A biker found the Golden Retriever tied to the bridge at 3 AM with a message that said, \u201cI can\u2019t afford to put her down.\u201d Please don\u2019t let her suffer.<\/p>\n
The dog was about eight years old. On her tummy, there was a growth the size of a softball. Can\u2019t breathe.<\/p>\n
Someone had given her a stuffed duck, which was her favorite toy, and some water. People had liked the duck for a long time. But the second note in the collar changed everything.<\/p>\n
When I was looking at my bike, I heard whimpering. I\u2019ve been riding for a long time and have never seen anything like this.<\/p>\n
This lovely dog was dying and had been left alone, but she still wagged her tail when she saw me. There were two notes on the collar.<\/p>\n
The first was about making her sad. The second one was different. The child\u2019s writing. Crayon on paper for notebooks.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease save Daisy.\u201d She\u2019s the only one I have left. My dad thinks she has to die, but I know that angels ride bikes. I prayed that you would find her. There is $7.43 in her collar. This is all the money the tooth fairy gave me. \u201cPlease don\u2019t let her die alone.\u201d Love, Madison, 7 years old.<\/p>\n
But what was written next scared me because the owner wasn\u2019t\u2026<\/p>\n
Fifty-eight years old. For forty-two years, I\u2019ve been riding. I thought I had seen it all.<\/p>\n
I was wrong.<\/p>\n
Tuesday night. It\u2019s really Wednesday morning. Three in the morning. I was on my way back after seeing my brother in hospice. Cancer. A different cancer narrative. I was angry at the world, at God, and at how terrible it was that good people had to die painfully.<\/p>\n
The Harley started to make a peculiar noise around the old Cedar Creek Bridge. The one that hasn\u2019t been utilized since they built the expressway. I paused to see what it was. I heard it then.<\/p>\n
Crying. Kind. Like something that wants to be quiet but can\u2019t.<\/p>\n
I followed the noise. A Golden Retriever was tied to the bridge\u2019s support beam. What a nice puppy. Well taken care of. Collar with tags. But quite thin. Not thick enough. And that growth. That tumor, oh my God. A object the size of a softball hanging from her belly.<\/p>\n
She started to wag as she spotted me. Not the joyous wag of a dog that is healthy. The thankful wag of something that thought it would die alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, girl,\u201d I said as I moved up slowly. \u201cWhy are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n
She made an effort to get up. Nope. The tumor was too large. But she kept wagging her tail and looking at me with those brown eyes that said, \u201cI\u2019m a good dog.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m a good dog.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a bowl of water. Still new. A blanket. Her stuffed duck toy was in bad shape. And there was a letter attached to the beam.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer name is Daisy. She has cancer. The vet wants $3,000 for surgery, but she thinks the dog might die anyhow. I don\u2019t have the cash. I also can\u2019t afford to put her down for $400. Please, whoever finds her, don\u2019t allow her get hurt. Do what I couldn\u2019t do. I\u2019m sorry, Daisy. \u201cYou should have gotten more.\u201d<\/p>\n
When I spotted something else, I was ready to call animal control. There was a second message tucked in her collar. Different styles of writing. A child\u2019s scribbling using a purple crayon.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease save Daisy.\u201d She\u2019s all I have left after Mommy went to heaven. Mommy informed me that angels ride motorcycles, but Daddy believes she needs to die. I prayed that you would find her.<\/p>\n
There is $7.43 in her collar. This is all the money the tooth fairy gave me. Please don\u2019t let her die alone. Love, Madison, age 7. P.S. Daisy knows how to shake hands and loves peanut butter.<\/p>\n
There were 7.43 quarters and dimes within the collar, all wrapped in plastic.<\/p>\n
When I sat down on that cold concrete, I cried. This girl assumed that $7.43 would assist her dog. I thought angels rode bicycles. I assumed that prayers worked.<\/p>\n
Daisy crawled over with that tumor and laid her head in my lap.<\/p>\n
I told her, \u201cYour little girl loves you.\u201d And she\u2019s right: angels do ride motorcycles from time to time.<\/p>\n
I called Amy, the vet. I\u2019ve known her for twenty years.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Amy? Bear. I know it\u2019s three in the morning, but I truly need you.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFound a dog.\u201d Left it behind. Has cancer. \u201cChild involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow bad?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot good. But you have to try it anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBear, if it\u2019s that bad\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAmy, a seven-year-old girl, gave her tooth fairy money to save this dog.\u201d We\u2019re doing our best.<\/p>\n
Shut up. Then, \u201cGet her in.\u201d<\/p>\n
