Rocky was only 4 when his Daddy went to jail. They were inseparable up till then. He went to work with him every day, slept in his bed and followed him everywhere. Rocky was tough, like his Hollywood movie namesake, but he wasn’t so tough when it came to losing the one he loved most for two long years.
This is a story about loyalty. Rocky was part Boxer, part German Shepard. If you asked his owner he’d tell you he was part Einstein, he was that smart. Daddy is a guy who has a heart of gold— everybody loves him. But he had a hard time staying out of trouble. That’s how it came to be that as a young pup, Rocky was separated from Daddy, his master.
Rocky went to live with Daddy’s brother. He flew by himself on a plane to reach the beaches of California. Uncle was kind. He took Rocky to work with him, let him sleep in his bed, and smiled when he saw Rocky following him around everywhere. To the casual observer, it appeared that Daddy’s absence was forgotten.
The day Daddy came home, Rocky was waiting for him. There were two on hand to witness the homecoming. Daddy’s girlfriend describes it this way: “Rocky jumped up, stood with two hind legs on the ground and two front legs around [Daddy’s] chest and gave kisses after kisses. We couldn’t tear him away. I swear; I could see the dog smiling pointed ear to pointed ear.”
They were never apart again after that day. Daddy got married, had children and bought a house with plenty of room for Rocky. The years flew by and Rocky got old. His hips wouldn’t let him jump up on the truck anymore and he couldn’t go to work with Daddy. Eating became a sometime thing for Rocky and he got weaker. Mostly, Rocky spent his days sleeping on Daddy’s side of the bed. If you watched very closely, you could see Rocky breathing in Daddy’s scent and smiling his pointy ear to pointy ear grin while he drifted in and out of sleep.
When Rocky died, his big body was cremated but his soul went straight to heaven. There’s reward for loyalty, and dogs like Rocky get it. Daddy imagines heaven as a great big place where Rocky is watching down on him, sending his friendship, protection, and love like beams aimed precisely in his direction. Daddy knows Rocky is where he should be, with God, waiting patiently and peacefully to be re-united again.
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