PONGO'S DECISION
It is a warm day on the farm, Perdita walks heading toward the barn where surely she will find to her pups. Perdita decides to spend that time with her puppies while Pongo is not in the farm; he is with Roger in London.
Perdita opens the barn door and sees that several puppies are playing inside.
Puppies play pulls, struggles and other games characteristic of their age.
Perdita enters in the barn and goes to the bottom of the barn. Perdita sees that Lucky is watching television with Rolly, Cadpig and other puppies who crowded around the television.
"Hello puppies" Perdita says approaching to her puppies that turn their heads and look at her.
"Hi Mom" Puppies say looking at Perdita, the puppies move and allow that Perdita lie down in the middle of the group of puppies.
"What are you watching?" Perdita asks watching at her puppies.
"It's a show about famous dogs" Rolly responds watching to his mother.
"Really?" Perdita asks looking at Lucky, he nods.
"They must be expecting to see Thunderbolt" Perdita thinks watching to her pups.
She knew that her puppies admire much to Thunderbolt. She watches television with her pups, but the signal is interrupts and an image appears, it is a new bulletin.
After finishing the entry of the bulleting; there is a image of a burning house, there was a reporter who talked about what was happening.
"Here in central London there is a house on fire, firefighters try to control the fire" the reporter says while the camera focuses on the house.
A woman completely hysterically screams trying to return to the burning house, but she is stopped by a police.
"My baby is inside!" the woman cries as she struggles with the police.
The camera focuses on the woman who tried by all means to return home, then the camera moves and focuses on a Dalmatian dog running towards the entrance of the house, he enters inside it.
"Pongo" Perdita says to recognize to her mate entering in the burning house.
Perdita is worried just like puppies, they fear the worst at not seeing their father out of the burning house, Perdita sees like Roger sees at the house, he is looked very worried, and in his hand he still had the strap of Pongo.
A moment later a downstairs window gets broke when Pongo crosses through it, he had a lump of light blue color on his snout, it was the baby.
Pongo gets close to the firemen and the lady who takes the baby in her arms as she wept for joy, one of the firemen checked the baby while Roger approaches to Pongo and checks him to see that he was not hurt.
The reporter and cameraman get close to Roger and Pongo.
The camera focuses on the right foreleg of Pongo; there is a piece of glass embedded in it. One of the firemen gets close to Pongo and examines the wound.
The fireman looks at Roger and makes a grimace, Roger holds to Pongo while the firefighter proceeds to remove the piece of glass of Pongo’s foreleg, he is groaning in pain. The firefighter removes the piece of glass and then proceeds to bandage the foreleg of Pongo.
"I do not think it's something serious, but take him to the veterinarian" the fireman says watching to Roger, he nods. The reporter interviews to Roger about Pongo's actions and how he had saved the baby.
After a few minutes firefighters extinguish the fire, they celebrate like the rest of the people, one of the firefighters puts his helmet on the head of Pongo, he wags his tail.
A few minutes later the new ends and returns to normal programming.
"Did you see that? Dad is a hero "Lucky says watching to his siblings.
"Dad was very brave" Penny says watching to her brothers. They were very excited; they begin to talk about what they had just seen.
Perdita does not pay attention at her pups’ conversation. She feels like a mixture of emotions are inside her: concern, anger, happiness, pride. It was very strange because she knew because that Pongo is safe.
About two hours later the puppies and Perdita heard like a car enters the farm. Puppies and Perdita quickly get out of the barn and run to the car, it stops in front of the house. Roger gets out of the car and opens the passenger’s door for Pongo that gets out of the car.
The puppies look that Pongo is wearing a fireman's helmet, he had a bandaged leg.
"Dad you were great" Patch exclaims as he jumps excitedly around Pongo.
"We saw what you did in television" Cadpig says noticing the look of surprise that his father has on his face.
"Did you have fear?" Rolly asks looking at his father.
"How did you find the baby?" Penny asks.
"Why are you using that helmet?" Two-Tone asks looking at Pongo.
Perdita looks at Pongo, she smiles seeing like the puppies bombard to Pongo with questions that are answered without that he loses patience.
When the puppies eventually get quiet, Perdita can approach to Pongo; she looks and nuzzles affectionately to her mate. Pongo does the same thing.
"Did I worry to you?" Pongo asks seeing to Perdita.
