Best Friends (Response to "A Secret For Two"

Do you have a best friend? Someone you can always call when you’re scared or upset a person that is always there for you? Friendship isn’t limited to only humans; animals are a major impact in relationships. For some people, their pets are their best friends. Being with an animal for a long period of time can tend to become a very important friendship. In the story “A Secret for Two”, the 75 year old man, Pierre and his old horse Joseph have a very deep bond. They have been together for over 25 years going through the same specific route delivering milk. Every day was a struggle for Pierre and Joseph. They became more weak and tired every day. One day Jacques, Pierre’s boss, announced that Joseph had passed away in his sleep. Pierre was devastated. He had lost his best friend. Pierre cried for days but he knew there was nothing he could do. The hours went on and the days caught up and every minute was still and full of silence. Pierre found himself very lonely without Joseph.  

However, when Joseph died it proved to me that death isn’t always an unpleasant thing, in this story at least. Pierre was an old blind man and his whole life depended on his horse, Joseph. Pierre trained Joseph to walk the route and lead him to the houses to deliver milk. Joseph and Pierre practically shared their life. When Joseph was alive Pierre was happy all the time and excited to begin his route. But when Joseph had left it was as if Pierre’s soul went with him. Pierre was devastated. He cried for days on end, and felt that he had no purpose to go anywhere, do anything, or even live.

Thereafter, on one late afternoon, Jacques had told Pierre to take a day off because of his loss. Pierre started to limp across the street when all of a sudden a huge truck quickly ran over him. He was killed instantly. No one knew if Pierre had stepped out into the street on purpose or if he simply didn’t hear the truck coming his way. He was blind but he was certainly not deaf. He might’ve walked right in front of the truck on purpose because he didn’t like his life without Joseph and couldn’t do much because he couldn’t see. He wanted to die. It might’ve turned out that he accidently got hit and didn’t hear it but that seems very unlikely. Maybe the situation was just proving that without Joseph, Pierre can’t live on his own. Life is easier with friends on your side.

Seeing that, I conclude that this is a normal situation. I mean, pets are going to die sooner or later. Sure it’s not easy to get over the fact that they aren’t with you, but eventually you have to let go. No person likes to see their pet, let alone best friend die. Being with a pet for so long, can make them feel like a family member because they are so close. It’s just as hard with pets dying as it is friends and family members dying. Some people are willing to die for their close friends and family. They feel like they have no purpose in life without the ones they love. Just as Pierre and Joseph in this story. 

Therefore, you may argue that this a tragedy but the mode is surprisingly comedy. It’s not a funny story but it does match up in literary analysis. It begins in normalcy, a horse and a man delivering milk. The conflict of the story is that Joseph dies. The solution was when his boss, Jacque said that he could train a new horse and everything would be fine but Pierre refused. The story does go back to normalcy, in the end. You may think that a man dying and a horse dying is nowhere near a happy ending, but surprisingly the end is happy. Pierre wanted to die, and that’s what he got. He stepped in the street and got ran over, whether it was on purpose or not he died and that’s what he wanted. 

Clearly, pets are more than just animals off the street. They have everything a close friend will give you. When you’re with them you feel warmth, love, strength and power. They listen to you, communicate with you, share their feelings with you and no matter who you are or what you look like, they will always be there for you. They share their love for you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The longer you’re with them the more attached you two become. Your relationship will grow incredibly fast. But be aware, that when they have to leave, you have to let them go. It will be hard, but it will be for the best. You just have to know they are going in a safe, peaceful place. They will always have a place in your heart. They are your best friends.