I had to put Daisy in my truck. I went back to get the bike later. She sat next to me in the passenger seat with her head on my leg and never took her eyes off my face.<\/p>\n
We saw Amy at her office. When she spotted Daisy, she shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cBear, this is advanced.\u201d \u201cEven if I take out the tumor, it has probably spread.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut can you take it off?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d But it costs a lot. And she\u2019s not very strong. \u201cShe might not survive the surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much does it cost?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith everything?\u201d Three to four thousand.<\/p>\n
I looked at Daisy. Madison sprang to mind. Seven years old. Her mother died. She\u2019s about to lose her dog.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBear, you don\u2019t even know these people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know a little girl is asking for a miracle.\u201d That\u2019s all I need.<\/p>\n
The surgery lasted four hours. I sat in the lobby and read the note written in purple crayon over and over. Madison had drawn pictures on the back. Figures with sticks. A girl, a dog, and an angel ride a motorcycle.<\/p>\n
Amy came out feeling exhausted. \u201cShe made it. The tumor is gone. But Bear, it had spread. I got what I could, but\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long?\u201d \u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe six months.\u201d A year, maybe. \u201cIf we\u2019re lucky, maybe longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s six months to a year more for her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou spent $4,000 on a stranger\u2019s dog for six months?\u201d \u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m giving four thousand dollars to a little girl\u2019s hope.\u201d<\/p>\n
It took Daisy a long time to get better. I brought her home and put a bed in my living room. At first, she couldn\u2019t move very far, but she got stronger every day. Her tail wagged a little harder every day.<\/p>\n
I had to find Madison now.<\/p>\n
The collar tags include an address. It\u2019s a charming neighborhood that used to be better, but now people are barely making it. I knocked on the door around dinner time, assuming someone would be there.<\/p>\n
Someone answered. They appear tired, their clothes are soiled, and their eyes look suspicious.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah?\u201d \u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cYou lost a dog? \u201c<\/p>\n
He grew pale. \u201cYou found Daisy? Is she\u2026did you\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
He leaned against the door frame and said, \u201cI couldn\u2019t do it.\u201d I couldn\u2019t put her down. But I also couldn\u2019t stand to watch her hurt. I\u2019m not a bad person.<\/p>\n
I just\u2026 I work two jobs, yet it\u2019s still not enough. My wife died last year. Bills for medical care. I am going to die. And now Daisy\u2026 Madison doesn\u2019t know. Thinks Daisy left. It hurts her, but it\u2019s better than knowing I left her\u2014<\/p>\n
\u201cDADDY!\u201d \u201cA small voice from within.\u201d \u201cWho is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Madison came. Age: 7 Blonde hair in pigtails. Missing teeth at the front. Her eyes went huge when she saw my leather vest.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you ride a motorcycle?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you find Daisy? I asked God to send an angel on a motorcycle to find her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her father started to cry. \u201cMadison, honey\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s at my house,\u201d I said. \u201cShe had surgery, and the tumor is gone. She\u2019s getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Madison exclaimed. Nothing but joy. She jumped up and down and said, \u201cI knew it!\u201d \u201cMommy was right! I knew angels rode bikes!\u201d<\/p>\n
My dad took me aside and said, \u201cI can\u2019t give you back what you gave me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t ask you to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would you do this? \u201c<\/p>\n
I delivered him Madison\u2019s note, and he broke down.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe took the money from the tooth fairy.\u201d I had no idea she knew Daisy was sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cKids know everything.\u201d The real question is, do you want Daisy back?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, God. But I can\u2019t pay for her medicine. The vet stated, \u201cEven after surgery\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d \u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause your daughter believes in miracles.\u201d She believes that bikers are good people. She lost her mother when she was seven. She doesn\u2019t need to lose anything else.<\/p>\n
We brought Daisy home that weekend. She was able to move about better. Even though she was frail, that tail remained wagging. When she saw Madison, she cried. Cried for genuine. Don\u2019t believe anyone who says dogs don\u2019t cry.<\/p>\n
