Rrof and Me

Rrof was my best friend; we knew each other all our lives. We might even be related because our moms were sort of related. As I understand it, my mom used to ride on Rrof’s mom. When Rrof’s mom found a nest of leaves under a dead log to give birth to her litter, my mom decided it was time to drop her eggs. And so Rrof was born, and I was hatched, right next to each other. How cool is that! Then when I was old enough for a riding partner, there was Rrof, ready and able. So I got on him and we became best friends, for what was supposed to be life.

I called him Rrof because that’s what his litter-mates called him. Rrof called me “Itch” as in “I have an itch on my butt.”

When Rrof was old enough, or maybe a little before then, we left the litter and journeyed out to discover the world. And what a wonderful world we discovered!

Play was always first on our to-do list. We would run through fields and meadows, chasing birds and running from the farmer. Once we ran down a hill so fast that Rrof tripped and we rolled, head-over-tail, all the way down to the bottom. I held on for all I was worth. We were laughing so hard we could hardly breathe. What a ride! Reclining in the soft green grass at the base of the hill, catching our breath, and gazing up at the white clouds in the blue sky, I thought to myself, it doesn’t get any better than this. Life is good and the world is beautiful.

Food comes right after play on the list. We developed a great system for food. Rrof has a good nose and he can find food almost anywhere. He eats the food and it goes into his blood, then I drink some of his blood. Sometimes I feel guilty that he does all the work, but usually, I just enjoy the ride and the fine dining.

Sometimes we play “hunt and kill.” I’m not sure if it’s a game or an attempt to get food. Rrof will spot some small animal and chase it. Sometimes he catches it, which adds additional excitement to the meal; but usually, it gets away. When that happens, Rrof pretends it was just a game and he had no intention of killing and eating it. Fortunately, Rrof also likes to eat leftovers, stuff that someone else actually hunted and killed. He also likes to eat green plants, which is fine with me as it adds subtle nuances to my standard diet of dog blood.

All living creatures need water; Rrof and I are no exceptions. Of course, I get mine from Rrof’s blood, which is convenient, if not a little boring. Rrof, on the other hand, hunts for it like it was small game. Ponds and lakes are fine, but fast-running streams are better, and there is nothing quite as delicious as fresh rainwater from an overturned hubcap. Yum!

Rrof and I agree that water is great to drink, but we disagree about swimming in it. One day, we were relaxing next to a small river when a female dog approached. Of course, she being female, Rrof had to give her a friendly sniff. When he discovered she was “not in the mood” (you know what I mean), they settled down to watch the river. Her name was Grr and riding just behind Grrs’ left ear was the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. Her name was Girl. Did I tell you she was gorgeous?

Anyway, after a while, a duck came floating down the river and Grr jumped in to get it, with Girl holding on to Grrs’ neck. Immediately, Rrof got up to jump in after her. “Hold it!” I yelled “I can’t swim!” but, of course, Rrof didn’t hear me. I hunkered down, grabbed hold, and took a deep breath, thinking it would be my last.

When I couldn’t hold my breath any longer, I gasped and prepared to die. But to my surprise, I was in a small air bubble. Rrof was paddling to keep up with Grr (the duck was long gone) and I was holding on to him, sometimes submerged and sometimes not, but the air bubble held. Don’t ask me why, I’m no scientist. Maybe it’s got to do with surface tension or something.

Finally, Grr and Rrof swam back to the shore and the four of us collapsed on a warm rock. We watched the sun set and the moon rise. We looked at the black silhouettes of the trees against the evening sky. We felt the warm wind shift to a cool breeze. We watched the stars chase away the clouds. Grr said that groups of stars, called constellations, looked like famous dogs, but I couldn’t see them. I started to ask Girl if she could see dogs in the stars, but she was sound asleep. I continued to look at Girl; she was so beautiful. Maybe someday….

Rrof, Grr, and Girl were sound asleep when I woke up for a call of nature. As I settle back into Rrofs’ warm fur, I saw something move in the forest, then two somethings, and then three. Then a flash as the moonlight reflected in a pair of eyes. EYES!  Something was watching us! Three somethings.

