mugsy

A rough carved cross marked the spot where wild blueberries grew abundant upon the mulch of bouquets placed there years ago by a heartbroken boy. The cross, now crooked from the winds of many winters seemed out of place upon this rural Nova Scotia hill, and so too were the dreams and love interred in the grave below.
It started years before with a birthday gift for young Muggsy Beerstein. The Beerstein family was very poor; consequently Muggsy and his siblings did without many things.  However one thing they did not do without was a good imagination, and as their Father (Lauger) was fond of saying “If you don’t have a good imagination then you can’t see a future for yourself in this world.” And so on Muggsie’s ninth birthday his Dad gave him a dog. Not a real dog of coarse, but an imaginary dog. As Lauger handed the homemade leash and collar to little Muggsy, the boy’s eyes welled up with tears of joy. In his minds eye he could see the spirited young lab-Shepard cross, dancing around on the mud floor of their lean-to, tongue rolling, big brown eyes aglitter, and a smile of pride on his Fathers face (because of his sons joy but also in knowing it would cost nothing to feed the little mongrel.).
The years went by quickly and Herman (the name he chose in honor of his great Grandfather on his half Sister’s side) grew into a fine handsome animal. Muggsy spent most of his time with the dog, roaming the rocky hills and beaches of his Nova Scotia home. He even took him to school where Herman would lie very inconspicuous under Muggsie’s desk, never making a sound or fuss, nor for that matter, even being noticed by the other students or his teacher, Mrs. Funtwistle, who by nature was a strict disciplinarian.
Sadly one day Muggsy awoke to find his dog missing. The wrinkled potato sack where he slept was vacant, his food untouched. He searched everywhere for Herman. The beaches and hills where they’d roamed, all the places they had ever been. The neighbors said they had never seen him; his family had no knowledge of Herman’s whereabouts either. No one was any help whatever. Muggsy was in despair, then two days later upon a nearby hillside he found the crumpled body of his only true friend. Through tear glazed eyes he could plainly see the unmistakable gore marks of a pink unicorn, his Sisters birthday gift from the previous year………….