Hector

Mary had decided to go for a walk as it was turning out to be a bright sunny day. She needed the exercise and had gotten lazy over the holidays. Dressed up in her sheep skin coat, brown wool hat, gloves and scarf off Mary went. Mary decided to walk down by the river as it would be a beautiful sight.
She was absolutely right about that for the Detroit River was completely iced over. Any snowmobile would find it very appealing right now! However, Mary guessed that the Coast Guard located in close proximity would not permit anyone from using the river for any joy riding!
Mary loved her walk down by the water because she could look not only at the startling views of Boblo Island which displayed it's elegant homes proudly but at the many rich houses that dotted Dalhousie street where she travelled. Some of the older estates dated back to the 1800's. One that Mary truly loved was in need of repair and she hoped the town of Amherstburg did not allow the owner to let it deteriorate any further. Mary noted that many of the older properties were torn down after they were left uncared for, intentionally, so it seemed to her. This hit Mary as so strange since Amherstburg was a historical town and advertised it as such! It didn't make sense to Mary that the buildings that added to the historicity of the area were eradicated!
Mary was at the halfway mark in her walk when she met up with a woman walking a Jack Russell. Mary couldn't help but notice how good and obedient the dog was. It walked directly at the heels of the woman and after a courteous hello to Mary the dog continued walking in her place behind the woman.
The conversation that struck up between them revolved around this Jack Russell, who it turned out, was rescued from along some obscure country road! Mary shook her head as she realized what a blessed find this dog was. It was not only obedient but apparently seldom barked nor fought with other dogs. The woman didn't even use a leash with this calm little critter! How good it was!
Mary shook her head in amazement and told the woman, "that dog of yours, he's a gift from God, you know that, don't you?" Yes, chortled the owner. They parted ways at this point and as Mary travelled on alone she thought about a Jack Russell she once had. That dog was a dream come true. He had been evidence to Mary that God not only gives us dreams but can bring them to fruition.
Hector, that was his name, was a gift from God, too, Mary thought. Mary reflected back to Hector and the picture God had put in her head of this little guy. Though he did not yet exist on an earthly plane God had shown Mary what he would look like. In her mind's eye, God gave Mary a picture of Hector that included an all white body with a black spot over one eye and two fat chunky back legs. Mary could envision this little dog striding along like a little fat chubby pig.
Because God's visions to us come through human lenses they are not always perfect. Mary concluded from her picture of Hector that he must be a Bull Terrier. Everyone who had an ear listened for the next two years about Mary's "would be" dog. Friends and family bought her cards and figurines of this dog! The funny thing was when Hector finally arrived he was not a Bull Terrier at all.
Mary remembered with a smile the phone call that came from her mother. She was living in Fort Erie about 100 miles from Mary at the time, who lived in Toronto. Her mother was all excited and had news. "I got the dog you wanted, Mary", she said. Mary cried with the warmth in her heart as she thought back to the phone call.
Her mother had been out walking in the neighbourhood and someone had all these Jack Russell puppies for sale. Mary's mom had bought one. "But" said Mary, "that is not the dog I want" Now Mary had never heard of a Jack Russell and hadn't the foggiest idea of what one looked like. But because Mary had put a label to her vague vision of the dog God was going to give her she assumed that a Jack Russell could not be what she envisioned.
However, curiosity got the better of Mary and a week or so later she made the two hour trip up to Fort Erie to see her mom and her new dog "Dovey". Mary's eyes widened and her smile couldn't have been bigger when this adorable white puppie with the black spot over his eye came running at Mary and jumped up at her. It was love at first sight for the both of them.
Dovey, as her mother called him, spent the whole weekend with Mary, in and out of her arms, on the couch, outside - wherever she went. They were more in love than any man and woman could ever be.
Mary's heart that had gone flip flop at the sight of her vision come to life had to go back to Toronto without the dog. Why, you might ask? At the time Mary was married to someone who didn't like animals and who was very dominant in the house. Mary didn't want to ruffle his feathers! He had warned her he didn't want any dog and so for the next year Mary lived without Dovey/Hector.
