My Name Is Cae

If you recall, a while ago I began writing a story about my family and our dogs titled My Name Is Cae. I posted the first chapter with plans to post each chapter as I finished it. However a lot of stuff has been going on in our lives so I have fallen behind on my plans. I am back at the keyboard and have finished chapter two. I'll post chapters one and two and then post the following chapters as I finish them. As time permits, I would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions along the way:

My Name Is Cae
By Terry Beck

I

Hello, my name is Cae. I am a year and a half old Bichon Frise, for those who had rather not look it up, I am an adorable, smallish, fluffy, white dog. Rumor has it Henry III of France would carry a Bichon in a basket around his neck covered with cologne and ribbons, a rumor my dad and his family are trying to discount. Dad stressed the only thing folks needed to know about us is we were raised on a ranch, not in a basket, and allowed to run free playing with varmints of all kinds both domestic and wild. I came from a fun and honorable family, Mom, Dad and what seemed like a bunch of brothers and sisters. After what didn't seem like long, the rancher, an awfully nice man, began taking my brothers or sisters away in his truck and they didn't come back. I became concerned but mom and dad seemed relieved, especially mom. Then my day came. The rancher picked up a couple of my toys, a piece of a rug and me and loaded us in his truck and said we were off to Brownwood, where ever that is.

Seems like me drove forever and after a while I started to wonder about my family, would I ever see them again, and Mom, I was sure starting to miss Mom. Finally we rolled into Brownwood and parked in a parking lot of a store. The rancher gave me some water and a snack, patted me on the head and told me I was a good dog. I began to wonder again, if I was such a good dog why aren't I back home with my Mom? About that time, another car pulled up next to us and a lady got out and walked toward us with a big ol' smile on her face. She seemed nice and the rancher seemed happy to see her. She gave him what appeared to be a lot of money (no wonder the rancher was so happy to see her). He gave her some kind of official looking papers, the piece of rug, the toys and then patted me on the head again, picked me up and gave me to her. She held me up to her face and started talking baby talk to me, it was a little embarrassing. The lady, I think she said her name was Amber, then put me in a laundry basket along with the rug and my toys, said goodbye to the rancher, who still had a big ol' smile on his face, and we drove away. I jumped up and watched the rancher's pickup get smaller and smaller...until I couldn't see it anymore.

Once again we drove and drove, one thing for sure, I would never be able to find my way back home. As we drove down the highway, the lady would glance my way, talk a little more baby talk and smile. After a while I became bored and a little uncomfortable so I hopped up with my paws on top of the laundry basket and looked toward Amber with my cutest of looks. She glanced my way and smiled. That went so well I decided to take things a little farther, I jumped out of the basket, walked across the console and just about the time she hollered, quickly laid down in her lap. I really didn't understand what she said so I just looked up at her with my cutest look again and then laid my head in her lap. Amber reached down, patted my head, smiled and said something sweet, at least she was smiling when she said it.

I rode the rest of the trip in Amber's lap, a little concerned about pressing my luck any further. We finally arrived at our destination. It reminded me a little of the ranch with all the trees and open spaces except for one major difference, there was a beautiful lake, Lake Merritt I later learned. I had never seen so much water. Amber placed me back in the laundry basket and began carrying be toward the lake house. I had come a long way from my ancestor's days with Henry III and their basket filled with ribbons and cologne and now me in my laundry basket, I later discovered it was actually called the dirty clothes basket.

II
I couldn't believe it, we walked all the way to the front door and it looked like we were going to actually go inside. As the door opened and we stepped inside I was amazed, this was the first time I had ever been inside a house. There was so much to take in, so much I had never been exposed to before, I was totally confused, what were all those smells? I could smell food, sweets, spices and smells I no idea what they were. Everything smelled so clean, everything was so soft, so organized. Then a familiar smell, the smell of another dog, a stranger, not from my family.

No sooner had I smelled the dog when I heard a deep growl that sent a paralyzing fear through my young body. I strained to see across the room as my eyes adjusted to the lack of light inside the house. Then a second growl from across the room. There sitting in a chair was an older man and in his lap stood a dog, a Bichon, a Bichon not very happy about my coming into his house. Surprisingly the dog was a whole lot smaller than his growl would indicate. As a matter of fact I may have been just a little bigger that he was and I was only nine weeks old at the time. Then things got a bit more uncomfortable as the dog jumped from the old man's lap and trotted toward me with a couple of barks and a growl. Then my heart almost stopped as Amber took me from the basket and sat me on the floor.

My feet had no more than touched the floor when the old dog once again growled an unbelievably low growl and charged toward me. Thinking this may be the end, I just squatted down into a shivering mass of soft hair and loose skin. As he approached I just ducked my head and started to whimper but to my surprise He ran on past me, then began a slow walk as he circled me until stopping and smelling my tail area. Now Mom and Dad and my brothers and sisters used to do that but it was always in friendly fun, but fun didn't seem to be on this old feller's mind.

About that time, the man still sitting in the chair hollered out, "Beaux Bo, leave the little puppy alone, don't you hurt him!" My first thought about the man was I might learn to like him. My second thought was what in the world is a Beaux Bo! Then, without thought or planning on my part, I peed. The old man kind of half hollered and half growled, "No! No! No! Don't do that!" Then Amber yelled and quickly jerked me up from the floor and Beaux Bo started barking and running circles around Amber. I didn't know what was going on but whatever it was, it sure had everybody upset.

Then Amber pushed me down toward the small puddle, putting my nose down within sniffing distance and saying, "No! No! No!" Then it dawned on me, it was the pee! I had never seen a little pee get everybody in such a tizzy! Then Amber, still hollering and obviously still upset with me, carried me outside and placed me on the ground saying, "Potty! Potty outside like a good puppy!" Then Beaux Bo trotted by me, hiked his leg, and peed on an old Mesquite Tree. It seemed like he went forever. Then Amber said, "Good doggy, Beaux Bo, good dog!" Then Beaux Bo did some kind of a strut walk, kicking grass out behind him. I never thought of peeing as being such a celebrated body function.

We eventually all went back in the house after the Great Pee Extravaganza was over. Everyone made themselves comfortable, everyone but me, I crawled under a chair. Then a conversation began involving all four of us except the two humans not only spoke for themselves but also spoke of me and Beaux Bo. I learned the old man's name was Terry But rather than calling them Terry and Amber, Beaux Bo and I would call them Daddy and Mommy. There was then a long conversation concerning what I would be called. There were at least ten or fifteen names suggested of which I had never heard of a single one. Then it was decided my name would be Cae. It was determined my name would be come from combining the first initials of Mom and Dad's three grand children, Cole, Abbie, Emily. My family became Mom, Dad, Bo and me, my name is Cae.