Random thoughts: Bandit (true story)

When my last wife left me in ’95, I was frantically lost. I’m sure it was similar to the same feelings I felt, when the previous two wives left. The common denominator was me, so now I don’t look for another wife, I just look for friends.

A couple months after she left, my Pastor and some other friends told me to get another heart beat in the house. I know they meant rent out a room or something similar. However, I decided to get a puppy, so the search was on. After a week of searching for an exotic pup, I decided to pause the search, because of financial difficulties.

I prayed for guidance and the very next day God sent me Bandit. A neighbor girl came over and she showed me this seven week old Shepard mutt and she asked me if I wanted her. I took her, brought her in close and she licked my face. We were friends on the spot.

My neighbors didn’t know I was looking for a pup, but now there was a new heart beat in the house. She was so cute, so young and so messy, but she was my buddy.

It didn’t take long for her to become my best and closest friend. After twelve years of friendship the going joke was, Bandit was with me longer than all three of the ex wives put together.

Over the next eighteen years we lived in three different places, the townhouse, trailer and the farmhouse. She was fine with all of them, but we liked the farm house best of all.

She was going blind, couldn’t hardly walk, had no appetite and in constant pain. I felt I should show her mercy and KILL my best friend. I couldn’t do that, but my neighbor would and all it would cost me was a 22 slug. I decided the next day, which was Christmas day her present would be relief. My best friend of eighteen years died that night.