Have you ever known someone or something that was kind of smart and kind of dumb all at the same time? Well, that’s how I remember the dog that we had back in my early childhood. He was an English collie – black with a white ring around his neck. He was such a special dog; loving, loyal and devoted to my family.
We had been to visit my grandparents in Derby. As we left on Sunday afternoon we stopped by and visited some friends that lived a mile or so away from my grandparents. They took us outside to visit their dog that had a litter of beautiful puppies. They wanted us to have one if Daddy and Mama said it was okay. Of course we begged and begged. They talked it over and finally said we could have a male puppy but we had to take care of him and feed and water him. We picked out a male that I thought was the most beautiful puppy in the whole wide world. So off we go back to our home in Lumberton with him in a box. We told our parents he wouldn’t miss his Mama and brothers and sisters because we had a kitten to keep him company. We talked about names and of course we wanted to name him something like Rin Tin Tin but Daddy said we should keep it simple so he could easily learn what his name was. We decided on Blackey since he was mostly black and it was easy to say – “Here Blackey here”.
When we got home and introduced Blackey to our kitten named Kitty, they acted like natural born enemies. Kitty hissed and spit at him and then swatted at him with her claws. That poor puppy didn’t know what to do other than bark and jump around. We finally ending up fixing Blackey a bed on the porch and put an old teddy bear in there with him to keep him company. We knew our parents were not about to let us keep him inside with us because my Daddy did not believe in house dogs.
A few months later; however, I got a real surprise when I came around the house and walked up on Blackey and Kitty as they took a nap on the porch. He was asleep in his usual place and there lying on top of him was Kitty. She looked like she was using him for a pillow. After that it seemed like Blackey grew very protective of Kitty. Sometimes he even carried her around by the nape of her neck just like mother cats do with their kittens. Blackey was also very protective of my brothers and me. One day all of the kids in the neighborhood were playing in our front yard. The boys were having a wrestling match while the girls sat on the porch and cheered. My brother Mike and a boy from down the street were wrestling when all of a sudden they got mad and started fighting for real. Just as the other boy tried to pin Mike’s shoulders to the ground, Blackey jumped into the ring and grabbed that boy by the pants leg. He didn’t bite him, he just pulled him right off of Mike. That boy took off running for home like a swarm of bees was after him. When he got home his mother called the Police Dept. and told them Blackey had bit her son on the leg. And that’s the first time the Police Dept. came to our house about Blackey.
We didn’t know what was going on until the police car pulled up in the yard. Mama came outside and talked with him. She told him that Blackey did not bite the boy; that he only bit his pants leg. The officer said: “Lady, I’m just doing my job. I will tell you that if we get anymore reports about your dog, you’re gonna have to tie him or fence him in.” Whenever Daddy got home later that day, he did fix a place where Blackey could be tied. We all hoped that he wouldn’t have to be tied though because he was our buddy who went wherever we went around the neighborhood.
One thing that Blackey loved to do; however, was chase cars, trucks and bicycles. He seemed absolutely fascinated with those wheels going around. He’d bite at them like he was trying to catch them in his mouth. After school every day, this one particular boy started riding his bicycle home from school and he went right by our house. Blackey didn’t seem to like that little boy because he would kick at him. Mama finally started trying to tie Blackey up right before that boy was supposed to come by every day. One day, though, she didn’t get him tied up in time because she was talking on the phone. We were walking home from school ourselves and just before we reached home we saw Blackey run out after that boy’s bicycle.
By the time we got there the boy was hollering and kicking at Blackey as he bit at the back tire. When we went in the house and told Mama what happened she said she hoped Blackey wasn’t going to be in trouble again with the police. She told us to go outside and play and keep an eye out for a police car. Sure enough, about thirty minutes later we spotted a police car turning down our street. We ran in the house and told Mama. She told my oldest brother, Richard, to take Blackey and leave the neighborhood. When the officer came to the door he said he had gotten another call about our dog trying to bite someone so we were going to have to tie him up or put him in a fence. Mama told him we had a place fixed out back where we put him sometimes. He said he needed to see her tie him up before he could leave. Mama walked outside with him and she called and called Blackey but he just didn’t seem to be around. She told the officer Blackey must be off playing somewhere. The officer waited around a few minutes until he got another call on his radio. He told Mama to make sure she tied that dog whenever he came back and of course she assured him she would.
I can’t explain it, but Blackey never chased that boy again when he rode by our house. He also never chased another police car. He still chased every other bicycle, truck or car that came by our house. But if that little boy rode by, he no longer chased him. If a car went by that had the Lumberton Police Dept. emblem on it, he sat down in the yard and was as still as a statue. Like I said, kinda dumb and kinda smart, but always loved!!!
Azalea Bolton is co-author of “Just Passing Time Together,” author of “ Days of Yore” all of which can be purchased on Amazon or bought locally.