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Inky & John The Saga Continues

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The Wedding Planner
"MARRIED! INKY WANTS TO GET MARRIED? Oh, John, you've been working too hard! Perhaps if we took a long drive somewhere . . .
My wife of almost forty-seven wonderful years looked at me as if I had left my trolley. She may be right. After all, how many of your friends talk to dogs? "I'm not nutty and I'm not kidding. Inky wants to marry Robbie and I'm not sure I can fault that. She's about his age and she's cute as a button. Now, you and I both know that this will not last, but, for my peace of mind, let's play along, OK?"
She thought about it for a minute, then spoke. "All right, but you tell him little Robbie is MY best pal, so don't even think about hurting her feelings. Go ahead and call them in so we can tell them."
I walked over and opened the kitchen door. The Inky mob danced into the room. Inky grabbed my pants leg and yanked, which means he wants to be picked up, so I reached down and gave him a lift.
"John! Did you ask Libby? Did you?"
"Yes, Inky, I asked Libby, and she said Yes, but you'll have to give us time to make
plans. Perhaps we should sit down tonight and look at the calendar for the month of February and see what suits you best." He related the news to the mob and immediately they went into their little dance. Then they went into the den to hunt for rawhide bones.
After dinner, we all retreated to the den. Libby and I sat down in our favorite chairs and I reached for a book. That's when Inky jumped up into my lap.
"John, aren't we going to have a family conference now? We need to decide on a date for the wedding and I want you to ask Libby about the veil for Robbie, and, while you're at it, ask if she has any ideas for Pancho and Spots."
I almost laughed (which Inky would never have forgiven) "Hold on
little pal. Remember, Libby is not too keen on this idea, anyway, so let's not make it too big." He turned around and grumbled something to Robbie. She hopped up in Libby's lap and
proceeded to kiss her on her nose.
Libby laughed and said, "OK, what do they want me to do?"
I explained about the veil and about maybe a little black jacket and necktie for Pancho, something nice for Spots to wear. Inky is already black, so we'll just get him a little white tie. She said she would get something appropriate together. Now, all that is left is the "when." "Inky, I think the 17th will be good for everyone. Will that work for you?"
He jumped down and walked over to the calendar, which was on the coffee table. He hopped onto the table and walked slowly around on the calendar. "OK, John, if that's good for you, it will be great for us!" With that out of the way, Libby and I went back to our books and the mob took off for the back yard to spread the word.
Weddings are such fun, don't you think?
Readers may contact John McCloskey by email at the following:
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INKY AND JOHN, the book, and WARRIOR CHING can be ordered from John, or your local bookstore, as well as all major online sources.