Banished To The Barn
In the early 1940’s, my family lived in in a remote northern part of British Columbia. My playground was the wonderful freedom of the great outdoors. There were no other children to play with other than my bossy older sister. My best friend was an old dog called Bishop. He was an outside dog, slept in the barn at night but first thing in the morning would find him waiting for me to come out and play.
Bishop was a big ole’ black curly coated dog. When he was happy, which was all the time, he wagged his tail so hard it could knock over my baby brother. He drooled. When he ran his feet hit the dirt so hard it raised dust. There wasn’t a graceful hair on his body, even in his prime he bumbled around like a puppy. He refused to obey commands, even when told to sit. He’d just wag that heavy tail, grin, and drool. I asked my grandfather why the dog had spit hanging out of his mouth all the time. He said he had no idea, but that Bishop was a good dog, then he showed me how to grab a bit of grass to wipe the slobber away.
In the hot summer days, that dog and I spend most of our time playing in the lake. I liked that. The water washed his face. He smelled better then. I grew tired of the water, took Bishop and decided to go for a walk in the bush. Bishop had killed several wolves the past winter, without any harm to himself. I was allowed to wander as long as I had the dog with me. In the bush I found a rotted log, Bishop started digging right away. The top popped off, and there was a cat! I was delighted. I picked up the kitty to haul home to my mother.
I was almost at the door when my mother came around the corner of the house. She took one look at me and screamed, “Put that thing down!” She meant my new cat. It had been content in my arms, but at the shrieking of my mother it struggled to get down. I wanted this pretty puss, so I hung on. I let go really fast, when it peed on me, stinging my eyes, making me choke from the fumes. When I dropped it like a hot coal, it peed on Bishop as well. He hit the ground rubbing his face in my mother’s flower bed.
By now all the adults were standing in a ring around me, I heard the work skunk for the first time. I was bathed in tomatoe juice, all sorts of soap, my grandmother’s prized canned tomatoes. I still smelled rotten. It’s a family joke now, but at the time I was so hurt. Bishop and I had to sleep in the barn. They made me a nice bed, I was allowed a flashlight to keep the dragons at bay, but there that dog and I slept. Bishop was in doggy heaven. He had his favourite person to share his nights with. I didn’t mind.
When I was allowed back into the family circle again, my grandfather gave me a present. A kitten. Of course I loved her, but that other black and while cat had been so very beautiful. Until it peed.
