I came back home from school one day and rushed into the bathroom to wash my feet, not aware of the surprise the day had got me. I was startled to see a black furry ball, which turned around staring back at me. It was a puppy. And in no time I felt a rise in my oxytocin level. That's how Lucky and I first met.
The first few days were tough between us. She wasn't so familiar with me and she squealed whenever I picked her up. But nevertheless, I'd grab her gently and carry her around. Days past by and we ended up being more than friends. During school hours, I just couldn't wait to get back home and play with my new found companion. Her favorite toy was my teddy bear. She'd grab it with her canines and run away with it. She was aware of the fact that I'd be after her ,because I was so fond of that bear.
It's really amazing to watch dogs grow. She grew even more smarter now. Whenever I'd grab the chain or even make a little noise with it, she'd trot towards the main door, as it was her time to go out. She even understood words, like If I said, 'It's time for bath', she'd hide under the bed or the table where it was hard for me to bring her out. Dogs do hate bath time. Three years went by swiftly. Our financial situation became worse. So we decided to shift to a bigger city. We tried to look out for rentals, where we could keep dogs but there wasn't any that suited our budget. So we decided to keep lucky behind for a few years at our Uncle's.
The day of letting her go was heart breaking. And I thought I wouldn't cry. I took her out one last time for a walk. I really wished it was a dream. She did her stuff, thinking it was another regular day. She chased some crows and squirrels and walked through the plants sniffing here and there. Soon It was time to go. We reached our destination, and got down of the car. Lucky was as curious as ever sniffing around again.
I was relieved and glad when I met the family. They seemed warm and kind. It was time to go back home now. I touched and smelled her one final time and walked towards the car. I couldn't hold back anymore. Large tears rolled down my cheeks, I tried stopping them, but they just continued flowing. I didn't look back as I didn't wanna show my crying face to the family. The car turned around, I looked at her from the rear window one last time. That's when she began barking. I guess she must have realized by now. And as the distance between us widened, I could hear her barks turning into a series of high pitch yelps. I heard that before when we left her alone at home for one whole night. As soon as we returned home, we could hear those high pitched barks coming from the other side of the door. She was hurt and scared. I promised myself, I would come and get her back soon, once things get better. I just wanted her to hold on a bit longer.
Two years went by in the city. I thought about lucky often. I would ask my mom about her, she only replied that she's fine, even though I never saw nor heard her call the family for two years to ask about her. Then one day, when I was in the kitchen helping my grandma, she began a conversation. "We should never keep pets, if we cannot take care of them", she said. I was really puzzled why she said that. "Poor lucky!", she sighed. "What happened to Lucky?", I immediately asked, not really wanting to know the answer, because I had a bad feeling in my gut. "You don't know?...she died!', she spilled out. My face turned pale. I did not know how to react. I just locked myself in the bathroom and wept.
Apparently, Lucky died a month after we left. My parents knew about it, but I guess they didn't wanna hurt us (me and my little brother). They were shocked too. Reason of her death, she stopped eating after we left her there. She sat outside the house everyday waiting for us to return. Weakness and illness soon consumed her. She died, with a broken heart. Unintentionally, we betrayed a loyal heart. To know that Lucky died waiting for us to return was really heart wrenching.
Who said animals are petty creatures? Who said they don't have feelings? A dog cannot have two masters. You may not realize it, but believe me your pet loves you more than you know, more than you deserve. They don't judge you. And when you are miles apart, they miss you more than you do. They wait for you to return home and are already at the door before anyone else. Their eyes sparkle whenever they see you. They never cease to welcome you wagging their tails in excitement and happiness. They tend to lick you as a way of showing their affection. Cherish all the moments spent together because nothing lasts forever. Perhaps you could love your pet better now!
In The Memory Of Lucky
My Furry Companion (Labrador and German Shepherd)