The Reality of Oy

I have been reading the Dark Tower series by Stephen King for 15 plus years. I am amazed as to how he can drag me off into a wonderful place, where a Clint Eastwood-esque character trods relentlessly towards his destiny, bodies of friends and enemies strewn about in his endless quest. The Gunslinger, Roland, plods on through endless landscapes in unending worlds towards his goal, the Dark Tower. One by one, foes and friends fall, and I read on...disturbed, but not surprised, nor even moved.

Then there was Oy.

If anyone out there in computin' land is reading this, and is reading the series, but not into the final book, please leave now, as I will be giving away an element of the story that you should experience on your own.

To the best of my recollection, Oy came into the Ka-tet in Book 3 (The Wastelands). He is what is known in mid-world as a Billybumbler. King's desciption of him is, from the beginning, clearly that of a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. It is probably because of my own close relationship with Corgi's, that I make this connection. Then, I find out in the final book, that King actually has Corgi's of his own. There is no question in my mind that Sai King is writing from his own experiences with his Corgi.

Oy acquired his unusal name through his rudimentary understanding of the spoken word. His first master is the boy Jake Chambers, referred to by the Gunslinger as "The Boy". Oy can only enunciate the word 'Oy, when referring to Jake, and is therefore so named.

Oy is an integral part of the Ka-tet, or family of Tower seekers. There is the Gunslinger, Roland of Gilead. He is joined twice by Jake Chambers, then by the drug addict Eddie Dean of New York, and by Susannah, the brave black woman, who lost her legs to a subway train in her version of New York.

From Book 2 to Book 7, these travellers braved horrible odds and unimaginable beings in their quest for the Dark Tower.` Halfway through the final volume, it became terribly clear to me what must unfold. In Book 1, the Gunslinger began his quest alone...and Ka dictated he must finish it alone. One by one, Eddie, Jake and Susannah exited the tale. In the end, only Oy and the Gunslinger remained. I held out hope that the little Billybumbler would see the tale completed. My hopes were futile.

Oy died today, and I cried. Me, the grumpy, heartless, 48 year old engineer, who could give a damn about most things in this world. Oy died, and I put the tale aside, and cried. I will finish it another time. It hit too close to home. It reminded me of Trifle, the first of our Cogis to go. It reminded me of Tom, the current Corgi, who so closely resembles who I imagine Oy to be. But mostly, it made me think of Katie, our first Corgi, and the one who has become closest to me. She is 12 years old, and I know her time is being marked. (Thank God, she doesn't know it or show it).

Travel well Oy..we were well met. I will see you in the clearing at the end of the path.