Madison was nice. Take care. I sat next to Daisy and read her stories. Put peanut butter on a spoon for her. Always stayed with her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks, Mr. Biker Angel,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust Bear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, Mr. Bear Angel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Almost there.<\/p>\n
I started to come by once a week. Giving Daisy her medicine. Dog food. When I went shopping, I bought things that I would call \u201cextras.\u201d Tom, Madison\u2019s dad, was proud but not stupid. He knew what I was doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to pay you back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the point of this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy brother is dying of cancer.\u201d I can\u2019t do anything to aid him. But I could help Daisy. \u201cSometimes you save what you can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Madison would run outdoors when she heard my Harley. \u201cMr. Bear Angel! Daisy made it to the corner today! Daisy ate all of her food! Daisy had fun with Duck! (Duck was the stuffed animal.)<\/p>\n
It had been six months, and Daisy was still alive and becoming stronger. We knew the cancer was still there, but she was still alive, having fun, and being liked.<\/p>\n
My brother died in the seventh month. I was heartbroken. I hadn\u2019t seen Tom and Madison in two weeks. When I finally went back, Madison and Daisy were sitting on the porch together, both wearing the same bandana.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were worried,\u201d Madison said. \u201cDaisy missed you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry, kiddo.\u201d \u201cMy brother went to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n
Madison nodded and looked serious. \u201cLike Mommy.\u201d Is he really an angel now? Not an angel on a motorcycle, but an angel in heaven?<\/p>\n
\u201cI think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay. Mommy needs some friends. Do you want to see what Daisy learned?\u201d<\/p>\n
She had shown Daisy how to \u201cpray\u201d by bringing her paws together and bending her head. It was funny and lovely, and I laughed for the first time since the funeral.<\/p>\n
Tom came out. \u201cI heard about your brother.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMadison made you something.\u201d<\/p>\n
She sent me a picture. Me on my bike with wings. Daisy with wings. My brother and her mom are up in the sky. \u201cThank you for being our angel\u201d is written in purple crayon at the bottom. Love, Madison and Daisy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWow, that\u2019s so pretty, kiddo.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Angel Bear? Will Daisy go to heaven?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything good goes to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWill you take care of her until I get there? When I\u2019m really old?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPromise.\u201d<\/p>\n
One year. Daisy lived for a year. The vet was astounded. Amy said, \u201cLove.\u201d \u201cLove is what makes the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
We all knew Daisy was getting bad. She stopped eating and playing with Duck, but she still wagged when Madison returned home from school.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s time,\u201d Tom told me. \u201cI can see it,\u201d but I can\u2019t\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMadison will be very sad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019ll make it.\u201d She has her father, and she knows that Daisy was adored.<\/p>\n
We did it on a Sunday. Madison held Daisy as Amy gave her the shot. Daisy died peacefully, with her tail wagging till the end. She looked at Madison with such much love that it broke everyone\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s with Mommy now,\u201d Madison said between her tears. \u201cMommy has Duck\u2019s sister\u2019s toy.\u201d They are having fun.<\/p>\n
We buried Daisy in my backyard. I have more room than Tom. Madison comes by every week to bring flowers and talk to Daisy about school.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Angel Bear? \u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, kid? \u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saved her.\u201d She had one more year. \u201cOne more year of love.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour tooth fairy money saved her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeven dollars and forty-three cents,\u201d she said with a smile that showed her missing teeth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best thing I\u2019ve ever bought.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tom acquired a better job. He works nights in a warehouse. I monitor Madison while she does her schoolwork at the kitchen table. We got a second dog and named him Duck, which Madison insisted on.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaisy would want us to save another dog,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She was right.<\/p>\n
I have a frame for Madison\u2019s sketch of me riding a motorcycle with wings. Next to it is a picture of my brother with two angels, one in the sky and one on a Harley.<\/p>\n