"Yes, but if it was not you, that baby would not be alive now" Perdita responds looking at Pongo.
"Is your foreleg all right?" Perdita asks looking Pongo’s bandaged leg, she sees that the bandage has a blood stain.
"Yes, the doctor said it was nothing serious" Pongo answers looking at Perdita, she nuzzles him.
"You seem more handsome with that helmet" Perdita exclaims smiling and watching to Pongo.
"One of the firefighters forgot it in the midst of the hubbub" Pongo says looking to Perdita. The puppies smile while cheerfully laugh.
Pongo spends the rest of the day with the puppies and Perdita.
The next day Pongo and Perdita are watching like the pups are playing, Pongo wants to join to the games but his injured leg stops him.
Pongo and Perdita hear a car coming down the road, they see to the road and gets surprised to see that a firefighter truck comes and stops near the entrance of the farm.
The puppies stop their games and observe that from the firefighter truck gets out a man dressed in jeans and a shirt with boots.
Pongo immediately recognizes the man, it was the fire chief. He smiles at Pongo and greets him. Pongo barks a moment while the fireman comes over and caresses to Pongo, then Roger and Anita gets out of the house and get close to the place where Pongo and the chief are waiting for them.
The firefighter greets to Roger and Anita, they think that the chief is a polite and nice person.
"What brings you to these parts?" Anita asks looking at the chief.
"I am in way to repair one of our trucks, we have been having problems with its electrical system" the fire chief responds looking to Roger and Anita.
"I see, I thought that passed to pick up one of your helmets" Roger says looking at the fire chief who laughs just like Roger and Anita. Pongo and Perdita laugh along with the puppies.
"That does not matter, we think that you dog can keep it" the chief says with a bit of seriousness in his voice.
"At the station we thought we would be a great help a dog like yours" the chief says watching to Roger and Anita, they gets surprised just the rest.
"Do you want that Pongo become a firefighter dog" Anita asks looking at the chief.
"Yes, he behaved in an excellent way when he rescued the baby, almost as if he knew what to do" the chief says looking at Pongo.
"Well, that's because Pongo has training like a firefighter dog" Roger says.
Perdita and puppies look at Pongo; he does not say anything while he is avoiding looking at his pups.
"Then why he does not work like firefighter dog?" The chief asks looking at Roger.
"Well that's because there were some problems" Roger answers looking at the Chief Fireman, Roger does not give an explanation.
"What do you say about my proposition?" the firefighter Chief says looking at Roger.
"That's not something that I decide, Pongo must decide it” Roger says looking at fire chief who looks surprised and confused.
"Pongo has family here, I think he should decide; maybe you think that it is weird, but I think he understands" Roger says looking at Pongo and after that at the chief.
"It will seem strange but I understand because some dogs are very special, my friend saved his life thanks to his dog that detected a disease that without treatment could kill him" the chief says looking at Roger.
"In any case, can I back in a week to know the decision of your dog?" the chief says looking at Roger.
The chief says goodbye and goes back to the truck, Roger and Anita see like the truck goes away of the farm.
Pongo leaves the place while everyone is seeing him, Pongo spend the rest of the day completely alone, although Perdita tries to talk to him like the puppies.
At night Pongo in the superior part of the barn, he is looking at the sky through the window. Perdita is in the bottom of the putting the puppies in the bed.
"Mom, did you know that dad had dog training like firefighter dog?" Lucky asks to his mother.
"No, he never told me" Perdita responds feeling pain inside, she felt somehow Pongo had lied to her.
After a few minutes later, Perdita climbs by the stairs to the superior level of the barn. Perdita thinks that puppies were asleep, but there were not sleeping. When Perdita disappears, they get up and huddle around a pipe, the puppies had installed a communication system between the bottom of the barn and the window of the barn, the puppies had installed the system in case that if they are doing a mischief, a puppy would alert them from the window.
Now the puppies can hear the conversation that would have Pongo and Perdita.
Perdita approaches to Pongo and sits beside him; she notices that Pongo's looks is directed towards the sky.
Perdita licks Pongo’s cheek, he startles but she feels relieved to see his mate watching him fondly.
"How is your leg?" Perdita asks looking at Pongo.
"It is better" Pongo answers looking at Perdita.
"Did you put the puppies in the bed?" Pongo asks looking at Perdita, she nods. She looks at Pongo; he is looking at the sky again.
