The Lady And Tramp

The Lady And Tramp

There was a family that lived in a tiny white house at the end of the block. The Lady of the house's name was Anita. She had a deep grumbly voice that sounded soooo meeeean. But she wasn't. She had a heart of gold and loved all the children that would come to play with her little boy named Tommy. All the neighborhood children loved to come and play in Tommy's yard with him because it was at the end of the street where the woods were. They could play hide and seek and build tree forts. But the children had the most fun playing with Tommy's Golden Retriever named Tramp. Anita named him Tramp because he was so big, and with his blockhead and slow moves he reminded her of a homeless man she knew when she was a child. She adored the man and would always bring him a banana and cookies. But one day the tramp was never seen again and it broke Anita's heart. So in remembrance, Anita called her Golden Retriever Tramp.

One day while the children were playing hide and seek, little Bobby from across the street got lost in the woods. All the children hunted for him so hard that just when they were about to run and tell Anita, little Bobby popped his head up and said here I am.

Anita would always bake cookies for all the kids and have them take a break and come sit at the picnic table to eat them. Anita would always keep track of all the kids. If one was missing that day, she would ask where he was. If one was missing that she knew was in the yard with Tommy, she would also want to know where he was. Anita was very careful to make sure nothing happened in her yard that would put her in bad standings with the neighbors.

Many neighbors would even fix their yards all up to attract all the children but it just wouldn't work. All the children loved Anita and wanted to be with her, Tommy and Tramp

Tramp was there best friend. They would all take turns greeting Tramp when they first got to Tommy's house. Tramp loved it when each kid would take their turn giving him a big squeeeeeezy hug. He loved them back too. He would run beside them when chasing a frisbee. He would run around the bases with them when playing ball. It was one big happy group of children and one big lovable dog. With a guardian that would oversee their every move and make sure they were safe when at her house, Anita.

But then... One day while the children were playing hide and seek. Bobby was nowhere to be found. All the other children thought he was fooling around again and would pop his head up again. But that did not happen this time. And the other children got worried and ran fast to tell Anita. The first thing Anita would do is run to the telephone to call the police and then the parents. She had been given all their numbers a long time ago.

And then she did what else she knew needed to be done. Tramp was napping in the living room but was standing at attention when Anita got to him. She bent over and looked him in the eyes and told him to go find Bobby. "Bobby is lost in the woods, Tramp, go find him." Tramp went rigged and ran. He ran and pushed the screen door open and dashed into the woods.

Anita watched Tramp make a grid pattern searching for Bobby as she was heading into the woods her self. She instructed the rest of the children to stay put and do not move. And just as we heard the sirens from the police and Bobby's parents were running across the front yard. Tramp had already found Bobby and was standing over him. Tramp let out three barks to let them all know that he had found little Bobby. That was the day we found out that Bobby was sick.

The children still played at Tommy's house but could not forget Bobby. Bobby's parents were very sad all the time. Bobby had passed out in the woods that day from health problems related to a bone disease. All the kids would go to Bobby's house to visit him and occasionally Bobby could come out and play for a short while. He missed Anita's cookies and playing hide and seek. When he could come over to Tommy's house, Tramp would sit or stand beside Bobby the whole time. Tramp knew how sick Bobby was.

But Bobby could never stay out too long and his mom would come to get him. The children did not know or even understand how sick Bobby was. They were only told he was really sick and that he will be better soon. They were never told that he could die from whatever it was he had. But Tramp knew it. Tramp has been seen going over to Bobby's house all on his own many times as the weeks passed. Tramp seemed better than human to everybody that knew him.

The children kept asking for Bobby. They would ask Anita, they would ask Bobby's mom. They were told he may be able to come out and play someday soon we hope. But Tramp knew better. Then one day, Tommy had overheard his mom talking to Bobby's mom on the phone. And Tommy's mom was crying. Why is she crying Tommy wondered? Anita is always so happy and loving. What could be making her so sad? And then Tommy overhears that they can not find a bone marrow donner for Bobby and that Bobby will die without the bone marrow transplant. When Anita hangs up the phone Tommy asks his mom what is a bone marrow transplant and why does Bobby need it?

Anita explained the best she could. Anita tried so hard to tell her son without crying for the little boy across the street. Anita has known Bobby since the day he was born. Tommy then started to cry. "Mom, I don't want Bobby to die, is there anything we can do to help?" Anita allows her self to gain her composure and tell Tommy how life is and the way the Lord works. And that we all have a time when we must go.

Tommy was determined to do all he could. He spilled the beans to all his friends. Every kid that would come to the yard to play knew what Bobby needed to live. And they all reached out, posting fliers and doing whatever they could as 8-year-olds. They wanted to help find a donor for Bobby. Nothing seemed to be working. They just didn't have a way to reach people that may consider being a donor. Anita could tell how hard the children were taking this and they did not quite understand the seriousness of even being a donor.

So Anita asked all the parents, including Bobby's for permission to talk to all the children and explain. Anita was told she could. So... The next day, after bringing out a big plate of warm cookies fresh out of the oven. She sat them all down at the picnic table and told them why it is so hard to find a donor. The donor must match Bobby's blood type perfectly. And that there is a great risk to Bobby and even the donor. Bobby could die during the transfer of the marrow and it is also possible that the donor could even die during the operation. It is a very very serious operation. Anita told the children that a donor would most likely have to be a family member. The children immediately asked, well why don't Bobby's dad do it for him. And Anita tells them that Bobby's dad wants too but the marrow inside the bone must match perfectly or it won't work. And no one in Bobby's family matches. The children were very sad that day. They ate their cookies in silence and did not want to play. They just sat there feeling so bad for a friend that is so sick he could die.

