A movie that I watched a few days ago on TV was Marlie and me. Now for those who don't know I have two dogs, Sabre and Narla, before Sabre my family and I had another dog called Simba. Growing up I was scared of dogs, especially big dogs. To this day I can't tell you why, I had never had a bad experience with a dog but there was just something about big dogs that I didn't like. As my Dad was in the army and we moved every two years we never got a dog because my parents didn't like the idea of putting the dog in a kennel, however about a year before my Dads last year in the army I remember being called to talk to both my Mum and Dad where they asked me 'Would you like a dog' now this question was very much out of the blue and I was taken back a little, I must have been about 12? In year seven of high school, I knew my dad had always wanted a dog, but I had no idea what type. On the spot I said '......yes?'. I had no clue what I had said yes to. Soon after the search began and soon my parents finally found a breeder, we went to vist them somewhere in Manchester where we came across a litter of Rhodesian ridgebacks. I can remember being there very clearly, even though the puppies were tiny I was still uncomfortable. I recall being asked if I would like to hold one, at the time I said 'no thank you' looking back I think to myself 'YES! THEY ARE HARMELESS CUTE PUPPIES!' from there we got Simba. Getting used to a dog in the house took a little time, I had gone from not liking dogs to having a jumping puppy running in the house.
Thankfully it didn't take long for my attitude towards dogs to change. I quickly found it odd Simba not being around when he was on walks, or had gone to the vet. He became part of the family. And I a converted dog lover. It was a few years back that Simba died. It was odd because he was such a big dog, but he was still really young for a dog. There was a problem with his heart, and I don't remember the full details but it had something to do with cancer, or a tumour. It’s not really something I think to think about. But I remember being there at the vets just before he was put down. My Mum and Dad stayed in the room with him when it happened, my sister and I waited outside. I remember before leaving I gave him a kiss and a long hug, he was ill and I knew we had to but I still hated it. I closed the door behind me, I sat down and I openly cried. When we got home it felt strange him not being there. I normally sit on the floor in the living room when watching television because my legs are so lanky, Simba would always sit next to me and lean against my legs and be there. I never expected to love a dog as much as I did, I miss him.
I can't remember how long it was after Simba passed away but we did get another dog, Sabre, another Rhodesian ridgeback, he's great. His personality is different to Simba which I think is a good thing. I remember a few people say something along the lines of 'I can't believe your getting the same breed of dog' t those people I said 'my family like that breed of dog' (or in my head 'who are you to tell me what type of dog to get?|!') It was about the time I left for university that my parents got Narla (I always joke saying that she replaced me, one child had left the nest and another moved in).
Watching Marlie and Me brought back a ton of memories from Simba, plenty of good ones, but the last half an hour when Marlie starts to die hurt a lot. I think Marlie passed away a lot like Simba which made it all the harder to watch. I think because I was never a dog person and then to love Simba, getting used to him being there and then him be gone just like that made it hurt even more. Marlie and me is a fantastic film and one I think will have a stronger effect on people who have a dog and an even stronger one from those who have lost a dog. But I think even without having had a dog you can relate to the owners and cry along just as much as I did.
Simba
Sabre and Narla
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