Looking For A Friend

Looking For A Friend

          Oreo joined the Preston family when she was seven weeks old. At that time, it was a month before Jonathan and Darlene were to marry. Jonathan worked as a shipping clerk at a local department store, while Darlene was in the process of completing her Masters degree as well as, working as a computer lab assistant at the college.. The pressures of an impending wedding and the surprising news that there would be a new baby on the way were wearing on Darlene. Getting a new puppy was not on her "to do" list. Darlene reluctantly agreed to Jonathan's request.

          Once they saw Oreo, a black/white cocker spaniel, they both fell in love with her. She was the only female left in the litter and they got her immediately. The next day Jonathan took her to the vet for a check up and subsequent shots. She stayed at Jonathan's until the wedding. It was not easy for Oreo. Nobody really wanted to be around her. She would be fed, watered, and taken outside, but nobody spent time with her. She was lonely.

          Just before the wedding, Oreo was taken to "Sparkey's Puppy Palace". Her life was in a real upheaval. Now she was somewhere where she knew nobody. She would be there for ten days. After Darlene and Jonathan returned from their honeymoon, they picked Oreo up and took her home. Life for Oreo was status quo. Jonathan went to work and Darlene went to class and now doctor's appointments. The days were a whirlwind and poor Oreo was caught in the tornado.

          One of the new things that Jonathan set up in the house was a computer. She watched him intently as he put everything together. Once he was online, she watched as he typed and was connected to several sites. As time passed, she memorized what he did so that she could copy it.

          "I can't stand being left alone anymore. I have to find some friends", Oreo said to herself.

          A few days later, Oreo waited until Darlene and Jonathan left the house. She jumped on the computer chair and began turning on the computer. Once she entered the Net, she began her quest to find friends. She remembered how to get to the webpages. Once she reached Darlene's hompage, she found Search Central. She typed Canine Chat Rooms. When she pressed enter, she was very surprised at what she found.

          "Wow. Maybe now I can find a friend."

          She started looking at the long list of rooms. She found a few that looked promising. She started clicking and found gold. The one that caught her eye was called "Caroline's Canine Chatter Box". She found that she had to register an account. After she entered all information, she had to think of a username. After much thought, she came up with the name of Lonely Puppy. She used her birthdate as the password. As she was doing this, she became happier. Once everything went through, she entered the room to see if she could find a friend.

          "Hi. My name is Oreo. I am looking for a friend. Is anyone out there?"

          "Hi Oreo. Nice to meet you. My name is Curly. What kind of dog are you? I'm a black, boy poodle."

         " Hi Curly. I'm a black/white cocker spaniel. I'm a girl. How old are you?"

          " I'm two. I live with Mom, Dad, Tessa, and Danny. How old are you?"

         " I'm still a puppy. I'm only four months. I live with just my Mom and Dad. There will be a new baby on the way soon. How old are Tessa and Danny?"

         "Tessa is five and Danny is eight. Sounds fun that you will have a new baby soon. Are you excited about the new baby?"

         " Not really. Mom and Dad don't spend time with me. They are working and going to school all the time. I'm home alone a lot. What about you?"

         "I'm alone during the day too. My Mom and Dad also work. Tessa and Danny are in school. When they come home, we all go for walks and then have dinner together. Danny helps Dad feed me and he gives me water. He then has to do his homework. I lay at his feet when he's studying. Mom reads to Tessa, and helps her with her letters."

          Just then, Oreo looked at the wall clock. It read 2:00. She was scared. She didn't want Dad to find her on the computer.

         "I have to go. Dad will be home soon. Will you be on tomorrow, Curly? I'll be on around 9:00 A.M.."

         " Sure, I'll be here. I'm glad we are getting to know each other. Could you send me a picture of yourself?"

         "I don't know how to do that, but I'll will be on again. It was nice to meet you too. There are so many questions I still have. Do you have a lot of friends here?"

         "Yes I do. I'll talk to them and introduce you tomorrow. Take Care and have a great day."

