,抱了出来。

我将她带回家,埋葬在草地里。她喜欢在这里玩耍,追兔子。这是迄今为止我做过的最痛苦的事。

我有很多年没有去她的墓地了,不过最近我去了。她的墓地上长了一枝野花。我坐下来,看着在风中摇曳的鲜花,明白这就像“古怪精灵”的尾巴一样,绕着圈摇摆。现在我明白了,这位特别的朋友将会一直陪伴着我。

She came into my life when I was eight years old.My dad found her at work.She was stray and starving.He took one look at her,and said,“Seems like you could use a good home.”He opened up the door to his pickup and she jumped in.Her tail wagged all the way.

I was still at school when dad arrived home with the puppy.Mom and dad fed her and gave her a bath.This would be my first pet.

I had always wanted a dog.My parents told me when I was old enough and responsible,I could have one,well,I guess they figured the time was right.

I hopped off the bus,not knowing what waited inside for me.I walked through the door,and to my surprise,a white and black puppy with a red bow stuck to her head greeted me with many puppy kisses.A very special friendship was born that day.

Now she needed a name.My older brother laughed at her and said her tail was deformed.She didn’t wag her tail back and forth.but went in a circle.He motioned his finger around his ear,and said,“She’s squirrelly.”Thus my puppy,Squirrelly,got her name.

She was a smart dog.I taught her to play hide and seek.We would play for hours,spending our days learning and growing together.

Eleven years we were together,best of friends.Arthritis and old age set in on her.My parents knew what had to be done,but they stood back and let me find and make the decision myself.She was suffering so much and the medicine didn’t seem to help anymore.She could barely walk.I looked into those deep brown eyes and realized it wastime to let her go.

I carried her into the vet’s office,placed her on the table.Squirrelly leaned her head forward,gave a lick to my hand.As if to say she understood and stayed strong.Her tail was wagging in that circle as it always did.

The vet gave her a sedative first,for the final shot was given on her front paw,and that was painful.She first went to sleep,but her tail still wagged.Then the vet asked before giving the final shot,“Are you sure”With a heavy heart and tear filled eyes,I nodded yes.

The final shot was given.My eyes fixed upon her wagging tail.A matter of seconds and it stopped.The vet listened for a heart beat,and said,“It’s over.”I wrapped her up in her favorite blanket,and carried her out.

I took her home and buried her in the pasture,where she loved playing,and chasing rabbits.It was the hardest thing I had ever done.

I didn’t go back to her grave for many years,but recently I went.Growing on her grave was a single wild flower.I sat and watched it swaying in the wind,and realized that it was swaying in a circle,just like Squirrelly.I know now that,that special friend will be always with me.