The bond between a man and his dog is a peculiar thing. Almost as peculiar as the old man who lived at the end of the street. Almost as peculiar as his way with the all his neighbors, his way with stray animals, and his way with the plants that crowded his front yard, and the way his presence brightened the entire neighborhood - well, almost the entire neighborhood.

It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon when he walked out of the store like he did every week after picking up supplies he needed to maintain those plants in his yard. He heard an unfamiliar yapping as he was about to cross the street. In a flash of brown fur and a rapidly wagging tail, the man was just able to make out the figure of a dog before realizing that it was heading straight into his occupied arms. The excited collie bounded up and the bags of groceries were abandoned to support the puppy’s weight.

He observed the young, chirpy dog and was briefly blinded by it’s bright, contagious demeanor. A grin broke across his kind, gentle features.  

“Aren’t you a ball of sunshine?” Settling down onto the curb, he pulled out a handful of carrots from his spilled groceries and held them out to the eager puppy.

“Easy now. They may be marked organic, but who knows the kind of stuff they put in store bought produce.” He stated, eyeing the carrots with suspicion. “I’m quite picky with what I eat. That’s why I grow my own vegetables! I do pride myself in my prudence with food choices.  I wish I could have brought you my homegrown, 100% organic carrots, but I suppose we don’t all get what we want.” The man spaced out at the cement, seemingly deep in contemplation. The collie nudged him and he jerked to attention. “Oh, my apologies! I seem to be rambling on again,” he laughed and the dog’s tail began wagging faster. “And spacing out! Wow, I really am on an old person roll!”

“There is some gardening I must get done today, but it’s hard work. Would you like to help me?” The dog yipped with approval, and the man was about ready to lead the dog to his humble, little patch of happiness before realizing the collar hung around the dog’s neck. His expression visibly deflated, and the poor puppy could almost feel his disappointment.

“No, I suppose not. You have your owner to look after you rather than some old vegetable gardener.” After some time wallowing in dejection, he began to gather his things. The dog whined, tugging at the sleeve of his soft, plaid shirt,  tongue lolling to the side in objection. The man looked back with an equally dejected expression.

“I too have grown quite fond of you in the short time we’ve had together. But I’m afraid I can’t take you home. Your owner might decide to run his big, fancy car over my poor, innocent vegetables.” The puppy whined with sympathy, and he responded with an exaggerated countenance.

“I absolutely know! I have importuned him time and time again to not stomp all over my garden, but he’ll never listen to me,” he grumbled in defeat. All of a sudden, his eyes lit up with mischief.

“Or maybe I should sweep you away! That’ll show him to never trample my tomatoes again.” He chuckled and the puppy responded ardently, with a lick to his face. “But I’m not one to believe in retribution.” The old man stroked the puppy’s ear and gently placed him down.

“Go on now!” he gestured fondly for the dog to return to his owner. “You have much to experience, young one. Don’t waste your time on a poor old man like me.” The puppy tilted his head in confusion. It didn’t look like he was going anywhere.

“Go on! We haven’t got all day,” He grinned and stood up. Across the street, there was a fuming man stood outside of his luxury car parked outside his beautiful two-story house, about to explode in his meticulously tailored suit. He called the dog’s name, along with a string of other commands, gesticulating furiously for the dog to go to him. Upon the sight of the wound-up, red-faced man, the dog slowly trudged over, tail decidedly lowered and a quiet snarl coming from him.

Tuesdays passed, and Wednesdays and Thursdays. Every day, the dog was there by the old man’s side, adding a sense of comfort to his life, and the old man didn’t know it but he was a comfort for that dog too. One winter morning the old man took note of the newest addition to his quaint neighborhood, loud and unpleasant moving vans, and the red-faced owner of the dog filling it to the brim with his meretricious possessions.

“I suppose your owner is moving away soon,” The old man said as the sunset, and he scratched the dog’s head as he snacked on some carrots. He didn’t look to understand what was happening, seemingly content in his home away from home. But when his owner came home from work in the afternoon, the dog stayed by the old man’s side for longer than usual.

That night the man couldn’t sleep and rose as soon as he heard the rumble of the trucks across the street. It was a Tuesday. The sun had barely risen, but he walked outside to watch the vans begin to roll away, and the last vehicle left was a pickup truck in which the dog was sitting. While his owner was inside, the old man grabbed some freshly picked carrots and snuck over to the back of the truck.

“This is goodbye, my friend,” the old man said, setting down the bundle of carrots in the truck bed and giving the dog a pat on the head. The dog seemed anxious and didn’t immediately scarf down the carrots like he normally would. “Thanks for all your help.”

The man hurried back to his front yard and watched the truck start up and leave the driveway. As the truck got farther down the street, the man heard the dog bark in panic. Leaning on his mailbox, he waved to the dog as the truck turned the corner. The cries wouldn’t stop, even though they were fading away. He felt a prickle of tears and turned back to his house. Slowly, he walked up the steps and looked around stare at his vegetable garden. Their once-bright green glow seemed duller, the vibrant flowers seemed to have lost their vividity. Nothing was quite the same.

The man was snapped out of his melancholy when his usual alarm sounded off to wake him up. He hurried to shut off the sound, to seek a quiet and calm repose when another noise caught his attention. It was the barking again... but it coming closer. He whirled around to see the dog racing down the street. It seemed he had absconded from the back of the truck, and he dashed across the plants, trampling them slightly. Just like that one Tuesday afternoon, he leaped into the old man’s arms and began to fervently lick his face. Immediately, the man’s mood was exalted, he gathered all the strength in his body to lift the dog, smiling and laughing as it yipped happily.

“You’ve trampled all over the herbs, you little troublemaker,” He laughed and the dog licked away the tears that were just beginning to roll down his cheeks. The dog barked excitedly, and his new owner knew he would grant the dog impunity. They were going to spend a great life together, a man and his dog.