Madison is twelve now. She still calls me Mr. Bear Angel and believes in miracles. Tom is frightened because he is starting to notice males, but she is a good person. Tom thinks she looks like her mom, and I think she looks like Daisy.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cBear?\u201d she said last week as she was doing her homework at my table. \u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah?\u201d \u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m writing an essay about heroes.\u201d Is it okay if I write about you? \u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cKid, I\u2019m not a hero.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saved Daisy.\u201d You gave us one more year with her. \u201cThey just ride motorcycles and wear leather.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMadison\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when Dad couldn\u2019t get groceries, you brought them. You fixed our car so he could get to work as he cried about Mom at night. You went to the father-daughter dance with me when I didn\u2019t have anybody else to go with.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone who is a good person\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d Not anyone. You. A guy on a motorcycle who stopped around 3 a.m. to get a lost puppy. Who spent a lot of money on people they didn\u2019t know. Who made us a family when we didn\u2019t have one.<\/p>\n
She took out her writing. \u201cAngels Wear Leather: How a Biker Saved My Family\u201d is the name of the book.<\/p>\n
I read it. Cried. This great kid had written down everything. Every time. Every bag of food. I always \u201chappened\u201d to have extra dog food.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I read one part out loud?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Bear taught me that family isn\u2019t always blood-related. Sometimes family is a motorcyclist who finds your dying dog and thinks that the tooth fairy money of a seven-year-old is worth more than gold.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sometimes family is someone who comes to see you every week for five years just to make sure you\u2019re okay. Sometimes family is a man who promises to take care of your dog in heaven even though he doesn\u2019t have to. Mr. Bear is my favorite person. My angel. \u201cMe and my family.\u201d
\nTom walked in next and read the essay over my shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is right, you know,\u201d he replied. \u201cYou saved us.\u201d Not just Daisy, but us too.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just changed everything for us. Bear, let her turn in the paper.<\/p>\n
Madison won the contest. She had to read it in front of the whole school, which was made up of 300 kids, their parents, and teachers.<\/p>\n
I was in the front row with a leather vest on. There were other bikers there, too. Tom the Big. Hey, Jake. Twenty brothers who had heard the story.<\/p>\n
Madison read her essay out loud plainly. No shame. Without a doubt. Parents cried when she talked about the $7.43. Teachers cried when she talked about Daisy\u2019s last day. When she stated, \u201cMr.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy brothers said, \u201cBear taught me that heroes don\u2019t wear capes; they wear leather,\u201d and they all stood up and clapped.<\/p>\n
After that, kids came up to me and asked to see the hero on a bike. The parents thanked me. One mother said her daughter had been placing money in dog collars at the shelter \u201cfor the motorcycle angels.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou started something,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Madison now runs a fund to save animals. Kids send tooth fairy money to \u201cDaisy\u2019s Angels,\u201d and bikers give real money. So far, we\u2019ve saved 17 dogs, paid for their surgeries, and given families time they wouldn\u2019t have had otherwise.<\/p>\n
All because a seven-year-old girl thought angels rode motorcycles.<\/p>\n
All because the tooth fairy gave them $7.43, which was worth more than letting a dog die alone.<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re angry at the world for taking good people too soon, you can find a reason to be good yourself.<\/p>\n
Daisy lived for another year, and Madison was able to say goodbye in a good way. Tom got to see his daughter get healthier, and I got a new family when I thought I had lost my last one.<\/p>\n
The note is next to Madison\u2019s drawing. It\u2019s a purple crayon on notebook paper. It says, \u201cSeven dollars and forty-three cents.\u201d This is all my tooth fairy money.<\/p>\n
That was plenty. More than enough.<\/p>\n
Angels don\u2019t need a lot of cash.<\/p>\n
They only need to halt when they hear someone crying in the dark.<\/p>\n
Even if that person has a tumor and four legs.<\/p>\n
Even if it\u2019s 3 a.m. on a bridge that no one uses anymore.<\/p>\n
With only $7.43 and a prayer that angels ride motorbikes, you can still get what you want.<\/p>\n
Yes, they do, Madison.<\/p>\n
Yes, they do.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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