Many years ago, at the end of a relationship, I decided I was never going to have another romance...NEVER,EVER!

I had fallen in love with an Afghan Hound that lived in the neighborhood ....I would buy one for myself and would name her, "My Destiny."

We would go "hand-in-paw-into-the-sunset."

I had to take a second job, in order to earn enough money to buy the show puppy that I decided upon.

Finally, I brought "My Destiny" home. She was unbelievably beautiful with long flowing jet black hair-like fur. I decided to take her to an American Kennel Club meeting for Afghan Hounds.

As I was walking her on her leash, two men behind me were speaking very loudly...

"Isn't she beautiful?" (since I had lost 40 lbs. I was looking pretty good)

"What a perfect body!" (I stood up straighter and felt really proud)

"And look at her feathers"!

I gasped "FEATHERS?" At that point, we all started to laugh because I realized they were talking about the dog.

Destiny and I bonded immediately, but she became progressively destructive each time I would leave her.

The first day I came home from work, I found that she had destroyed two pair of shoes.

The next day she tore up a hand-made rug.

On the third night, I brought a friend, Dominick, home with me to share dinner. As I opened the door of my apartment, I was accosted by a huge cloud of white feathers. Sitting in the center of it all was Destiny.....black as coal, with a huge white feather dangling from her mouth...and I swear she was smiling. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry....Destiny had just ripped up my new sofa pillow.....one huge pillow that stretched across the seat.

"Dominick".....I shrieked, "get her out of here before I kill her."

Finally, I decided that he should give her to the doorman, who adored her. So, out marched Dominick, dog food, bowl, ball and a feather-covered Destiny on a leash. It turned out to be a very domestic evening because while I prepared dinner, "poor" Dominick gathered up all the feathers and stuffed them back into the huge pillow cover. After that he sewed it all up, and saved my sofa... and my sanity.

Actually, he did a really good job and if you just looked at the front of the pillow, you didn't see the huge scar.

That memory came flooding back to me, tonight, because I decided to do a white load of wash in our building's laundry room. I had been thinking of washing my pillow so, I included that, as well. When I opened the washer door, you guessed it; clouds of feathers enveloped me.

"DOMINICK, WHERE ARE YOU WHEN I NEED YOU?"

Three washes later, (to get the feathers out of the clothes) I am still trying to remove them from the carpet, from me, and out of the washing machine and dryer. It is now 3:00AM and I still have another load to go.

Welcome back, My Destiny!
 

Renee is a long time member of our Megillah family, and enjoys writing short remembrances from her most interesting life.