As the shapes moved out of the dark forest and onto the moonlight, I could see that they were wolves. I wanted to yell, but of course, Rrof and Grr would not hear me. What could I do?

Even thou Rrof and I are different species, we are best friends because we have both made compromises for the other. Rrof can scratch most parts of his body with one of his legs but he tries to give me a little warning before he does so. This gives me time to move to a safe location while he attends to the local irritation of my feeding. In exchange, I have discovered that some parts of Rrofs’ body are more sensitive than others, and I always avoid feeding on the sensitive areas.

You are probably wondering what all this has to do with three wolves, who would gladly feed on Rrofs’ entire body, and Grrs’ and still be hungry. Well, the answer is that I ran to that most-sensitive part of Rrof and bit him like I was digging a hole to China. Rrof jumped up and howled, waking Grr in the process.

But before he could scratch, they saw the approaching wolves. Now, I won’t claim that dogs can fly or walk on water, but I will state for the record that Rrof and Grr crossed that river faster than a rattlesnake greeting a field mouse. Thankfully, the wolves chose not to pursue us and stayed on their side of the river.

But it’s not all fun and games out here. The world is full of creatures more dangerous than wolves. Humans are the worst. I don’t want to think about, let alone tell you about, all the terrible things humans do to other living beings. Let’s just say it’s best to avoid humans at all costs.

One day, Rrof and I, along with two older dogs, were scrounging through some trash. Suddenly, a human came running out of his house yelling at us and waving a big stick. He pointed the stick at us and I heard a loud bang, followed by a yelp from one of the older dogs. We ran as fast as we could through the yard and across the highway. Well, almost across the highway. Rrof and I got across before the truck, but the other dog did not. Like I said, it’s best to avoid humans whenever possible.

Not all humans are completely terrible. Some humans are kind to dogs, but I have never heard of one being kind to creatures like me, and that leads me to the end of my story and how Rrof and I were forced to go our separate ways.

Rrof and Grr discovered a yard where two young humans played. It was fun to lay in the forest and watch the children run and play, and at night there was cool water from the pond and leftovers from the trash. When the children noticed Rrof and Grr, they deliberately left some food for them.

Now I’m not saying dogs are lazy; what I’m saying is that all creatures are lazy. We would rather eat for free than have to earn our food. And so, Rrof and Grr got used to visiting the play yard for dinner, as long as the humans kept their distance.

A contributing factor might have been that Grr had come “into the mood” (I would have said “in heat” but that sounds vulgar.) and she was now eating a little more, running a little less, and she seemed a little heavier in the midsection. Is that rude to say? I hope not.

After a while, good portions of food were available during the day. Rrof and Grr would come to eat and the children would sit and watch from a distance. And then it happened!

One day, as the dogs were eating an especially large and delicious offering, a net fell from the sky and covered them. Grr, with Girl, was able to escape to the forest, but Rrof and I were trapped under the net.

Human hands grabbed us and put us in a box. Later the box was moved into a building. Finally, the lid was opened a little, wide enough for me to escape, but not for Rrof, and I was not about to leave my best friend to the mercy of the humans.

A young human asked an adult if she could keep Rrof as a pet, and the adult said yes, but “that dog” would first have to be given a bath and then “checked over by the vet.”

They put a collar and leash on Rrof so he couldn’t run away and lead us outside. There they filled a large tub with soap and water. I didn’t like the smell of that bath and I somehow knew my air bubble would not survive in soapy water and I would die. I think Rrof agreed because, with no warning, he made an unexpected scratch and knocked me off him and onto the ground. He had never done that before and I just stood there in disbelief. 

After they placed Rrof in the tub, he looked at me and then at the yard. He was telling me to run away. He was telling me goodbye. I didn’t want to leave him. If I could have gotten into that tub of soap water, only to die with my best friend, I would have gladly done so. But I couldn’t, so I started walking, head down, across the yard. 

But then, in the distance, I saw Grr and Girl, waiting for me at the edge of the forest. I turned and said goodbye to Rrof, who was covered in soapy water but didn’t seem to be in any pain. Then I ran to Grr and Girl as fast as my little legs would carry me.