My mom, Tanya is a very kind, thoughtful, generous, and caring person. How do I know? Well, she takes my big sister, Sambuca, and I on dog walks around the neighbourhood, at Shubie Park and even to the beach. She buys us the coolest dog toys, get us dog treats and healthy dog bones. She makes us special breakfast meals that include scrambled eggs and blueberries, as well as cooks up batches of mincemeat with carrots and peas to add to our dry food for dinner.
She’s the best mom anyone could ask for!
To me, she is AWESOME!
Now, when I met her, she was single. It’s always been Three Peas in a Pod as Tanya tells Sambuca and me. I am not sure what she means and neither does Sambuca. I vaguely recall when we were at the Sackville Farmers Market (New Brunswick) one Saturday morning. This is a fun place where we get to meet people and Tanya gets fresh vegetables and fruit and treats for herself and sometimes for us. On one outing, she treated herself to a necklace.
“This is so pretty.” She exclaimed to the vendor. “It’s Three Peas in a Pod.”
“Yes, each pea is a tiny diamond, and you have the hanging pod on the chain as well.” The woman behind the table explained.
“Sambuca! Appy! This is us!” Tanya exclaimed.
It’s beautiful, mamma said Sambuca.
Can I eat that mom? Was more my reaction.
Tanya lets go of our leashes and steps on them. Guess that means I cannot go exploring on my own.
“There. Do you see it?” she asks us. She had placed it around her neck.
Lovely, my big sis tells her.
Hmmm maybe I can taste that shinny thing later.
We were Three Peas in a Pod for a while and then Tanya met someone. Her name was Sabrina and she lived in another town. Sometimes we would go to her house. It involved packing up the car after Tanya finished working on a Friday and going on a long drive. We would stay over and drive back home Sunday morning.
Now Sabrina had a dog, and his name was Jack. He was a little older than me and honestly, he kind of got on my nerves.
When I got into trouble, Tanya would refer to me as a bad girl. But this dude was always bad.
Sambuca knew how to manage him. He would try to lie down close to her and she would growl. He would get up and go to another area. I was like, yeah that’s right mister. It took me six months before I would do that, and you think you can just randomly try that move? Are all males this pushy?
When Sabrina and Jack would come visit us at our home, he was a very, very, very bad boy. He would pee when Tanya and Sabrina left all three of us alone. He even peed inside his own house. Like gross man.
He peed on our floors. Then one time, he peed on the baseboards.
The last straw for my mom, was when they came home and he peed on Sambuca’s favourite dog bed. Like what the frig man? That’s my big sister’s bed. He sure lived up to his name that time and was a jackass.
It didn’t matter if they were gone for one hour or five hours, there was always pee to clean up.
Sometimes we would all go together on a walk at the beach in Sabrina’s town. Jack would always try to steal Sambuca’s ball and he even tried to take my Frisbee. I was like, hey doesn’t your mom buy you your own stuff to play with? She did. But he wanted what we had.
So annoying.
Sleeping arrangements were a challenge too. Jack would take up a lot of space in the bed and then could not be moved. He snapped at Tanya when she tried to pick him up. Tanya barely had room and was hanging off the edge. She encouraged Sabrina to try, and he bit her.
Geez. Sambuca and I would never even think of doing such a thing.
I learnt as soon as Tanya got me as a puppy that I should never bite anyone, human or fellow pup, unless it is in self-defense. Even when I started playfully biting Tanya on the hand, she would immediately correct me. “Gentle Appy. We never bite the hand that feeds us.”
Got it. These hands are my food source. No biting. Ever.
Tanya would say, “Kisses, give mommy kisses instead.” And that’s what I would do. I would lick her hands or give very gentle nibs.
And if my mom, asks me to move, I move. Maybe not immediately but she can definitely pick me up any time or give me a little nudge to make room for her or Sambuca on the bed or couch.
Both Sambuca and I know our place because Tanya reminds us.
