Chester the Chihuahua

It was February 14th 2014, there I was staying with my grandmother after I graduated from military school and I had no real idea what it was like on my own, outside of school. I'd never even have my first job until about next month. My Aunt Nicole, Uncle Bobby and their three children (my cousins of course) needed a place to stay while they were renovating their home for renters in one and remodeling the other home after a bequeathal from Uncle Bobby's mother passed away. They brought along with them one cat and three dogs ( King Charlie a German Shepard and three Chihuahuas; Chester, Chloe and Jack .) to pair up with myself, my grandmother and her three cats( Mon Kitty, Chester the Cat and "Feral no name cat who would only let my grandma pet him" or Hissy). So basically a packed house for a little while until things settled for my Aunt and Uncle.

I had already had brief encounters and moments with Chester alone in particular. He would nibble thumb whenever I pet him, it freaked me out the first time around since Jack was the one who would bite my finger if I got too close so I assumed he had the same idea in mind when I would reach into his cage to set his food and pet him for reassurance. I naturally was the assigned family member in the home who would give all of these dogs walks until I eventually scored my job at Carl's Jr's as the overnight cook. King Charlie had to run to get his full workout in and one can definitely get their steps in running with him. Chloe needed to be walked alone because she wasn't feeling her best at the time. Jack was a different matter entirely since I would have to ask either my Aunt or Cousin Cam to reach into his cage and grab him for me. As for Chester, he just ran, ran as long as he could until he would have to stop and get his breath in. That was routine, even after I started my job it became the main routine eventually since my hours would become a little more regular and even for me to walk them all before work and after when I came back home in the mornings.

Chester and I got closer and closer as the days went by so much so that Jack became a little envious and started to treat me a little better when he noticed that I would let Chester out of his roommate situation with Chloe to sit next to me while I ate so I could share my meats with him ( from chicken to steak). As the day went by for Chester and I, it only got worse for Chloe. She was always a sweet dog and Chester was her ride or die roommate who would always be right by here side whenever they were let out to roam for their walk. Chloe began to slow down tremendously and the Vet visits became more frequent, prescription medications would be changed for her based on her side effects and adverse reactions. It didn't look good for her and my Aunt knew it. My cousin Cam was determined not to see it and mainly focused on how my relationship with Chester developed and my Aunt would join in as well from time to time with comments like "Oh, I never noticed how much you look like him." or " He's really a good dog, the best I ever had". It wasn't until much later down the line that I realized that it was all in their plan that I kept him anyway since we were getting along so well and their house was certainly getting overcrowded with animals. I hunkered down with my Aunt one night on my day off and asked her about how she got Chester. She regaled me with this story: I was going to the ASPCA to adopt a dog, since I knew that the little dogs I wanted were expensive as puppies, especially if they were purebred. So there I was walking down the line of all of these dogs in their cages going crazy until I got Chester's cage. He was sitting all quiet and staring directly at me and then he would turn and look to the door right next to his cage then back at me. I realized he was saying that he wanted to go outside! OH! my heart just melted a little bit and form there I had to have him! He's purebred chihuahua and everything checks out as far as his shots and everything. The only thing I would change about him is the licking. ( she says as I've now since picked him up into my lap and allowed him to turn my face into an ice cream cone.) Every time he would lick me I would get these bumps on my face. He's got a ton of saliva and nowhere else to really put it so he just finds people to lick. " He would do that! Everytime I would pick him up he would lick my forearm or hand individualizing each of my fingers as if I just had a fried chicken meal. I would then let him lick my face which to my slight surprise i did notice a slightt correlation between my face breaking out and him licking me. I didn't mind any of it one bit, because I felt loved by this little dog. Long since before I met him I had sworn off all tiny, chatty kathy dogs as demon spawn to the moments of peace the world rarely offers but it toook this little quiet dog who never barked unless prompted by the fact that he stayed in his cage for too long and he wanted out of it. Chester's favvorite spot is right on the tip of my nose, which would subsequently swell to the size of Super Mario, again I didn't mind. Chloe died and this favorite spot of his on this nose of mine was greeted with a very sad short lick after a all the tears had dried, the dirt had been dug in the backyard of my Uncle' mother's house and after he had time to process her passing alone in the cage since he was right next to her when she finally moved on with her quietly keeling over.

Eventually the other house was fully renovated and renters for the other were finally settled in the neighborhood of the other. It was time for my family to leave after all the drama and loss ensued. Chester had another moment of revelation to us all the two nights prior to my Aunt and Uncle's departure from the house. We were all enjoying Fantastic Mr. Fox that night and when it was time for bed Chester recoiled my Aunt and my cousin Cam to retreat under my chair and peered out at them both from beneath my protection. Usually around bedtime all animals were put in their respective cages to prevent the wandering around at night and the surprise that my grandmother would find on her bathroom floor whenever we would fail to let them out early enough when someone would forget to put them in their cage. I say "someone" because I know I had to be at work at a certain time and there was no way anyone could point a finger at me after all I walked them. This time around Chester rejected the routine and stuck to me like glue and with a chuckle my Aunt said, "well I'm glad he's got a good home to got to." With that said, I got to keep his leash, harness and the one sheet of paper with his shot records that I eventually lost but was equally relived to find that I could just ask his Vet for another copy. I may have not been there for him at the ASPCA but I make damn sure to give him the best home he has ever had. He's never been put in another cage since I got him and eventually no leash when I walk him, he's never really had a reason to leave my side since then even when I had to give him back to my Aunt when I went to college and I picked him up afterwards when I made sure I had a stable home for him to live in. He's been there for me when I was down and out after my little brother's passing although I think he just wanted to be walked when he needed it and not so much noticed that I would never move outside of eating, using the bathroom and taking out the trash whenever it got full or that tears would stream down my face whenever I would pet him thinking to myself that my little brother would never get to meet him. I saved this dog's life as much as he saved mine. I have never given him a reason to regret me claiming him since. He's got all the meat he could ever eat, the cuddles he would ever need and the freedom and permission to be as expressive as he wants to be.