But the story doesn't end there because Mary's mom eventually moved to Toronto - the next block over from Mary, in fact! Mary would go over almost every day to see her Hector and walk him and just love him up. Oh Mary wanted him so bad but she couldn't bring herself to get up enough courage to take him home. Her mother had been more than willing for Mary to take him as she knew how Mary loved Hector.
It was November of 1991 when it happened.
On the 12th of that month Mary's good friend Bobbie who worked for Mary in her store died. Bobbie was 56 years old. Mary was 38 at the time and 56 didn't seem so far away. Bobbie had walked into Mary's store one day looking for a job. Mary gave it to her. It was not too long before Bobbie and Mary had become quick friends. They enjoyed shopping for her store, working together, and eating all the great desserts and coffees that they sold in the tearoom; it was in an addition to her store.
After two years of this friendship Bobbie began to grow sicker each day that went by. She began to slow down as her arteries grew more clogged. Her specialist had suggested she have a bypass. Mary had encouraged Bobbie to get it done! Mary knew that Bobbie needed to do something. Finally, the date was set and Bobbie went in for her operation.
Bobbie never recovered. She remained in a comma after the operation for a month. Then she died. Mary had never lost anyone close before and when Bobbie died a part of her went with her. However, Mary learned a great lesson through this woman's loss. Bobbie, you see, had never lived up to her full potential.
She had a horrible marriage to a man that loved another. Bobbie was broken hearted but not brave enough to leave this man. So she lived with this indignity. Mary could only look back at Bobbie's life and see what wasn't that could have been if only Bobbie had gotten the courage up and left.
Mary looked at her own life and realized she wasn't living fully either. She was married to a man she was afraid of. She allowed that fear to prevent her from taking the gift that God and her mother offered her: Hector.
Mary smiled and remembered the day she decided to stand up to her fears and her ex-husband. Oddly, it was all melodramatic as her husband seemed indifferent to her taking the dog and caused no fuss what so ever. Mary could have kicked herself for not taking Hector earlier.
Mary laughed when she thought of the first night with her boy. She played with him all day and went to bed putting Hector in a bed she made for him beside her on the floor. At 4:30 in the morning Hector woke up and wanted out. Mary got up and took him out but when they went back in the house he was restless and wanted something. Mary wasn't sure what.
Mary walked Hector over to her mom's house at that early hour. She was up, as usual being older and past the stage of getting eight good hours of sleep.
Mary's mom had laughed when she saw the two of them coming in the door. Mary didn't think it was so funny because she felt a sense of hopelessness. Maybe she wasn't meant to have this dog after all. Maybe he was too use to her mom. However, her mother soon appeased her fears.
"Mary", her mom said, "Dovey is use to getting up with me. When he does get up I let him out and if I go back to bed he hops in with me. Take him back home with you. Watch tonight when you go to bed. If he gets you up take him out but put him in to bed with you when you come back inside."
Mary was all happy when she left and sure enough the next morning Hector was more than delighted to jump into bed with Mary and cozy up along side of her. After that, Hector never did sleep on the floor again. He was always beside her until he was too old to jump up and Mary had to pick him up and put him into bed next to her.
Mary turned sad at the thought of that last picture for Hector had to be put down in 2005. The love of her life was gone now. She had cared for him so.
What Mary realized back then when Hector came along and even now was that God does give us dreams and they can come true. With Hector it took Mary to play her part and be courageous enough to take hold of that dream! Mary smiled to herself and knew her dream of a home that would house the endeavour she foresaw was also a possiblity, just like Hector.
Mary was determined to do all that was necessary for this dream. She didn't want to have to wait the length of time she did to get her Hector, her gift from God ...and her mom. Hector was just a reminder this morning that dreams do come true. Mary smiled as she entered the house and took off her boots. She was home. This was the place her next dream would come to pass!