Our beloved shop dog, Benji, turns thirteen today! Sure, he now wears considerably more age spots. And he snores and coughs a bit more these days. But we still see glimpses of his puppy within. He runs, plays—and eats—with as much gusto as he ever has.
Benji spent many a workday, for four years, sleeping in his door-less crate behind the cash wrap at 543 Hudson Street. He'd pop-out, now and then, to greet a friendly customer or her dog. Sometimes the shop bell on the door would (inexplicably) catch his attention. But, by and large, Benji was the single LEO Design staffer granted a permanent rest break. He could lead-the-way to the store and he knew the standard, twice-daily "block walk" by heart: right (down) Hudson, right on Charles, right on Greenwich, right (down) Hudson—and run, run, run back to the shop door!
We found him on Saturday 23 March 2013 (National Puppy Day, I later found out). My husband, Bob, saw him playing in the window of a little shop on Christopher Street. He called me and I ran over to the shop (two blocks from mine). I, too, fell-in-love (as Bob had, 15 minutes previously). "Okay," I said to Bob. I was exercising prudence. "Let's put him on hold overnight and sleep on this. We can come back for him tomorrow." Alas, two hours later, we'd receive the news that Bob's father had just died.
The next day, was Palm Sunday. En route to the Avis car rental garage, we stoped by the puppy store. We explained our situation to the shop manager—that we had just received some bad news and would have to postpone our purchase. She was hardly consoling: "Well, I can't hold him for you; he's very popular, you know!" More bad news. We had no choice but to head West, to Pittsburgh, for my father-in-law's funeral.
But the story has a happy ending! Five days later, we got back to the city and ran down to the shop on Christopher Street. It was already closed for the night. We craned, unsuccessfully, to see if he was visible in one of the crates at the back. The next morning, Good Friday, the manager found us standing in front of the shop as she opened-up. Benji was still there, though the manager informed us, "There are many people looking at him; he's very popular, you know." Out came the Amex card. We arranged to pick-him-up on Easter Sunday, giving us time to set-up his crate and playpen—and allowing the shop time to bathe him and give him his (last-ever) blowout.
Benji has been a top blessing in our lives. And Bob, my husband, credits Benji's little soul with helping him get through the first year of his father's passing. In fact, we named Benji after one of his father's (many) nicknames. When Benji wasn't in the shop with me, he was sitting beneath the drafting table in Bob's studio. Bob was especially moved whenever little Benji would let out a long sigh and place his chin upon Bob's foot.
Here's to you, Benji. May you bless us for several more years!
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.