Kenni Chesney, Chapter One

October, 2007
I decided I couldn't live without a puppy of my own. I have had dogs before, but not for years, and it was about time. So, I began searching for animal shelters and places like this because I wanted to rescue a dog that needed my help. I didn't care what color or breed or anything like that. I was looking for one that wouldn't get too large because he or she will have to stay with my dad in his apartment until I can eventually talk my brother-in-law into letting me keep him or her at home. Dad was the one who, after me mentioning I really wanted a dog, said I could keep one at his place. So I searched everywhere, even tried Craig's list, but no success. I discovered an animal shelter about a mile from my home, so I tried there. They had free adoptions, so I thought, great! But the lady who was running the place didn't have dogs at the moment, but she would be glad to give me a call if she got any.
I waited. Weeks. A month. No calls. I tried calling, but no one ever seemed to be there. Tried stopping in again, but it was appointment only, and calling wasn't getting me anywhere. Apparently this woman was in no hurry to find good homes for the dogs I sometimes saw in the fenced area outside the shelter as I'd drive by.
Soon, Christmas was over, a new year began. I kept searching, but no one had dogs to give away. There are always strays when nobody's looking, but when someone is looking, dogs somehow manage to become scarce.
With the holidays over, I was pretty broke, to the point my mom sent me fifty dollars to help with groceries. My sister was on the road, the house to myself. I was going to Wal-mart with my dad, we were both out of food. Wouldn't you know it, an old, beat up car sat near the end of the parking lot, sign in the window that said puppies for sale.
"Puppies!" I point my car in that direction, completely ecstatic. "We have to look, dad!"
The man was selling them for fifty dollars, exactly what I had in my pocket. There were four of them, tiny, little furballs in a box. I wanted to take them all, especially since the car and man selling the puppies seemed pretty shady. And a tad smelly. I knew I had to save one of these puppies.
"Dad, what do you think?"
"How big will they get?" dad asks.
"Not too big. They are part Cocker Spaniel and Box Terrior. The mom is only this big." He indicated with his hand somewhere near the middle of my calf. I wasn't certain if the puppies were really a mix of the breeds he'd said, but I didn't care. They were all black with some brown, a few had white. I saw my future in that brown, cardboard box.
"Da." As I call my dad.
"If you want one." He didn't sound thrilled about this, but I had waited long enough. Who needs food to eat? I could go without bread, milk, breakfast, lunch, and dinner until my next paycheck. I wanted a puppy.
"I'll take one."
"There are two girls and two boys," the shady man points out which are which. I want a boy dog. Some reason, I always go with the male gender. My cat is a boy, I want a boy dog. But, since he would be living with dad, I felt I should at least ask him which he preferred.
"Boy or girl, dad?"
"Get a girl."
I should have known. But, I agreed. I was just happy to finally be getting a puppy. I pick one of the girls up and hold her close, bonding.
"I figure this one," Shady pointed to the girl still in the box, "will go first because she has the white on her paws."
"I'll take this one," I said, gesturing to the one I held. I don't like doing what is expected, and since he "figured" the other would get chosen first, I chose the one he didn't think would get picked first. I like to purposely do the opposite of what people say. Stubborn? Hell yes.
I gave him the cash, holding the puppy against my neck, nuzzling her soft, baby fur with my cheek. I am so far in love with her already, it's insane. I get in my car and reluctantly hand her to dad so I can drive. I steer us into a space.
"Maybe I should stay in the car with her while you get what you need," I tell dad. Then I realize I need to buy puppy food, puppy potty pads, food dishes, treats, puppy shampoo- she was too young to bathe, but she smelled like a dumpster. Shady had said she was born around December 15, so I marked that in my phone as her birthday, deciding I would throw her a party each year.
"She should be fine in the car for a few minutes." Dad reassures me, but I am teriffied. It was cold, still winter, and she was only a baby. But, I did need to go inside the store. So, fast as I could, I ran through Wal-mart, throwing puppy items in my cart, wondering how much money was actually in my bank account. I snatched up a loaf of bread. Mayonnaise sandwiches for a week it was going to be.
"What am I going to name her?" I asked, climbing into the car, shivering from the cold.
"You'll think of something."
"Something that makes you think of summer," I muttered. My heater didn't work... Still doesn't work.
"Summer?" Dad suggests. No way. Makes me think of the show Baywatch.
"Maybe I'll call her beach ball," I joke. "Come here, Beachy."
At my dad's apartment, I cuddled with her on the couch. She played for a few minutes, then got sleepy and curled on the floor, resting her head on my foot as she takes a nap.
"Sandy, Aqua, Shovel, Sunshine..." I went through all the summertime words I could think of. "Kenny Chesney," I laughed. "Because his songs and videos are always about the ocean or the beach and summertime." But I was only joking. I talked to my brother on the phone, excited to share the news of my new puppy with him.
"I can't come up with a good summer name for her. It has to make you think of summertime. Any ideas?" I asked him.
"Summer," he said. Grr. "Kenny Chesney."
"Laugh out loud, that's what I said!" Funny, he thought of the country singer like I did. I decided it must be fate, so I named her Kenni Chesney. With an i because she's a girl. I wasn't 100% settled on the name, but I figured it could work until I think of something better.
I never did.