I have two but my focus has been on Gigi. Gastone is fine and Gastone bit Gigi, so Gastone will have less focus, for now.
The bite became infected and the surgery was wicked, with stitches. Gigi’s on the mend and he’s started to follow me around. Normally this would irritate me, periodically, as he gets literally, underfoot, but now – it makes me happier than I’ve ever been. There are no words tho joy comes close.
The incident inspired me to read a short story by Chekhov called “The lady with the Dog”. The story’s about two people having an affair, nothing about a dog, and I did appreciate the diversion.
For the past week all I ever seem to think about is Gigi -when I’m not writing or cooking or cleaning – my glance always lands on him, wondering, is he breathing right, seems too fast, what do I do about the tiny bit of liquid coming out of the wound, can’t touch it, can’t cycle by the vet and ask yet another question, or can i? did i use the right bandage, is the bandage too tight, or too loose, I can’t possibly sleep lest he scratch it, must keep one eye open…..right…. now that he doesn’t need the bandage anymore, I’ll take him shopping in the basket just in case he starts scratching…oh, I think he’s better, he’s following me around today…joy…as so it goes.
Anyway, the short story is fantastic, and can be interpreted in many ways. Nabokov said, “all the traditional rules…have been broken in this wonderful short story…no problem, no regular climax, no point at the end. And it is one of the greatest shortest stories even written.”
