Welcome back once again, and I will talk about the loyal companions, friends! If there’s anyone in this world truly worthy of trust, it’s a dog. Because a dog never expects much from us, just two meals a day and a little love. In return, he devotes his entire life to protecting and loving us.
John and Jennifer’s Marriage
Our story begins with The Loyal Companions, with a man named John, who recently married his girlfriend, Jennifer. Both of them were very happy together. Jennifer worked at a reputed media company, while John was still struggling in his career.
Career Struggles
It wasn’t that Jennifer didn’t support him; in fact, she did everything she could. She spoke about him at different places for job opportunities, but no one hired him. This left John disappointed.
Jennifer’s Discipline vs. John’s Free Spirit
Jennifer, on the other hand, lived life with discipline and careful planning. She would write everything in her diary, what was accomplished and what was still pending. One day, John finally got a call for an interview. Strangely enough, Jennifer was more excited than him, because she wanted him to finally get settled with a job.
When John returned from the interview, his dull expression revealed that things hadn’t worked out once again. But then, he surprised Jennifer by saying, “They really liked my work… and I got the job!” Hearing this, she jumped with joy and happily put a tick mark in her diary, as if a major milestone had been achieved.
But for John, this wasn’t as satisfying. He didn’t like living life by ticking boxes or following strict plans. He wanted to live freely, to do whatever he wished without being bound. Soon, this difference in their thinking began to create small clashes between them.
Marley’s Mischief Begins
After that day, in Marley’s eyes, Jennifer became the good one and John the bad one. One day, the two of them took Marley to the beach, but there he started chasing pigeons. Both of them tried their best to catch him, but couldn’t, until finally a lady caught him and handed him back to them.
But even after this, things didn’t stop. Every day, Marley would grab something in his mouth and run outside. Somehow, both John and Jennifer managed to catch him each time. But every single day, Marley secretly took John’s underwear outside and threw it away without John ever realizing it. One day, John even had to go to the office without wearing underwear.
Growing Pains
Time kept passing like this. Marley was growing up, but the dog they couldn’t handle as a puppy, how would they manage him as an adult? We see this clearly when Jennifer tries to take him for a walk. Marley runs so fast that she falls in front of everyone.
A New Opportunity for John
Meanwhile, John’s boss gives him an offer. He says, “I’ll give you a chance to get yourself promoted. You just have to write a really good column. The topic is your choice. If I like it, we’ll think further.” John was very happy. He came home and shared everything with Jennifer.
Marley and the Family Journey
Marley’s Endless Mischief
In the meantime, they both saw that Marley had started chewing up the carpet too. With age, his mischief wasn’t reducing at all. So both of them decided to take him to a dog trainer. The next day, they got ready and went there.
As soon as they arrived, the trainer asked, “Who is this dog’s master?” John immediately said, “Oh, that’s Jennifer!” and went to sit comfortably at the back. Then the trainer asked all the masters to make their dogs sit somewhere. But Marley started humping Jennifer, which made John laugh and say, “What kind of master are you? Let me show you how it’s done.”
After this, the trainer asked everyone to do a slow walk with their dogs. Everyone followed, but Marley was in a world of his own. He started running wildly. Seeing this, the trainer herself took his leash and tried to walk him. But Marley pulled her too, made her fall, and ran ahead. Furious, the trainer shouted in front of everyone, “I will not train this devil!” Hearing this, Jennifer laughed and left with John.
Dangerous Drive with Marley
A few days later, when they were out for a drive with Marley, he was looking out the window. Jennifer thought maybe he wanted some fresh air, so she rolled the window down. But Marley was so mischievous that he climbed out and put both his paws on the road, trying to walk. Luckily, John grabbed him just in time; otherwise, who knows what could have happened that day.
By now, both of them were fed up with this dog, yet they were also enjoying him in their own way. Because if they truly didn’t like Marley, they would have already returned him.
John’s Idea for a Column
Back at home, John thought, “Why not write a column about Marley himself? I could write about each day with him, the pranks he pulls, how we spend time with him.” But before that, he would need his boss’s permission. If he got that, it would be perfect, because he wouldn’t even need to think too hard for content.