And guess who else has not missed a word??? Tramp. He overheard Anita on the phone when Tommy was listening in, and he was at the picnic table eating cookies when Anita explained the danger.

Till this very day, science does not know what the animals can do. An Owl can see at night. A bat can fly without hitting things even though he is blind, A dog can hear a whistle that we can not. And a whale can sing. But what we all love is that Tramp loves all of us. He doesn't hold back and he does not pick and choose. He will find you if your lost and he will take you where you need to go. Tramp can open the door for you and he can say please. He can snuggle up and keep you warm or he can stand his ground and keep you safe. But this day he has a different job. And he runs away to do it.

It's a very sad time in the neighborhood. And now to add to the sadness, Tramp has been gone for three days and no one knows where he is. The children become even more upset. The least upset though is Anita. She tells the children not to worry and that he will return soon. He must have had something very important to do. She tells the children that Tramp has been on missions before and he always returns. And he eventually did.

Tramp has been dodging sneakers all through downtown. He has been approaching people and sniffing their feet and then moving on to the next. Many people have shewed him away and some have kicked their foot at him. But Tramp just keeps on sniffing. And then he stops. He has found a young man in his thirties and he nips his pant cuff. "Hey, what are you doing?" Says the man. " Tramp lets go and the man continues to walk and Tramp nips onto his pant leg again. He holds it long enough to make the man stop walking again and this time Tramp sits on his stomach and looks up at the man. The man reaches down and pats Tramp. He can tell that Tramp means no harm but has no idea what he wants. So he pats Tramp a few more times and tries to walk away and it happens again. This time when Tramp lets go, he turns and starts to run away while barking and looking back at the man as though he is saying "Come with me, follow me." The man can tell what Tramp is saying, looks at Tramp, and says, "I can't come with you, I have things to do, and what do you want?" The man tries one more time to walk away and Tramp does the same thing again. The man is now thinking there is something very important that this beautiful Golden Retriever is trying to tell him. He doesn't know what it is but is now willing to find out. He is convinced. Tramp has convinced the man to follow him. Or?

The man looks at Tramp and asks, "You want me to come with you?" Tramp lets out a loud bark that gets the attention of all the people around them. The man asks a silly question that a dog can't answer, "So, you want me to come with you?" Another loud bark. The man now realizes that this dog is not just communicating. There is something that needs attention. The man tries another question you would never ask a dog, "OK... Is it far?" Another loud bark... He tries this one, "Should we take my car?" ROOOOOF... The man can not believe what he hears. But... He walks about 100 yards to his car, opens the passenger door, and without a word, Tramp hops in the passenger seat sitting up straight and looking out the windshield. And they begin to drive. Big question again, "Do you know how to get there?" ROOOOF... The man has his doubts when he comes to a traffic light and says, "Straight!" nothing "Right!" nothing "Left" ROOOF... The men can not believe how smart Tramp is.

Tramp brings this man all the way across town to the street he lives on. Tramp guided them 5 miles through town all the way home. Tramp has brought a total stranger, right to the doorstep. But Tramp does not take the man home with him. As they turn down the street, Tramp barks three times and stares at Bobby's house. He brought this man across town and not home. He brought this man straight to Bobby's house. The man figures that this is where Tramp lives and decides to bring him to the door.

The man rings the bell. Bobby's mom answers the door. "Hello, what can I do for you? And... Hi Tramp... Your mommy and Tommy have been so worried about you." Bobby's mom tells the man that Tramp lives at the end of the street and not here. The man is very confused. Why did Tramp bring him to the wrong house? Just then Bobby comes running to the door to see Tramp. He heard his mom say his name. The man looks at Bobby and can tell something that means more than life to him. He says, "I'm sorry if this seems out of place for me to say but, I notice your son is on chemo treatments." "I just wanted to say that I know what that can be like, I was too when I was his age." Bobby's mom lifts her chin to look in the man's eyes and says, "Ya, it's been very difficult times for us, he needs a bone marrow transplant and his blood is very rare AB negative," Bobby's mother did not want to tell the man that he was going to die without the transplant because Bobby was standing right there. But the man could tell by the tears in her eyes. The man turns and looks to God and then to Tramp and says, "I think I know what you have done my new friend." "You have finally found a way for me to pay it forward." Bobby's mom perks up and says, "What do you mean?" The man says this. He says, "Back when I needed a bone marrow transplant, there was no one in my family that matched my blood type." "I was AB Negative, just like your son." "Then one day a stranger, a man no one had ever met or even talked to, ever, offered my mom to give me the transplant." "And even though I was only ten years old, I asked him if there was ever anything I could do, and he said just one thing, he told me that someday I will find the perfect chance to pay it forward." The man looks down at Tramp that is now snuggling up to Bobby and says, "Thank you Tramp, your persistence has allowed me to pay back a debt I thought I would never be able to pay." He then looks at little Bobby and says, "And what's your name son? Bobby? How about we become good friends? What do you think about that?" Little Bobby takes a break from a bear hug he has on Tramp and says, "Sure," Bobby's mom, with tears forming a river of joy, gives a man she has never met the biggest hug that begins the many years of friendship and hugs that are to come.

Tramp had found a man that had a debt he hoped to someday be able to repay. Tramp became a local hero when the story was told. The man has searched a lifetime to repay a debt from a stranger. He finally found his way to pay it forward. And little Bobby from down the street was playing with Tommy, and friends 9 months later. Hide and seek, cookies at the picnic table, And Anita with her Golden Retriever, Tramp