Truth be told, my Merlin enchanted me from the very day I met him. It may sound like he was a handsome man. Or a great mentor. Truth is, Merlin was a great dane. Let me rephrase, he was a GREAT dane.
Let me start at the beginning. I was
already a single mom, with 3 cats and 2 dogs. Which for most people is an
elegant sufficiency of pet friends. Clearly not for me. I saw his face on
facebook, he was needing a new home as his owners were leaving the country. I fell
in love almost immediately and asked if I could meet him and see if my doggies
got on with him. So I headed off for a meet and greet. Thinking that this meant
I could walk away if it wasn’t a match, or we didn’t feel synergy.
Was I wrong. Merlin loved me, and I him,
and instead of being given any time to make my home ready for a giant-sized
dog, I was given him as a great big take away treat. I drove home, with this
monster on my back seat, staring at me in my rear-view mirror. I got home, and
he sauntered out from my car. He stared at the two other dogs, and decided that
he would stay. He clambered onto the couch, which I was too nervous to make him
disembark from, and so started my love affair with my Magician.
My daughter was away that weekend and came
back to find a large new addition that had taken a place in the family in her
absence, who weighed more than she did, and was taller than her without even
standing on his back paws. She couldn’t, however, resist, and was in love
before the day was through.
Merlin was adorned at Christmas time with
hats, he took the smaller dogs for piggy back rides, he fascinated all visitors
to my home, and captured the love of everybody who met him with his Eeyore eyes
and slobbery lips. When we took him walking in the afternoons, people couldn’t help
but tell us how beautiful he was, children couldn’t help but touch the big
puppy, and he loved every second of the attention he received.
He was very much a lap dog. Yes, he may have
weighed 75kgs, but in his eyes, he was as tiny as (by then) his 5 brothers and
sisters. He loved cuddles, and he loved to play, and even dance. He was a
multi-talented lad 😊
Although so many people loved him, Merlin chose
me. From the first day. I was his human, I was his family. He followed me to
the bathroom, where he would wait patiently outside the door for me to return. He
never ever left my side.
Last year, Merlin was not acting himself
during lockdown, and I panicked and thought maybe his tummy had turned. I got
him to the vet, and after various tests were run, it was discovered that my
Magician had cancer. Everywhere. His beautiful body was just riddled with it. The
vet told us it was too late for any kind of treatment and that our time with
him was very limited.
So I took my Prince home and we made him
comfortable. We laughed and we had fun. We made him special food every day. we
walked him until he showed us he couldn’t manage anymore.
I took photos of his beautiful face and his
paw, and had my very talented best friend design a beautiful tattoo of his face
in his paw, which he always used to put on my thigh, for the day he longer
could.
And one day, I noticed my shadow was
missing from my office. I went outside, and I saw him lying on the grass. And as
I saw his face, I knew he was telling me it was time. So I bundled that frail,
now very skinny body into my car, and drove him to the vet. Here we said our see
you laters. You see, I had received a very special message from a very clever
lady, that Merlin was going to be recruiting on the other side. He was going to
be finding perfect Forever Homes for other doggies. He was going to recruit the
families, and prepare the doggies, and be doing some very serious matchmaking
when he crossed over. And so when he did, I knew that he would still be with me
every day. As much as his very busy schedule would allow. He passed loving me
with all his heart, and me loving him with every piece of me.
I carry his paw on my thigh with so much
love. Its not nearly as heavy as it was when he was here in body, but the
imprint is in my heart until I get to hold him in my arms again.
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