Once upon a time, Gus and Randall were heading to Shopper's Drug Mart on 16th and Cambie. As per their usual visits, Gus is secured to the bike rack between 16th and 17th street so that Randall can go inside and not find what he's looking for.
On this particular day, Randall finds what he's looking for, checks out with his merchandise, and heads for the door. Upon approaching Gus, there is a skinny man with drab clothing and a black stocking hat kneeling down beside Gus and hugging him. It is somewhat weird, but not uncommon for the handsome dog that he is to have women and men alike swooning over him as if he was known from a magazine.
The man sees Randall approaching and rises. He is happier than a school boy leaving his last day of class and off for summer fun. As Randall nears, he smells the odor of beer and notices the man can barely stand. Surely he was going to have an interesting conversation if he chose to have one.
"It looks like you found a friend. He makes friends all over the place," Randall says as he starts to untie Gus.
"Your dog saved my life... I mean it," he manages to mumble and he stabilizes himself. "I was on my way to commit suicide when I passed your dog and he made me so happy."
Randall was stunned because that was one of the few things he expected to hear from this man, seeing how he appeared happy and drunk at the same time. He had trouble finding the appropriate words to what to say next. Fortunately, the man continued speaking and spared Randall the task of answering such a statement.
"Do you have a cigarette?" he asked.
"No man, I don't right now. I'm sorry."
"Oh, that's ok. My name's Stacey."
Now that the man had a name, Randall felt it was easier to speak to him. "Are you around here often, Stacey?" he asked, honestly wanting to know.
"Yep! Everyone around here knows me. I like to think I'm also security." As he finished his sentence, he struck a pose similar to something you would see out of a Kung Fu movie and spread a wide grin across his stubbly face.
"Well, next time I'm here, I'll have a cigarette with your name on it," Randall replied. At this point, anything would probably be good for him.
Stacey then noticed the tattoo on Randall's right arm. "Oh! You're a brother like me!" He rolled up his left sleeve to reveal a tattoo that had been taken by time. It was hard to determine exactly what it was. "I have a tattoo shop," Stacey continued as he started to pull a business card from his pocket. Randall thought that he was going to give him the card for business, but instead showed him the front and put it back in his pocket. "I can't give you that one, it's the only one I have. You'll have to remember it," he finished.
There was a short silence and then Stacey continued, "Really man, your dog saved my life. I was on my was to kill myself and he saved my life." As he finished his statement, he gave Randall a hug and he complied. Stacey needed a hug right then.
"Do you want me to get you some help?" Randall asked. He didn't know whether that might anger him or not, but he may need it.
Stacey thought about it and hesitated, "No... not right yet."
"Well, alright then."
Randall and Stacey continued their conversation and found out that Stacey will be 54 on January 7th. Randall told him that you can't beat a winter birthday since he was exactly a month after. After a short while, Randall said that he should get going, but would be back from time to time to talk.
There was a last hug in which Stacey asked, "What's my name?"
Randall answered, "Well, Stacey, of course."
The widest grin approached Stacey's face as someone remembered who he was. Randall asked Stacey if he remember his name, but memory doesn't serve well while drunk. Randall told him that he would remember him when he saw him again and that he would bring Gus.
Surely he would remember Gus... the dog that saved his life.
The End.
This story depicts true events.
That's so awesome! Really, when you think about it, whose life wouldn't be saved by Gus?
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