Jehu

“Some dogs have owners. Basset hounds have staff.” That statement from a t-shirt epitomizes Jehu Vam Basset. He has no shortage of staff to wait on his every need. And he is not shy about making sad-eyed requests!

Jehu is a gift of love.

The NarroWay directors, Yvonne “Birdie” Clark and Rebecca Martin have shared a basset hound their entire professional careers. Jessie, the first, lived 17 years. When Jessie passed away, the cast member who played the part of Jesus showed up one day with a gift for the directors, a second basset who they named JP. JP was special because he loved and recognized music. Sitting beside Yvonne Clark as she composed the NarroWay songs, JP would sing. So much so that he couldn’t be present when a recording was made because, even though he could sometimes match pitch, it was more sweet than it was lovely. February 2013, JP quit singing and it was discovered that he was very ill.

After losing JP the directors determined not to put themselves through the heartbreak of losing a long-loved pet again. The joy of dog walks and being greeted by basset howls and a happy wagging tail were filed away in their emotions as a memory.

But Lora McCoy, NarroWay’s theatre manager and long-time best friend, saw the sadness in their eyes. She prayed and asked the Lord to help her to find and afford the perfect basset puppy to bring back the silliness, love and laughter that only a basset can bring. She found a breeder with a pregnant basset and followed the story until she gave birth, hoping that at least one puppy would be male.

October 18, 2013 came and the female gave birth to … all female puppies. Lora was brokenhearted. But wait! There was a mistake. The last to be born was a chunky, little male.

Lora could hardly wait until the little fellow was ready to be picked up from Wilkesboro, NC. It was a Sunday evening in December. She put a Santa Claus hat on his head with the long, droopy ears, wrapped him up in a soft blanket and presented the most special Christmas surprise!

One of Birdie’s favorite stories from the Old Testament is the story of King Jehu. It is said of Jehu that he could be recognized from a distance by his chariot driving because he came “fast and furious.” Watching the little puppy trip over his long ears, he was anything but “fast and furious” but they couldn’t resist making the funny comparison with that biblical King. And nothing has changed! He still lags behind to smell every scent and he simply hates to exercise.

He has brought much joy to the entire NarroWay team. Jehu comes to work every day at the NarroWay Theatre. He roams from office to office at his pleasure. Whoever is eating lunch, that’s his best friend. He positions himself under the feet of anyone with food and quietly waits. He has been trained not to beg but his eyes say it all. He has even learned who is the fastest and slowest eater. He goes to the fastest first then moves to the next, passing down the line until all are done.

He has a host of admirers in the cast as well. At rehearsals and backstage, there is no shortage of belly rubs. If he isn’t given his due attention, he hums a high-pitched whistle cry to get attention.

Jehu will not sleep on a bare floor but must have soft comfort. He is a man of many beds. He has a total of three beds in the offices and more at home. And he appreciates each one. In fact, if his adopted sister, Gilbert, is lying in his bed of choice, he won’t go to another. Instead, he stands and cries until she can’t listen any longer and finally gets up.

Jehu is very smart and picks who he wants to take him out. If the one he chooses doesn’t respond, he simply lays down and won’t go out. And if it is a sunshiny day, he loves to plop himself to the ground and wallow in the grass. Sometimes he refuses to get up, knowing that no one can hoist up 80-pounds of basset stubbornness. That requires a phone call to a staff member inside who must come to the outside door and yell with great excitement – enough to spark Jehu’s nosy spirit to get up and hurry to see what’s going on.

Like his beds, he selects specific toys. He will go through his entire toy box just to find the perfect one and will not accept another until he finds the one he wants. His safe place is under Birdie’s feet. He runs there if he knows it is bath or medicine time. When a staff member is sad or sick, he lays on their feet, under their desk. He hates walking so it is impossible to enjoy a leisurely doggie walk with Jehu. But he nearly screams with joy at the sight of a golf cart or his oversized stroller. He prefers a ride and rides to work in a truck every day with his best buddy, Lora. His seat of choice is on the driver’s lap.

In the office we call him the “blood pressure check”. When the stress is topmost, a stroke or two across Jehu’s big head and oversized ears always lower the tension.

He is a big hit on stage as well! While he is not in every show, there are opportune times that he makes an appearance. You’ll find Jehu resting comfortably in his house (or chasing Mary Margaret) for “The Gospel According to Tennessee,” where he plays the part of … Jehu, the basset hound. In “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” he has multiple personalities – Jehu the dog and Jehe the lion! And for “The Real Christmas Story,” he is his lovable self in act 1.