Everyone Needs a Buddy

Everyone Needs A Buddy

By: Owen Detwiler

On one peaceful afternoon on
the corner of Redwood and
Oak I was walking my dog,
Buddy. I had been with him
almost all my life, ever since my
parents surprised me with him
for my second birthday. I had
noticed he started limping and
thought he had stepped on
something. So I then just decided
to take him home so he could
rest.

On a usual summer day, we always came home
and had supper with the whole family, even
with Buddy as he was always lurking around
under the table for extra crumbs. Then we would
play tug of war with Buddy and make sure he was
ready for bed. Today was different. We had food
as a family,
but Buddy was sitting in his bed in the corner. After
dinner, Buddy refused to play and fell straight to
bed.

After supper, my parents tucked me in bed. I was still thinking about Buddy
and how strange he was acting that day. After about 5 minutes or so, I was
dead asleep.

Everyday I wake up to see Buddy jumping on
top of me and licking me. Today, nothing. I was
starting to get worried. I hopped out of bed
and went downstairs and saw Buddy in my
Mom’s arms. She said, “Come on, we’re getting
in the car and going to the Vet. It then hit me
like a wave. “Mom...Is Buddy gone?” She then
gave me a soft look and a nod. I thought to
myself, “This can’t be happening, This can’t be
happening.” I was sobbing the whole car ride.

When we got home from the animal hospital
I immediately stormed into my room, slammed the
door and cried in my pillow. I was so sad, so
terribly sad that I was mad. I was screaming into
my pillow and threw it across my room. I was so worn
out that I just collapsed in my bed right then and there
and took a long nap.

When I was laying on my bed I was thinking about how we could have
prevented Buddy’s death. “If only we had noticed this earlier, maybe we could
have helped him before it was too late”, I thought to myself. “If only”, I thought,
“If only”

I spent most of the next few days in my room with my door shut. I refused
to go downstairs except to grab food and come back upstairs. I was always
upset and sad. I just wished and wished that I could have another Buddy sitting
right there with me.

I finally decided to open the door to my room and go downstairs. I had to
move on, Buddy was gone now, and I had to accept that. This was the first
day in about a whole week that I had gone downstairs for anything besides
food. I don’t even know why, I just decided to move on.

Right as I was walking down the stairs, my mom said, “Come on, I have a
surprise for you. So, I followed her to the car. I had originally thought that
she was just going to an ice cream parlor as something to do because I hadn’t
been out of the house in weeks. But no, she pulled up at an open field and
found my dad there standing with a box in his hands.

I was curious at first, then my mom had told me to go and open it. As I was
opening it I had felt movement inside the box. When I had finally opened it, I had
been happier than I had ever felt before. Inside was a brand new puppy who
looked just like Buddy. He bolted around the grassy field and gave licks and
hugs. I was so excited. “What are you going to name him?” my mom asked” “I
think Pal is a good name. Yeah Pal, I like the sound of that”

The
End

Authors Note

The inspiration for this book is the 5 stages of grief. In our life we all lose at least a
couple special people, relationships or things that we cares or love for. This book’s
purpose is to help teach young readers on what might happen when we lose
someone special. And to remind them that no matter the loss to always remember
to try to stay positive.