Blek

Snif.
Steve and I did hurry through town and when we got to our destination the man was waitng for us and he walked up with his stethoscope around his neck.  I opened the hatch of the same blue station wagon that earlier in the morning had carried a repaired rear tractor tire.  I had been happy then, just gotten off work, a tire so big it hardly fit in the car, fixed for 40 bucks, heading for home and bed.   I told the vet that we were probably too late, but that I would appreciate a pronouncement.   It took him 30 seconds and he confirmed.   My mind went back to the morning, coming home, splitting a bottle of wine with Steve, sitting on the porch, throwing the ball for the dogs, the usual.   Just thinking about it makes me happy, two dogs, brother and sister, inseparable from birth, one black one white: Blek and Dekker, always playing, playing their routine. You hold the ball, Blek yelps, you throw it, they race, one gets it, than they form a tower, leaning on each other, giving the ball back and forth, and Dekker will drop it close to my feet, and then we'll do it again.   This morning the "ball" was just a shred of 3 square inch left over from an old basketball. 
When I woke up this afternoon I went to the bathroom, numero dos, I sit and sure enough Blek and Dekker come to say hi and inspect progress to see if they can drink from the bowl yet.   It happens regularly, they just snuggle for a minute and go their own way again.   15 minutes later Nathan calls me, he was over mowing the yard, and said there was trouble, and there was.   Blek had been hit by a car and was laying in the ditch, breathing but not moving.   I picked her up, moved her in the shade and she seemed to come around a little. Bruised tongue hanging out of her mouth.  Eventually she tried to sit up but surely her rear legs were not moving.  She flopped down and I put her in the back of the blue station wagon.   I took Dekker along, he is looking lost, and so am I.
 
I had to go to work and left Blek at the house: Pablo and friends have buried her.  Thanks boys.