          Jonathan arrived at 2:30. He had to pick up Darlene from school at 4:00 since she didn't drive. He took Oreo out and got something to drink. He let her back it and gave her an acknowledging pat on the head. She wanted to play, but Jonathan wanted to rest. He laid back on the recliner and while he nodded off, Oreo jumped on his lap and fell asleep. At 3:30, Jonathan woke up and started getting ready to leave. He looked at Oreo and her pleading liquid brown eyes wanted to go too. He picked her up and took her with him. In the car, she was happy. She was going to get Mom.

          As the months wore on, Oreo got to know more friends online, as well as, anticipating the birth of the new baby. Darlene and Jonathan found out that it was a boy, and he would be born shortly after the New Year. The name they chose was Marcus Andrew Preston. Darlene seemed to warm to Oreo. During the evenings, Oreo would lay on Darlene's stomach to "protect" her friend. As Darlene's due date approached, Oreo told Curly and her other friends that her home life was improving greatly.

         " Hi Curly. The baby will be born soon. Dad has been setting up the nursery and Mom seems to be more tired. The baby kicked me. I don't think he likes me."

          " Hi Oreo. This is Misty. I'm a girl Irish Setter. Babies do that. He may have heard your bark and wants to meet you very soon. If anything, he loves you."

          " I hope you're right, Misty. I'll find out in a few days. I'm glad I found all of you to talk to. Thanks for being my friend. Hopefully someday, I can meet you all in person."

          Three days after Oreo's last entry in the Chatterbox, Marcus Andrew Preston was born. He weighed in at a healthy 7lbs. 4oz. He was 20" long. He had brown hair, blue eyes and was very active. Darlene and Jonathan were overjoyed that he was fine. Darlene and Marcus stayed in the hospital for three days, since she had a c-section.

          January 23 was homecoming day. Both Jonathan and Darlene were apprehensive about Oreo's first meeting. When they arrived, Jonathan placed the carrier on the floor to remove his coat. He removed the blanket from Marcus. This was Oreo's first opportunity to see her new friend. As Darlene and Jonathan looked on, Oreo slowly crept up and nuzzled the cheek of the sleeping baby. Feeling her fur on his cheek awakened Marcus and he wailed. The sound of his cries startled and frightened Oreo. She immediately ran under the dining room table. When Jonathan tried to coax her out from under, she snapped at him. This made Darlene think that Oreo may have to be taken away.

          Oreo didn't want Jonathan and Darlene to know that she was on the computer. She had to wait two weeks until she could return to her friends. At that time, Darlene went back to school and Jonathan returned to work. They took Marcus to his grandmother's for the day.

         Oreo waited for an hour after the Prestons left. After she knew it was all clear, she started the computer and entered the Chatter Box.

         " Good Morning all. How is everyone?"

          "Hi Oreo. This is Curly. Long time, no hear from. Is Marcus there yet?"

         "Hi Curly. Yes he is and now I have bad news."

         "He's ok isn't he? What happened?

         "He is fine. What happened is that I snapped at Jonathan two weeks ago. Darlene, the mother, wants to get rid of me. She thinks I'll hurt the baby. I want him gone. He's messy, loud, and I sit in the corner all the time. I need some time."

         " Did you try to apologize to Jonathan or Darlene?"

         ' No, I didn't Every time I tried to get near them, they'd tell me to get away."

         " I am sorry to hear that. I wish there was a way I could give you a hug right now. Is it definite that you will be leaving?"

         "I guess so. Darlene told Jonathan that she wants me gone by tomorrow. I wish I could go back and fix it. I am so sad. Nobody wants me. I am a definite misfit."

          "You are not a misfit. You will always have friends here. We will all be thinking of you and wish you well."

         "Well, I can't talk anymore without crying. I'll have to leave. I'll also have to delete my account here. It was nice meeting and getting to know all of you. Have a nice life. My life will take me to the Animal Shelter tomorrow."

          After deleting the account, Oreo signed off the computer for the last time. She spent the rest of the day in her bed and did not even eat her food. When Jonathan and Darlene returned home, without Marcus, they took Oreo and deposited her at the shelter. She cried all the way. When she was released to the worker, she cowered and went to the back. Three days later, Jonathan called the shelter to find out about Oreo. He was informed that she was put to sleep due to biting a worker. He hung up the phone and balled.