"Pongo…” Perdita says looking at Pongo.
"Sorry about this afternoon, but wanted to be alone" Pongo says looking at Perdita.
"I understand that ... Why you never said me that you were trained to be a firefighter dog" Perdita asks looking at Pongo.
"I guess I wanted to forget that, because it is a painful memory" Pongo responds looking at Perdita. Pongo instantly captures the look of curiosity of Perdita.
"You want to know" Pongo says looking at Perdita.
"Oh no of course not" Perdita says immediately, she do not want obligate to Pongo to reveal his past.
"In my family, being a firefighter dog was a tradition, it is my father, my mother, their parents ... well you understand” Pongo says looking at Perdita, she nods.
"My brothers and I grew up in a fire station where dad worked, mom would live with us until we were ready to leave, then she would return to her station" Pongo says looking at Perdita, she is listening intently just like her pup.
Pongo sighs sadly remembering those days when he was a puppy.
"My father loved us, but for him it was more important his work than his family" Pongo says looking at Perdita; she gets surprised by Pongo’s words.
"We understood it, but sometimes mom and he fought for that reason, my mother wanted that my father spend more time with us" Pongo says.
"When we were growing up we started our training, my brothers did very well with that, but I ..." Pongo says watching to the starry sky.
"Although I gave all that I had, I could not do anything right; Mom tried to help me and support me in my training like Dad, but I did fail to have sufficient skills to qualify as my brothers, they were assigned to different stations" Pongo says looking at Perdita.
"I did not know what would be me; I could not be a firefighter dog, but one day Roger came to the station, he knew to the chief; he and Roger talked for a few moments and then Roger took me to his house" Pongo says looking at Perdita, she sees bitterness and sadness on Pongo’s face.
"That was the last time I saw my parents, I cannot forget the look of shame and disappointment of my father to see that one of his children would only be a simple dog house" Pongo says looking at Perdita.
She is surprised to see how tears are falling from Pongo's eyes.
"I knew it was the shame of the family" Pongo says as he began to mourn for surprise of Perdita and the puppies. Lucky, Cadpig and Rolly cautiously up their heads over the stairs; they see that their mother is consoling to Pongo, he is crying gently to not awake the puppies.
Lucky like his siblings could not believe that Pongo cries, they had always seen their father as a strong and courageous figure. Perdita places her paw on Pongo's snout to raises his looks.
Pongo sees love in the look of Perdita; she is wiping tears of Pongo.
"I doubt that you are the shame of your family, do not think they have any idea that you care and protect to your mate and so many puppies" Perdita says looking at Pongo.
"When I did meet you and became your mate, I always knew you were a dog brave, noble as you acted to save the baby from the burning building, you're all that a female could ask" Perdita says looking at her mate.
“The puppies found their hero in you, it is something that is clearly demonstrated, they and I are lucky to have you for take care of us” Perdita says looking at Pongo, he feels joy in his heart.
Pongo and Perdita look to each other, he kiss her gently. Both Dalmatians are united in a kiss that last some moments.
"Have you made a decision?" Perdita asks when she breaks the kiss.
"No" Pongo answers sighing.
"Now you know the truth, I can tell you that part of me wish to stay on the farm, but the other part wants to be a firefighter dog" Pongo says looking at Perdita.
"Would do it for your father and your family?" Perdita asks looking at Pongo, he nods.
"I know how you feel, in my family, well a part of my family is the same thing" Perdita says looking at Pongo, he sees to her with curiosity.
"My mother's family is like yours, their family tradition of being firefighter dog, my mother even though she liked the idea of helping people, but she thought that be a firefighter dog was not for her" Perdita says.
"Her family was very upset with her because she was refusing to be firefighter dog because she believed that her destiny was elsewhere, they distanced themselves from my mother..." Perdita says laughing softly while Pongo is looking at her.
"She is a determined and strong dog, my mother saw that she had no support from her family, so she left her home and lived on the street for about one year" Perdita sees looking at Pongo that gets surprised just like the puppies.
"One day she entered the home of my father, it was a mansion, she had turned the trash to find something to eat, but my father heard it and went to investigate, he found to my mother" Perdita says looking at Pongo.