The next day, John went to his boss…
John shared his idea with his boss, who liked it very much and immediately approved it. From then on, John began writing his daily column. He wrote things like:
“In the morning, the first thing Marley does is lick my face. Then we both bathe together, and after making the entire bathroom messy, he goes and poops right in the middle of the house, which, of course, only I have to clean while holding my nose shut. Today, when we went for lunch, we tied Marley to the table, but he dragged the table with him as he ran. But the funniest moment was during a baseball match, when Marley ran straight onto the ground and started running between the players!”
People loved reading these stories, and John’s column was going viral day by day.
Talk of a Baby
One day, John and Jennifer went to the beach to spend some time together. There, Jennifer told John, “We should have a baby now, only then we’ll feel complete.” John agreed.
A few days later, John’s boss came to him and said, “You’ve broken all records. Marley’s column is a massive hit!” Hearing this, John was thrilled and rushed home.
As soon as he arrived, Jennifer gave him another piece of good news: she told him he was going to be a dad. Hearing this, John was overjoyed. That night, they celebrated together. John gifted Jennifer a gold chain as a present, which made her emotional, and she hugged him tightly.
Marley Swallows the Chain
But when they were done celebrating, they realized the gold chain was missing. Marley had it in his mouth. Jennifer tried to handle the situation calmly and gently said to Marley, “Come on, give that to me.” But then John shouted from behind, scaring Marley, who ran off. By the time they caught him, he had swallowed the chain. Now, there was only one way for the chain to come out, and that meant waiting for Marley’s poop. Jennifer gave this “duty” to John, who, from morning till evening, checked every place where Marley pooped. But still, no luck.
Tragedy Strikes
Then one day, Jennifer went for a check-up. The doctor told them the baby’s heartbeat could no longer be heard. Both of them understood what it meant. From that day, the atmosphere at home completely changed, filled with sadness. Seeing Jennifer cry, Marley stopped all his naughty behavior and stayed close to her all the time.
The Caretaker’s Struggle
Meanwhile, John thought Jennifer needed a break, so he decided to take her away for a few days. He hired a caretaker to look after Marley. The caretaker confidently said, “I’ve handled all kinds of dogs; how hard can this one be?” But she soon got her answer.
The very next day, her test began. Marley went into full “naughty mode” and started pooping all around the house, which she had to clean. Slowly, his mischief increased day by day. One day, while she was carrying laundry, Marley grabbed her towel and wouldn’t let go. She somehow managed to free herself, but that night, Marley barked nonstop, not letting her sleep at all.
She somehow survived a whole week like this. But the day John and Jennifer returned, they immediately understood the chaos that had taken place in their absence by simply looking at the state of the house. The caretaker was so fed up with Marley that…
The caretaker left without even taking her fee.
Joy Returns: Jennifer Pregnant Again
A few days later, Jennifer told John that she was pregnant again. This time, both of them took extra care. During this period, Marley always stayed close to Jennifer, never giving her any trouble.
One day, when Jennifer suddenly went into labor, Marley immediately ran to wake John up. They quickly rushed her to the hospital, where she gave birth to a baby boy. They even showed the baby to Marley, who behaved very gently with him. They named the baby Maxwell.
Marley and Maxwell’s Bond
As the years passed, Maxwell grew a little older. Not too much, but enough to always stay close to Marley, playing, running, and spending all his time with him. They became the best of friends.
Moving to a New House
But one day, they heard a girl crying outside. Marley quickly ran to the gate, and they saw a young girl who was injured. Some thieves had tried to steal her car and hurt her in the process. Since John already knew about the dangers of that neighborhood, both he and Jennifer decided to shift to a new house.
The new house was something Marley loved very much. Everyone enjoyed their life there.
Marley’s Final Journey
More Kids, More Chaos
A few years later, John and Jennifer had two more children. With more kids in the house, Jennifer had to pay extra attention to everything. One day, Marley chewed up an important paper, which made Jennifer scold him very harshly. Feeling sad, Marley ran to John. John consoled him, saying, “Why do you do this, buddy? Now, because of you, I had to listen to her scolding.”
