Travel Buddies

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Just as I started to think that things couldn't get any worse..

"Josie, come here! Hurry it up! We've got company!" Mom was yelling from the front door and sounded rushed. I didn't want to get up because the day before had been tiring, and thought about acting like I couldn't hear her.

"Josie, GET UP! You really need to come in here, NOW!" Ugh. She's going to keep yelling until I go see what the problem is. Guess heading in there is the only choice I've got.

"Coming" I yelled back and reluctantly put my feet on the floor.

Immediately upon arriving at the front door, I saw a man standing outside the front door with a box in his arms, I'd never seen him before. Looked at my mom, confused, as she just stood with a goofy exaggerated smile on her face, which was even more confusing.

"Why don't you ask him what he's brought you, Jos?" I looked back at him and had a really bad feeling for some reason. The man smiled "Don't worry, I'll just set the box down here, and you can take a peek inside at your own pace." He set the box on the porch and nodded to my mom and started back to his car parked by the curb.

I still didn't know what to expect, as we have never had anything quite like this happen before. As the man started his car I looked at my mom again and then bent over to pick up the box. Bringing it inside, and setting it down on the tile, I started to open it. It had just been shut using the flaps to secure one another in a pinwheel fashion, no tape or anything actually holding it. I pulled one cardboard flap of the box up from under another and immediately saw it. A puppy.

"Aww mom! What kind of dog is this?" Excited and lifting him from the box, I couldn't believe it. I had wanted a dog for so long, but I didn't think we'd ever actually get one.

"He's a corgi, and he's your responsibility. You can't be doing any more of this lazing about, you have a dog to take care of now. You have to give him food, water, and take him for walks every single day Josie. You are 15 now, please show me that you are responsible enough to take care of your dog. If you can't show me that you can be responsible for a dog, then I'll have to assume you aren't responsible enough for bigger things either. So take care of him."

Save the speech. This guy is so cute and I really don't care what she has to say about anything else right now. Just thinking about names, and wanting to show my friends.

Hmm, so what should I name him?

"Alistair".

"Really? Doesn't really sound like a name for a dog, but he's yours."

My mom didn't know who Alistair was. Alistair is one of my favorite characters from on of my favorite video games, and this puppy is just as cute. It's perfect.

-Weeks later-

"I did not know teaching him to go potty outside was going to be so hard. It's been weeks now, and he still keeps peeing on the floor, and I'm the one who has to clean it up and take him outside immediately after. Why can't someone else do it?"

"Josie, that's part of owning a pet. You need to learn to take him out before he has to pee, not once he's already done it. Remember, this responsibility is yours. Just keep it up, and you will be rewarded, trust me."

"I also have to pick up the poop in the backyard up and take it all the way to the dumpster everyday. It is too much to keep up with".

"It's NOT too much to keep up with. Think about how much you are going to have to keep up with as an adult, Jos. Alistair could be your best friend, but you have to give him a chance just like he's giving you a chance. Just keep trying, okay?"

I really thought having a puppy would be fun, but this has not been fun at all. It is not just his pee and poop either. My mom doesn't get it. He keeps chewing stuff up. He chewed one of my shoes up, of course it was my favorite pair. I have to keep everything off of my floor which means keeping my room clean everyday which is even more work, just to have a dog. Measuring food out several times a day to feed him. Taking him on walks even when it's 90 degrees outside and he pulls the leash and won't stay on the sidewalk and poops in peoples yards, and I have to pick it up. It's gross. Washing his food and water bowls every week. He sometimes stinks and I have to give him a bath. Teaching him to do the things I want him to do and teaching him to not do the things I don't want him to do is too hard. He is not learning very well. This is starting to not be fun, and I'm not even sure I want a dog anymore.

-----Several Months Later------

"Come here, Alistair! You want the ball? Go!"

I threw it as far as I could, and he took off, so fast he tripped over the ball trying to retrieve it. He is so cute. This really is an easy way for him to get exercise, and I love to see him so happy.

"Good boy!"

"Throw the ball to me! I want to throw it for him!"

I threw the ball to my mom. She tossed it, Alistair he went and got it, but he brought it back to me. I know this dog loves me.