"She attacked him, my father just simply dodged the blows and bites of my mother, his owner heard the commotion and came to see what was happening, they were able to reduce my mother, my dad's owners saw that she was purebred, so they decided stay with her to have puppies with my father" Perdita says remembering as her mother had told the story of her life.
"My mother knew what the owners of my father wanted, she tried to escape, but they chained her, they fed her without getting too close, because she was aggressive" Perdita says looking at her mate.
"Then my father began to approach my mother, she rejected him trying to bite him" Perdita says softly laughing while she is looking at Pongo, he also smiles thinking about the story of Perdita.
"My father is stubborn and headstrong, but that does not mean that is a bad dog, he is very kind and caring like you, Pongo" Perdita says looking at Pongo.
"My father took his time not speed things up, my mother was losing all hope of escape so she was resigned, she began to take affection to my father and ended up falling in love with him" Perdita says watching to her mate.
"When my mother told us her story, we were very excited, everyone wanted to become firefighter dog, my mother told us that we should not be it if we did not want, there is more than one way to be happy: we must find our way" Perdita says smiling to Pongo.
"What happened to your brothers?" Pongo asks to Perdita.
"The owners of my parents have as much or more money than Cruella, but they are very charitable persons with the people in need" Perdita says looking to Pongo.
"They believed that the world had given them so much; they should give something back, so they saw in me and my brothers that opportunity" Perdita says.
"Since we were puppies, the owners of my parents hired veterinarians and other people to study us and see our qualities, and decide for what thing we had skills" Perdita says while she is watching the sky through the window of the barn.
"To my older brother Mardoc likes children and has great patience for them, which is why he became a dog for special children" Perdita says looking at Pongo.
"What do you mean with special children?" Pongo asks.
"Some children, for some reason, born with physical or psychological limitations that prevent them from developing normally as other children do" Perdita says looking at Pongo, he nods slightly.
"My brother works with them to help them, I saw how he was helping a child learn to walk, Mardoc was the child support, sometimes he lost his balance and did grab my brother's fur to not fall, I never saw him groaned in pain for that" Perdita says smiling softly as she remembers her brother.
"He must be a great dog for children" Pongo says, Perdita nods.
"In one occasion he suffered multiple wounds to protect a child" Perdita says looking at Pongo, he gets surprised to hear Perdita.
"What happened?" Pongo asks.
"One of the kids pulled the tail of a street dog without knowing that it hurts a lot, Mardoc tried to explain things to the dog that tried to bite the child, but my brother pull him away before the attack of another dogs" Perdita says watching to Pongo.
"The boy fell back on the floor, the dog and his friends tried to bite him but my brother would not let them, he placed himself on top of the kid and covered him" Perdita says looking at Pongo, he is surprised.
"My brother did not move even though the dogs were biting and hitting him, he just licked the boy's face to calm him down, then several people that saw what happened they took away to the dogs, they were taken to the pound ... that dogs never left that place” Perdita says looking at Pongo, he is surprised just like the puppies.
"My brother never complained about it, he knows that it's part of his job" Perdita says. Pongo and Perdita are silent for a moment.
"What happened to the rest of your brothers?" Pongo asks to Perdita.
"My brothers Dante and Brice became firefighter dogs" Perdita responds to Pongo that is listing.
"My sister Shawna, she has a very acute sense of smell that is greater than my own sees and my brothers, I know from where Rolly has his smell sense" Perdita says looking and smiling just like Pongo.
"She was trained as a rescue dog, she uses her nose for find people lost in ruins, forests or caves" Perdita says.
"Then there's my sister Juno, she loves to help the old people, so she works in a nursing home where she gives love and affection to people that sometimes have no family, she accompanies and take care of them until they leave this world "Perdita says looking at Pongo.
Pongo was surprised; he did not know Perdita’s family play very important roles for several people.
"Finally I am here, when my brothers and sisters were assigned to their respective jobs, I felt very sad and frustrated" Perdita says looking at Pongo.
"I had not show a special quality to be assigned to a mission like my brothers or sisters, but my father told me that I would have a special mission in this life that sooner or later will be reveal to me" Perdita says.
"My mother agreed, she told me that sometimes the most important missions are not necessarily the most famous, these missions often go unnoticed, but are very important" Perdita says while Pongo is listening carefully.
"When you and I had the puppies, I thought that was my mission, but when the eighty-four pups appear so I realized that's was my real mission, to be the mother ninety nine pups" Perdita says looking at Pongo.
