Magic memories

There are some memories that just stay with you. Once such memory
for me was when I was 7 years old.

I really wanted a dog. In fact I had been hassling my parents for one
since I was 5.
My mum would say 'what do you want for your birthday ?'
'A dog' was reply.
'We are not having a dog. They are a tie and leaves hairs all round the
house'
Then it would be 'What do you want for Christmas?'
'A dog'.
'We are not having a dog?'
I remember once going on holiday. I must have been about 6. We went
into a pet shop. There was a litter of pups in one of the cages. I
remember putting my hand up to the cage and them licking them. They
were so lovely.
'Can we have one, Mum?'
'No'

We did have a pet. A budgie named Peter. He was cute and friendly and
was not a dog. I mean you can't take a budgie for a walk, you can't
really cuddle a budgie. A budgie does not lick you and does not bury
bones in the garden.

I remember whenever I got toys I would ask 'Can't we have dog
instead?'

I wanted a dog so much it ached. I use to dream of my own dog. Taking
for walks in the country, throwing balls for it to catch, feeding
biscuits. I already had a name, Rex. Corny yer but not to me. Rex would
be my best friend. My constant companion.

Then one night shortly after I had gone to bed the front door rang. I
could tell by the voices that it was my Aunt Harry and Rene. A few
minutes later my Dad come up into the bedroom
'Uncle Harry had got something for you'

I climbed out of bed and made my way downstairs. I went into our
sitting room where everyone was gathered round.
'Look around the room John.' said my Aunt Rene.

So I looked around and then in the corner curled up asleep in a basket
I saw the most beautiful dog. 'It for you John'.

I could not believe it. I knelt down and Rex opened his eyes. I put my
hand up to his face and he started to lick it.

'My dog, My dog' I said to myself. It was a dream come true.

It was for me a real magic moment. One that I will always
remember.
The words 'look around the room John' and then seeing Rex.

Rex was only a mongrel but to me he was the most amazing dog in the
world. He was black with a white strip down the middle if his chest,
brown round the edges of his ears.
He became my best friend. We would go for walks in the woods together
and had a special relationship, of the sort only a boy and his dog can
have. He was a one man dog was Rex. He did not really like other people
very much but loved me, or so I thought at 7.

And I loved Rex.. It broke my heard when a year later when we had to
have him put to sleep after he an infection. For weeks afterwards I
would wake up crying. But nothing could take away the joy of having had
my own dog.