"Alistair, sit." He sat down, panting and wagging his tail. I got up to go get his favorite treats, opened the package and took one out. Holding it between my fingers, trying to come up with a command we've been working on. "Alistair, SPEAK!" He barks and wags his tail happily as I toss the treat to him, he catches it in his mouth and swallows it seemingly without chewing.

"Did you even taste that? Weird dog. Alright, it's time for my nap. Come on."

He gets up and runs in circles around the front door waiting for me to open it. I open the door and he darts inside directly to my room and jumps up into my bed before I even get there. He's waiting for daily nap-time cuddles. Alistair has made my life so much better. Nothing compares to the love he shows me everyday. I don't know what I ever did without him, and don't know what I'm going to do when he's gone. Don't even want to think about it.

"You need to wash your sheets, you are starting to smell like a dog!"

"Okay mom, I will wash them later and give Alistair a bath, too!" At this point, I don't even know what I'd be doing with my days if it weren't for taking care of my dog.

-----One Year Later-----

"Josie, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Wake up! You are 17, today is a big day!"

"Ugh, okay I'm waking up." Alistair is licking my face. It's apparently time to get up.

"Lets go to the park!"

"Woof, woof, woof woof woof, woof,"

"Why did you do that mom? I'm not even awake yet, and you know he's not going to shut up since you said PARK. I still have to get dressed, I can't listen to this for 20 minutes!"

"Then you better get dressed fast, huh? It's your birthday, and I think Alistair has got a big surprise for you!"

Why do so many days start like this now? All I want to do is sleep, but there is always so much to do. Alistair is still barking and I don't want to disappoint him, so I get dressed as fast as possible and tell him "Lets go for a ride."

He's circling at the front door now waiting for us to open it. I open the door and Alistair darts out, now circling behind our SUV. That dog gets way too excited for mundane things, but it's cute. Mom unlocks the car and pops the hatch.

Alistair jumps in excitedly and sits where the third row seating used to be, like a good boy. On our drive to the park we pick up tacos and a soda and mom tells me to eat before we get there.

"Once we get there you won't have a chance to eat."

I eat my tacos and sip on my soda, then tell Alistair to come sit in my lap. I roll the window down and let him stick his head out while mom is driving. Sometimes he smells something that I can't smell, and I wonder what it is he is smelling.

We get to the park and pull into a row where only a few cars are parked. We get out and start walking towards the pond when my mom stops.

"Wait, I think I recognize this car. Something is wrong though."

She starts looking at a car parked near ours, then leans in and puts her hand up over a window trying to see inside the car.

"I knew it, something is wrong." She opens the back door of the car and leans inside.

"Mom! What are you doing? That is not our car, what the hell?"

I look around and make sure no one is looking at my crazy mother opening their car door. No one is paying attention yet. I start back to our car because I am low key freaking out.

"Alistair! Alistair come here!" Alistair runs toward my mom, and I try to look and see what she's doing. She pats the seat and calls him to her pats, Alistair jumps into the car and starts to sniff around.

"Josie, come here, it looks like Alistair has a new backseat to ride in!"

What?! My mom bought me a car!

"Oh my god, no way mom!"

I ran over to the car and flung open the drivers door and sat inside. I couldn't believe it! Alistair was still sniffing around, and when I looked in the rear view mirror to look at him, I saw the keys hanging from his collar!

"I can't believe you got me a car! Thank you so much mom!" I got out and hugged her hard. I almost started to cry.

"Alistair was a test for you. When we first got him I told you I wanted to see if you could be responsible, and you were. I know you didn't like it at first, but he is a very good dog now and you have taken very good care of him for 2 years. If you were responsible enough to care for him for 2 years, I figure you are responsible enough to have your own vehicle now. And think about all the places you and Alistair can go together! You should try taking him to the lake soon, I bet he would love it. Happy Birthday Jos. Please, please be careful. This is a lot more responsibility for you. I think you can handle it."

I sat back in the drivers seat and was trying to take every little detail of the car in including Alistair sitting in the back seat. I couldn't contain my excitement and thought about all of the places me and my best friend could go together, but needed some time to calm down, I was shaking and couldn't even start the car. After nervously contemplating, I decided our first adventure would be the lake like my mom suggested, because I knew Alistair would love it. Of course, my mom was going to come, too. In 2 years she gave me the best two gifts imaginable. We were going to travel great together