(TTSSC) Bobby was the man

Bobby was a soldier. Even though he never fought a war; even tough he never shot a bullet, he should have deserved a medal. He was a collateral damage; not a target that was meant to be hit on purpose. Yet his name, and his story, will remain in the mind of all as a lesson for those who try to follow his path. Challenge death, and you will die.

Claire had been living with him for ten years in a small apartment near Brockton in the suburbs of the big city. It was a filthy neighborhood, frequented by gangs, pimps and prostitutes; but since Bobby didn't have a job, that was the best they could afford. Claire worked as a waitress in a close by dinner. It was a dead end job, the customers were horrible to her, and the pay was #. Yet, she didn't want to find anything else. Life had just convinced her that somehow, this was the best she deserved.

Bobby was a deadbeat. Never had a job, never gone to school. There was only one thing he was good at; it was making her smile. He didn't have to do anything except being himself; that's how she felt about him. To Claire, Bobby was love, and nothing could take that away from her, not even their differences or what people thought about him.

Their nights were dull but they didn't mind. Claire liked the boring routine they had created at home. It wasn't exciting or even nice, but it was comfortable and it offered her peace of mind. At least it didn't scare her like novelty. She feared what she didn't know; in fact, she feared life. She feared what she couldn't see coming out of the corner.

Bobby wasn't like that. Bobby wasn't afraid of anything. Some said he didn't understand the world quite right, but Bobby embraced it like nobody else. Always happy, always ready to go. That could have been his motto. The backdrop was that he had absolutely no ambition. All he did was lying on the couch in front of the TV. People often told Claire to think about getting a real man, one with a good job, a good car, money, a nice house. But she didn't care. Bobby was her life.

On that fateful day, Claire had gotten out of work early and the two decided to go on for a walk before darkness came onto the town. Bobby often looked at the women who crossed his path, but Claire didn't mind about that; she didn't hold him on leash, he had his freedom too. The sun was setting and the cold breeze blew through his hair. It was the last instant that Claire remembered and cherished for the rest of her life. The latest memory of her favorite companion.

As the two reached the crossroad, Bobby saw another dog waiting on the opposite sidewalk. Before Claire could notice, Bobby was out in the street, and under the wheels of a black hybrid SUV. "Awwwww," that was the last sound Bobby made. And there he laid on the concrete like a furry pancake. The SUV had squeezed life out of him, and Claire's tears couldn't change anything about that now. A man in a suit came out of the car and tried to apologize, but nothing could stop Claire from crying. Bobby was her dog; Bobby was her love. Now Bobby was all flat, and in her heart it made a gap.

reply to post by townio


Great writting townio!! It was a sad story but well written. Good luck to you in the contest.

Best wishes, magantice

Now that was an interesting twist! Very sad about Bobby! -A Real Life Story, that portrays the inner real life of many human lives that seek the comfort of "routine" as opposed to challenging the "stereotyped" image of Jo Blow.
S&F.


[edit on 3-10-2009 by catalyst2466]

reply to post by townio


I didn't expect that Bobby was a dog. Very cool twist. I was thinking that this guy has it made man. No job and just has to be himself and his girl is so in love with him. S+F townio, good story.

Hehe thanks guys.
Well its true that until you realize who he really is, his life seems like perfection
Too bad he didn't have enough brains to understand SUVs are natural predators in the urban jungle.

It's a dog's life... or was. They are pure companionship for anyone wishing to find a devotion unequaled in any form.

An interesting twist and an untimely fate. My instinct tells me the story was written out of personal experience and that Bobby may have been a pet of your own. Perhaps I'm wrong, but the best writing always comes out of telling a story that relates to something in our own lives.

Boris, Pepper, Flower and Midnight... I hope you hear my call in the pet underworld