She smiles at Pongo, he does the same thing.
"I was not chosen as my brothers because life had reserved me another important task, I think it's the same in your case" Perdita says looking at Pongo.
"Do not you become a firefighter dog, because you had to be the father of all our children and to do everything for them, even giving your life" Perdita says looking at Pongo, he rinses a tear in his right eye to think that the words of Perdita were true, perhaps his fate was on the farm with his family.
"I hope what I said will help you" Perdita says.
"Of course that it helps a lot" Pongo says, he kisses to Perdita, they break the kiss after a few moments.
"We better get some rest, you still have four days to make a decision" Perdita says looking at Pongo, he is surprised.
"Will you not stop me, if i decide to be a firefighter dog? Pongo asks.
"No, if you live happy being a dog firefighter dog" Perdita responds a bit of sadness in her voice.
"Do you think you can take care of the puppies you alone?" Pongo asks looking at Perdita.
"Sure I can" Perdita responds looking at Pongo, Perdita and Pongo lick to each other with love.
"Let’s go to sleep" Pongo says looking at Perdita, she nods.
Perdita and Pongo walks toward the stairs, puppies quickly assume their positions to pretend that they are sleep so their parents would not scold them.
Pongo and Perdita down by the stairs, they go to the house.
"What happened to your parents?" Pongo asks while he is walking with Perdita.
"I guess that they still live in that mansion on the hill" Perdita responds smiling as she imagines to her parents resting peacefully in the shade of one of several trees that were in the house of their owners.
Pongo and Perdita get in the house; they go to the living room and lie down together. Perdita and Pongo fall asleep quickly while they are looking at each other with love. Pongo sleep thinking about the decision he would take.
The days pass quick, Pongo is pondering the decision that he should be given the next day, he was deep in thought when she feels a move on his paws, he looks down to see that Cadpig is on his paws.
"What it is happening Cadpig?" Pongo asks watching to his daughter.
"Eh ... my brothers sent me to talk to you" Cadpig responds watching to his father.
"They chose me to tell you that we expect that you take the decision with which you are happy Dad, if you decide to be a firefighter dog will feel very proud" Cadpig says watching to Pongo.
"Really?" Pongo asks looking at Cadpig, she nods.
"You take care and protected us, so we thought it's fair that you be happy regardless of your decision" Cadpig responds while he feels an affliction in his heart.
"Well Dad, I'm going, we are going to play so they are waiting for me" Cadpig says as she turns over and starts running.
"Wait a minute Cadpig" Pongo exclaims looking at Cadpig, she stops and looks at her father.
"Why her brothers did send to you to talk to me?" Pongo asks looking at Cadpig.
"They believed they would not the courage because they would start to mourn" Cadpig responds while she is flushing a tear from her right eye, she run again leaving to Pongo surprised.
The next day the fire chief visits the farm to learn the decision of Pongo.
"What decided your dog?" the fire chief asks looking to Roger and Anita, they look at Pongo that it is to their side.
Pongo moves toward where Perdita and the puppies sitting, they are very happy when he sits next to them.
"I think that says it all" the Fire Chief says looking at Roger and Anita.
"But we want that your dog be our honorary firefighter dog" the fire chief says looking to Roger and Anita, they are confused.
"As you will understand our job is not only fight fires, also teach children about the dangers of playing with fire and stuff, we thought we might have better results if I Pongo join us in some of our visits, children love dogs” the fire chief says looking at Roger and Anita.
"What do you say about that, boy?" Roger asks looking at Pongo; he wags his tail and barks.
"I think that's a yes" Anita says looking at Roger and the chief of the firefighters, he is happy.
"Excuse me; did you do the favor that I asked for?" Roger asks looking to fire chief.
"Yes, I talked to one of the men of fire station where Pongo born, he told me that Pongo's parents are still alive and working, his brothers too, but one of them were gave out of duty when he was wounded in a fire" the Fire Chief says looking at Roger.
Pongo was very surprised to hear about his family, he thought that maybe he would see them again in the future.
THE END
Pongo, Perdita, Roger, Cadpig, Lucky, Penny, Patch, Two-Tone are © Disney
Mardoc, Dante, Brice, Shawna and Juno are my characters
The story is mine.
Written by Janus Oberoth
