第13章他在某一个角落等我Charlie(2)
IfmydaughterorItriedtopickCharlieupandholdhim,hewouldquicklyscamperawayaraightbacktowherehewasleastwanted。CharliewasanaesmyhusbandwasalmhttothepoifailurewhenCharliewouldsilentlycreepupbehindtheredjumpovermyhusband’sheadandintohislap。AsmanytimesasCharliedidthis,myhusbandreparedfortheoverheadassault。TherewasoCharliewouldplaywithmydaughteraookalotofg。Wewouldstandinfrontofdwaverownsbadforth。Charlie’stailwouldbegintosway。Thenhewouldpositiohelaunchbyrogbadforth。Eventuallyitehussgandrunningthroughthehouseapursuit。Charliehadaparticulardislikeforallfemales,Ithink。IhadaladythatceaweektoeandCharlieclearlyhatedher。shearrivedbeforeIhadfinisheddressingforwork,andhadgoairstogetthebedlineiihebedroomdoorways。Theattackwasswiftawasablscreamthatwouldwakethedead。Fromthatdayon,IhadtomakesurethatCharliewasoutofthehousebeforethegladywouldeinside。Evenso,Charliewasnhwithher。Hekshewouldeoutsidetoputthetrashinthegarbage。Charlieatieed,andhenailedheragain。otakethetrashout。
Charlielivedhislifeprettymuchlikebewao。Ifhefeltromantic,hewhborhoodinsearaleysisterhadafemaledogandwantedatewithherdog。Wheimewasright,IgrabbedCharlie,puthiminthedoffwewenttomysister’s。Ohere,weclosedthegaragedoorandstoodbacktowatantifold。NeverhaveIheardsugandhowling!Badforththeywehecars,dartihere,itsouheywerekilliher。ThisisnIthought。IndignantthatCharliew,mysistersaid,“Yisobviouslygay。”
“No,notatall。”Ireplied,“Charlieisjustalittlechoosy。Wejustasmallpapersack’shead,that’sall。”
dIwehalittlehuffy。Somuchforthat。NeveragainwouldIputCharlieupforsuchridi,weekslater,mysistercalled。Herdoghadonelonepup,andhelookedexactlylikeCharlie!
AsCharliegotolderhesloweddownsiderably。Hewasmorettojustswishhistailwhenhesaerearby,ratherthangoforthehuplaythegamewithmydaughterandmeanymore。Icouldlookiell,somethingwasjustnht。Afterathhexaminatio,IwasiCharliehadkidneyfailure。HisadviceutCharlieoutofhismisery。Thereisnocurehesaid。
&heomaydaughterwasnoteasy。ShewasateeoputCharlietosleepwasunthinkable。EverydayshewouldtakeCharlietothevetandhewouldbehydrated。Thiswentonforalmostamonth,butCharliedider。Imadeabedfortheutilityroom,hislitterboxsatunused。Charliewastooweaktogetoutofhisbed。Theonlytimehewasoutofite。
MyhusbandaweshouldputCharlieoutofhismisery,butmydaughterdputupsuchafussthatwealwaysbaeveragainwillIletananimalsufferthatloogo。Wego。
EvenmyhusbandwhoprofessednottolikeCharliewasdetermioproperlyburyhim。HehadbeguntobuildaforCharlie。ThenoutoftheblueCharliecameoutoftheutilityroom。Itwasthefirsttimehehadwalkediwoweeks。HeslotomeandIpickedhimupandheldhiminmylap。Forthefirsttimeheletmestrokehisheadwithetaway。WesatlikethisforwhatseemedlikeaverylohenCharliedecideditwastimetoleave。SlowlyhewalkedtothebadasIlethimout,hepausedonthedeckashewatchedmyhusbandbuildingthe。Hedesdedthesteps,thenturnedameoime,andthenhewasgone。
ewthathishourhade,hesaidhisgood-byes,andthendidwhatallofGod’screaturesdo。Hewenttplace。Hislittlewasturoaplanteraheyearshasbeenthehomeferaniums,butitstruepurposeistoremindusofCharlie。