For the Love of Hoss

By Ebrahim Bachari

FOR THE LOVE OF HOSS, although fiction, is based on the life of a real dog, as seen from his eyes. It will make you happy and it will make you sad. But most of all, it will show you love and loyalty. Due to many twists and turns in his life, Hoss has difficulty finding his forever home. Will he? Find out in his heart-warming story of the loving, loyal Hoss.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483577753

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Acknowledgments

One

It was the first day of winter, and the snow was gently falling. I was watching snowflakes through the window, dancing in the breeze as they were floating down from the sky. It is wonderful to see when the snow covers the ground, the roofs of the houses and the trees. Every year when it snows, Chris, my owner, would open the door and let me go playing in the snow. I would jump up and down with joy. Sometimes Chris would play in the snow with me. I really enjoyed that.

I turned my head to look into Chris’s room, hoping Chris would open the door for me to go playing in the snow. Chris had been sick for a few months and had stayed in bed. I couldn’t do anything to help him but to go and lie beside him in the bed to show him I loved him. He was a kind man and he loved me so much and took such good care of me. When I looked back on my life, my heart swells with love for Chris. Nobody ever loved me as much as he did. I had behaved the same all my life, but most of the others never loved me - just Chris, Richard’s mother and, of course, Dillon.

I really missed Dillon. Years ago, when I was just a few months old, I lived with Dillon and his family. I was little and playful, and sometimes got into mischief. Sometimes I got in trouble for chewing up socks or chasing Rosie the cat, but I thought I was playing. I didn’t know not to do those things.

I stayed in the yard where I had a wooden doghouse. Dillon came out to play with me every day. We played ball a lot. I loved to play ball. I had so much fun with Dillon.

My house sat under Dillon’s bedroom window. At night, especially cold nights, Dillon would open his window after his parents went to bed and let me in the window. I would jump up on my doghouse, put my front paws on the windowsill, and Dillon would reach out his little hands and pull me in. When I began to jump and play, Dillon would make me be quiet. He would get in trouble if his dad found me in the house. His dad did not like animals in the house, except for Rosie.

Rosie always got to stay in the house. I envied Rosie. Sometimes Rosie would come out of the house and play in the yard. She always acted like she was better than me because she lived in the house and had a nice bed and good food to eat. Many times Rosie would get into mischief and blame it on me, and I would be in trouble. I always wondered why Dillon’s family loved Rosie more than me, but I had Dillon, and I was happy.

Chris was coughing, making me forget the past. I ran to his room and sat beside him, just looking at him and wishing I could help him. He patted my head and said, Hoss, you are such a good boy. I got the blanket between my teeth and pulled it over him. He patted my head again, said, Thank you, Hoss, and went to sleep. I lay beside his bed for a very long time. But I was so worried I could not sleep. Was Chris going to die? What would happen to me if he died? I couldn’t imagine my life without Chris. If Chris died, I would be in the same position I was before, with no home and no one to care for me and no one I could love.

The snow had stopped. Chris had slept for a long time and gave me time to think. Thoughts of Dillon kept coming back to me.

Dillon’s dad was a very bad-tempered man. Dillon tried to stay away from him as much as possible. After school, he would stay in his room and play with his toys. Dillon’s mom was a very nice lady, but she did not argue with his dad either, so she could keep peace in the house. She would let me come in the house sometimes when her husband wasn’t home.

One day I was lying in the yard and Dillon came outside to play ball with me. I ran to him and jumped up on him and he gave me a big hug. We played ball until we both were tired and then he sat down on a log. I sat beside him and he talked to me.

Hoss, he said, "you