After that, Marley spent the whole day inside John’s room. But when he came out, he started breaking things near the gate. In the process, he accidentally knocked over little Patrick, which made Jennifer extremely angry. She shouted at John, “Take him away now. He can’t stay with us anymore!”
John replied, “Where will he go? He has no one else but us.”
But Jennifer argued, “We don’t need him anymore. We have our children now.”
John didn’t like hearing this. He said, “What’s wrong with you? He is our Marley. He has always been like this, so why are you suddenly saying this now?”
But Jennifer, still upset, said, “Either you take him somewhere else, or I will leave.”
Poor Marley, standing at a distance, heard everything. John had no other option left, so he took Marley to his friend’s house for a few days.
When John returned home, he saw Jennifer sitting sadly. She said, “Marley is gone… the house feels so empty without him. Maybe I said too much in anger. I regret it now. And you left him so quickly! Go, bring him back.”
Hearing this, John laughed because both of them knew that before they had children, Marley was the one who was always with them, sharing every joy and sorrow.
The next day, John brought Marley back, and the whole family enjoyed their time together once again.
Marley Becomes a True Family Member
As time passed, John’s children grew older, and Marley blended even more deeply into their lives. During winter, everyone would play in the snow. Maxwell, Patrick, and Rhea always kept Marley close, even sleeping beside him. He was truly a part of their family.
Signs of Old Age
But now, Marley had grown old. His body had become weak. Sometimes, while playing, he would get tired quickly and just lie down. John noticed this change.
One night, Marley suddenly went missing. After searching everywhere, they finally found him under a tree, completely drenched. John immediately rushed him to the hospital. The doctor explained that dogs often develop blockages in their stomachs when they refuse to eat. Normally, it can be treated with medicines, but if it doesn’t work, surgery is required. Unfortunately, because of Marley’s age, surgery was no longer an option. The doctor advised them to leave him at the hospital for the night.
Hearing this broke John’s heart. Happiness had just returned to their lives, and now this. On the way home, his mind was filled with strange, dark thoughts. The next morning, John received a call from the doctor. Nervously, he answered, but to his relief, she told him that Marley was better now and could go home.
Life went back to normal for a while. Maxwell and Patrick started going to school, and every morning, before their bus arrived, Marley would wait at the stop just for them. This became a daily routine, and it made the boys very happy.
The Sunset with Marley
But one evening, when John took Marley for a walk, he noticed that Marley could barely walk anymore. So they both sat down quietly and watched the sunset together.
That night, Marley lay silently in the hall. It was clear his health had gotten much worse. John sat down beside him and eventually lay down next to him. By morning, Marley couldn’t even stand. The house was filled with grief. Maxwell refused to go to school, crying endlessly because no one was closer to him than Marley. He had spent his entire childhood with him.
Jennifer gently lifted Marley into the car, kissed him, and whispered, “Nothing will happen to you, my naughty boy.”
The Final Goodbye
At the hospital, John learned the truth. Marley was living his final moments. He had been in pain for days but never showed it, because he didn’t want his family to suffer. The doctor explained that they could ease his pain by giving him an injection, allowing him to pass away peacefully. John had no choice but to agree.
Before the final moment, John looked at Marley and said:
“Twelve years ago, when I brought you home for $200, it was the best decision of my life. At first, we thought we had brought a little devil into the house. But without realizing it, you became a part of our hearts. I don’t even know how I’ll tell Maxwell that his best friend will never come back.”
Slowly, Marley closed his eyes and took his last breath.
Farewell, Marley
Back at home, Jennifer spent the night waiting, hoping that Marley would somehow return safe and sound. But that miracle never came.
John dug a grave in their backyard and buried Marley there. Their youngest daughter, Rhea, brought a drawing she had made. On it, she had written:
“You chewed off the ears of all my dolls, but that’s okay… I forgive you.”
She gently placed the drawing into the grave.
Jennifer tearfully apologized to Marley for the day she had once spoken harshly about him, something she had never done before. Together, the family covered his grave with soil, each one saying their final goodbye.
A dog may just be an animal, but there is no companion in this world as loyal as he is.
And with that, Marley’s story comes to an end.
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