When Disney Died

This is a story about when someone- 2 someones- very special to me in my childhood years died.

 

When Disney Died

            “Girls,” my dad says to Lia and me, “Come upstairs.” As he turns to go, he adds,  “Come see Disney.” Lia and I stand there for a minute, giving each other sideways glances.

“I wonder what happened,” Lia commented.

“Yeah. Let’s go see,” I agreed. We raced up the stairs and around the corner into the living room.

“What happened?” Lia and I ask.

“I took Disney out for a ride in the Mustang. While we were driving, Disney just gave a sigh and put his head down.  When I opened his door to get him out, he wouldn’t move,” Dad told us. “Girls, Disney is dead.”

 

Dad surprised us by saying that last sentence. If he hadn’t added that, Lia and I would have just thought that Disney, our dog, was sick. No, he’s dead. I stood there with a confused expression on my face while my mind registered what my dad was saying. Disney is dead. Gone. No more playing with him. No more walking him and dealing with his slobber. I would miss his slobber. Our-my-first dog is gone.

 

 

Over dinner, we discussed how great Disney was and we all cried a little (a lot). We decided to have a funeral for Disney. Not a real, professional funeral, but a simple speech or something, laying Disney in a hole, covering him up, putting a gravestone and marigolds on top.

 

The next day, Mom and Dad told us that Disney died from cancer. They said that it started in his front left paw and spread into his spine before they could amputate his paw.  Lia and I didn’t fully understand, but we didn’t feel like asking what cancer is.

 

In the afternoon, Lia and I ran around the neighborhood asking people if they wanted to come to Disney’s makeshift funeral. 4 to 5 families were home and came to the funeral. We held the funeral in our backyard. We handed out candles and talked about how great Disney had been. We talked about how he got along with our cat, Henry, and us. Then my dad and mom placed Disney in the hole we dug earlier. Lia and I added his favorite toys, too. We put the dirt back over him and planted marigolds on top. We had gotten a mini-gravestone that we put by his head on top of the soil. It read “Disney: The Best Dog Ever.”

 

A few weeks later, when Lia and Mom were at a Girl Scout camp, Dad and I found Henry lying on the floor in the morning. Henry was dead, too. He was a good cat, not too good with children, but good with Disney. We held a funeral for him, too.

 

Lia and I learned that death is natural that summer. We were very sad, but we understood that it was their time to go. At least they were great pets. We figured that we were lucky to have had Disney and Henry as pets. 

Author's Note

This was a very sad time in my life and still a tearful memory. Therefore, I would prefer it if you don't correct me or make suggestions.

Reviews

[PyroKitty24]

I hate when animals die >.> It's such a sad thing. I also didn't even find any mistakes, just to let you know. Even if there was one, your excellent story telling abilities obviously made up for it.

[Maxine]

This made me cry. Very simple, yet potent.