Dog’s New Bed

Our mostly-white dog, a three-year-old Brittany, had outgrown his bed so I trekked to the local branch of a famous pet store and bought him a new one. This dog either loves or seriously hates the kapok used to stuff pet toys and pet beds. It takes him a nano-second, perhaps two, to gut a stuffed animal so he can play with it in the manner to which he has become accustomed—shaking it vigorously before tossing it to the ceiling or across the room. None of those things happen though until he has thoroughly pulled every fluff from inside the “indestructible” toy. I was pleased I’d found a bed in a color and pattern that blended with our bedroom décor so was excited about introducing him to his new bed. I put it at the foot of our bed where the old one had nestled then settled in for a long winter nap.

I awoke at dawn and put my foot on the floor—right onto something furry. It wasn’t the dog. No man should ever be subjected to what my husband experienced that morning. My cursing, screaming, and dancing on the bed was bad enough but I thought the one-bound vault from the bed to the door should surely have sent him bolt upright. It was the light that did it—full-on overheads after that ruckus did actually get a “ugmm” out of him.

He redeemed himself by, at some point during the day, promising to pick up all that kapok and I did see him carry the emptied, haute décor bed to the trash.

I worked late that night and after a warm shower and a cool drink I softly opened the bedroom door and, by the light of the moon, tiptoed in. What a way to end the day. What a way to end a marriage! There beside my bed lay a brown fluffy bundle the size of a small panther. This time, the light switch was the first thing I grabbed for. The second thing I grabbed for more than made up for the fright of the morning so many hours earlier.

He did try to explain. He’d thought I might want to make a new bed out of all that stuffing so he’d picked up all those fist-size pieces and put them in a pile where I’d be sure to find them. I think that’s what he was trying to convey.