Oh, did I mention that my mom is not only caring, thoughtful and wonderful, but she’s smart too.
She tells us sometimes if either of us starts getting sassy, “I’m number one, then it’s Sambuca and then Appy.”
“I am number one, Sambuca is 1a) and Appy, you are 1b).” she continues.
It took me a while, but I figured it out. Tanya is da boss. At all times. We listen to her. Then second in command is Sambuca. Then finally, it’s me.
So, to us, Jack is fourth. Tanya did her best to help train him but at the end of the day, his master was Sabrina and it had to come from her.
I will never forget one particular weekend when we were staying over. We were visiting friends of Sabrina’s. It was a short drive to their place.
Sambuca and I were lying together on the couch, with Jack not far away on a chair.
Voices were being raised in the kitchen and my ears went up. Sambuca was on high alert too.
Suddenly, Tanya storms into the living room. “C’mon girls, we are leaving.” Sabrina is following her as is Jack.
Sounds good to us, chimes Sambuca and I together.
We get to Sabrina’s house. Sabrina is talking weird and slurring her words. Tanya and her are going up the stairs to her bedroom and all three four legged ones follow.
Sambuca is scared and goes underneath the bed.
OMG. What is happening? Me don’t understand. I lie down and make eye contact with my big sis. Are you okay? Why are you there?
Tanya bends down, “Sambuca, Sambuca, it’s okay. Please come out, my girl.”
Next thing I know, Sabina kicks Tanya in the butt. Tanya begs, “Sweet Pea, we gotta go. Now.”
There was something in her voice that was ominous.
I look at Sambuca. I look at Tanya. Me scared.
I’m not sure what to do.
Sambuca crawls out and Tanya grabs her and her overnight bag. “Appy, follow me!” And we run down the stairs.
“Where do you think you are going?” Sabrina shouts and is close behind.
Tanya puts Sambuca on the floor by the back door. “Stay girls.” She tells us.
“We are not sleeping here tonight.” Tanya states. She grabs the door handle.
“Oh yeah, says who?” And in one swift move Sabrina shoves Tanya against the wall and has her hand on her neck.
OMG. OMG. Help. Help. HELP. I turn to my big sis. What do we do?
Sambuca’s eyes open wide, we bark. And so that’s what we start doing. She uses a much louder bark than normal. Like stop that! Stop hurting our mom. I use all ten pounds of me and run into Sabrina’s leg and muscle up the loudest bark I can, LET MY MOMMA GO, B – – – – !
This distracts Sabrina for a few seconds and Tanya pushes her away. Tanya opens the door, grabs her bag and says, “Let’s go girls. NOW!”
It’s pouring rain now. When did it start raining? Doesn’t matter. The three of us run to Tanya’s car. We are all soaking wet.
Tanya is crying. We are shivering from the turn of events and the cold wet drops. We hear the car start.
It’s so dark out and late. I can tell. How are we going to get home, I wonder.
Sambuca, right on queue, read my mind. Don’t worry kid. Tanya will get us home safe. However, we need to be strong for her, okay Appy?
I nod my head. I’m not sure what she means.
The car stops at a red light. Tanya takes a deep breath. She wipes her eyes and blows her nose. This is serious.
“I’m okay girls.” She turns around and makes eye contact with each of us. She gives us a fake smile.
“We are safe now. It’s very dark and late but I will get us home. The drive will be a little longer than normal in the rain, but we are in no hurry. Does that sound good to you?”
What is happening? I turn to Sambuca.
I think we are going back to being just the three of us again, she explains.
You mean, Three Peas in a Pod? I ask.
Sambuca nods her head and settles into a comfortable spot in her dog bed.
Ahhh, okay, now I know it’s meaning. I lie down too. Yawn.
Three Peas in A Pod: Tanya, Sambuca & me.
Resources:
In Nova Scotia: Neighbours, Friends and Families (Abuse and Violence Support Line): 1-855-225-0220 (toll-free, 24/7)
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