"Old Joe" by The Nut

The Pop Chronicles II

“Old Joe”
By
The Nut

November 20, 2006



I’ll have to tell you about my Pop. He had a bull named Old Joe. Even though the bull was only four or five years old, he was still named “Old” Joe. He was red and white, huge, but gentle natured. He knew voice commands and words like “barn”, “hay”, “pond”, “in” and “out”. He was very special to my Pop. Pop would brush him down every night – not a common practice my any means. He was more or less considered a beloved, prized pet by my Pop

I was seventeen years old when my girlfriend gave me a six week old puppy. It was to be my responsibility to care for the puppy. Pop built a shelter for her. (Had to be a her – “I don’t want any male dogs running around here cocking their legs up on my tires.” I named her Honey.) The shelter was on the porch next to the house, and he put a blanket in it.

One Saturday, I set out driving to my cousins’ house to pick them up and go fishing. As soon as we were ready to set out for a day a fishing, I got a phone call from my mom. All she would say was that I needed to get home right away, that Honey had been killed, and that Pop was very upset. I raced the thirty minute drive back home as quickly as I could.

When I arrived back home, I was greeted by my Pop, in tears. He told me that he and Old Joe had killed Honey.

I came to find out that Pop was heading to the barn to let Old Joe out. Honey was following him. He had stopped about five times, trying to shoo Honey back to the house, but like any puppy, she was very playful and would run around. Honey had gotten around Pop without him seeing her, and had gotten into the barn through a hole before he had opened the door. As soon as Pop opened the barn door, he saw it…Old Joe, surely not even seeing her, stepped back onto Honey, killing her.

Now I had grown up on a farm, and was used to the life and death pattern of animals. I understood that it was an accident, and didn’t feel any ill feelings towards either Pop or Old Joe, but Pop was inconsolable. He had truly felt like it was his fault. It took me quite some time to calm him down and convince him otherwise. He was ready to put Old Joe, his prized bull, “in the freezer”, he was so upset about the situation.

He insisted that I call my girlfriend to see if she had any other puppies left. This normally would not have been allowed, because it was a long distance phone call. Unfortunately, she did not have any more.

I was offered any dog I wanted, from anywhere, at any price. It took me about a week to convince Pop that this was no place for a puppy, unless it were to be chained up, which we would not have been able to stand.

He would have went as far as paying $500 for a registered dog to make up for Honey, but I refused such a grandiose offer.

That’s how much I was loved by my Pop.