I'll Be Home For Christmas, Just You Wait And See!!

Here it is Christmas Eve 2006. I turned 60 this year and became a grandfather to a very precious girl , Clara. As I reflect on Christmas past, there are many fond memories from my childhood.
Does Santa exist? Have I been good enough? Will there be enough snow for Santa? ( My friend Roger told me, when we were quite young, don’t worry Santa has a helicopter for this type of weather.)
One Christmas story comes to my mind each Christmas eve. As I have written earlier, my nephew Kevin spent a lot of time at our house. He is 10 years younger and was considered by me to be my younger brother. He still believes everything I tell him.
I think the year was 1963 and we had Gus as our dog, lovely Border Collie mix. I picked her up at the Dog Pound that was located out in Dundtaffnage, coincidently Gus belonged to Ted Beer the same person we got Trixie from. Gus was a female!!! I picked her up in 1961.
She had her set routine, every morning she would go down to the service station and Walter would give her a treat. Then across the street to Albert Dennis Clover Farm and if lucky a big bone to chew on.
Kevin slept in the front bedroom as I was in the one at the other end of the hall.
Every night we would battle to see which one of us Gus would sleep with. So for an hour each of us would call her and she would run back and forth. Most nights I let Kevin win. As he was away from his parents Gus meant a lot to him and he considered Gus as “his dog.”
Well Christmas eve morning we all went about or routines , Gus included.
Late in the afternoon it began to snow as it was getting dark, we called Gus to come in the house.
There was no sign of her , so I went around the neighbourhood to see what she was up to. No luck!
I checked down at Walter’s, and yes she was in that morning got her treat, and left.
Albert thinks he saw her around 10 am , but not sure as the store was busy with people picking up groceries.
I began to worry and panic a little. I ran up to Barry’s , no sign, Mrs Hudson’s, no sign, stopped in at Roger’s , no he didn’t see her. Then back down to Sunshine dairy and finally over to Swift’s.
I ran home and gave everyone the bad news, Gus was gone and here it was Christmas Eve.
I then went around Parkdale checking the ditches to see if she was hit by a car. Thankfully I didn’t find he laying there.
It was now about 10 pm and our house was very sad, Christmas would not be Merry without Gus.
Kevin went to bed and cried, Dad was in his bed , while Mother and I sat down stairs in the living room with the lights out. Mom and I prayed as we waited while Kevin was in his bed praying and crying.
This was worst Christmas Eve ever! Anyone who has ever had a dog as your best friend and has just lost her , knows this feeling. There is nothing as sad as losing your dog, you are inconsolable for days.
When Ali lost his first professional fight, Howard Cossell shoved the microphone in front of him and asked “Ali, how does if feel to have lost the Heavy Weight Title?”
Ali looking sad and withdrawn replied “I feel the same right now as I did when I lost my first puppy”

Well mother and I sat there, and every few minutes we would arise and look out the living room windows , up and down the street. All we saw was the streets deserted as everyone was home in their beds awaiting Christmas, all over Charlottetown children were in their beds fast asleep and dreaming of Santa.
But at 2 St. Peters Road, in the front bedroom a little boy lay there crying and praying for the return of his best friend.
I looked at the clock and it was nearing midnight and mother up our vigil and try to get some rest and try to make Christmas the best we could.
As we were getting set to leave the living room we took one more look, the snow was falling very heavily, the town looked so peaceful to all the world..
I looked up towards Barry’s and thought I was seeing a snow mirage, there running in the snow was a dog!!! Oh please let it be Gus. I ran to the front door and there she was running down past MacNevin’s on past Deacon’s across the street up the walkway bounding into the house.
She was so wet and shivering , we tried to hug her and we were both so elated to see her.
She escaped from our hugs , ran up stairs and bounded into Kevin’s bed.
I don’t think I've seen a happier sight, a boy and his dog reunited on Christmas Eve.
Kevin hugged her , wet as she was and they both had a peaceful night sleep.
In the morning we checked Gus over, her paw pads were raw and she was still shaking.
She didn’t want to go out at all that day and stayed by Kevin.
We can only speculate as to what happened to her, but the most likely thing is she got into someone truck down at the grocery store and ended up in the country someplace, was released and ran home.
Whatever happened that day was made up for that night and Christmas Day as we were thankful for the gift of a good friend who made it home in time for Christmas.
Gus lived to see a few more years with us. She was a good friend.
I think of her often , especially Christmas Eve.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERY ONE.