March 15, 2007 - page 2

As with anyone you live with, there are moments of tension. I would get frustrated when the Schirmanns were both gone and Sallie would stand at the front door and bark a high pitched yelp until at least one of them returned. Sallie would get frustrated with me when I would be eating a chocolate croissant and refuse to give her any of it. But most of the times were good ones.

Just two hours before dinner that night, Sallie had pushed my bedroom door open with her nose and waddled over to my desk. I pet her on the head and rubbed behind her ears until she got bored with that and started sniffing around my chair for crumbs. She waddled back out into the hallway. That would be my last time to see her.

At dinner, we pressed the Schirmanns for more explanation, as it seemed they weren’t going to offer any. After taking Sallie to the vet, they confirmed what they already suspected. After 16 years of living a happy French life, her illness was causing her to suffer. They had Sallie “put to sleep.”

Sallie lived a long and happy life, and it was time for her suffering to end. I suppose this made sense of their cool

attitude about the whole thing. I had doubted their love for Sallie for a moment there, which was confusing because the French are fanatical about their pets (in a good way). Sometimes they take their dogs to restaurants, to go shopping, and on trains and buses. They carry the little ones around in handbags. I mean, these people love their pets at least as much as North Americans do.

Well, it turns out that the Schirmann’s loved Sallie quite a bit. A question remains, though. When were they going to tell us that Sallie was dead if Reed hadn’t asked?

At dinner that night, I turned to Madame Schirmann with a sad look on my face and said, “Je suis désolé pour savoir que Sallie est mort,” which should mean “I’m sorry to know that Sallie is dead.” Madame Schirmann patted on the shoulder, smiled and said, “C’est bien, Mark. C’est bien.” I suppose it is alright. But after the Schirmanns have hosted Centre students for all these years, I still can’t believe the dog died while I was here.?
Rest in peace, Sallie.

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