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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The Gem Of My Life

Written by fleur de lis

Gone? I barely whisper. My heart stood frozen at her words. I barely registered what my mom has just said and it all sinks slowly a few moments later. I knew it will happen one day, but I never thought the day would come that soon. I walked to my room and sink on my bed. My eyes started to water. My mind flashes back.

“Hey Jill, come and have a look. There’s a black pup roaming in our street.” My little sister comes bustling and both of us look out from the door. “Aww…. He’s so cute. Lets go outside and have a better look.” My mind concludes fast. Mom is not at home, neither is Dad. It would not hurt to have a peep and maybe a few pats on the pup if he is harmless enough. I rushed to the kitchen and scoop a few handfuls or rice and also a generous amount of Mom’s specialty dish – salted vegetable with pork and placed them on a plastic bag. Both of us went out and whistled to the pup. Sure enough, he came trotting at us with that lost pup look. He is a few month old pup so he is not exactly that little anymore. We fed him and he gobbles everything down. Either he is a fan of mom’s cooking or perhaps he is just plain hungry. “Shall we name him Spike?” My elder sis came into view a short while later. Both of us nod.

From that moment on, Spike never leaves us. Mom does not allow us to rear him because she said our house garden is not big enough and also pets are troublesome. Still, we fed him all the time. Ohh, by the way, he is actually a her. But since Spike has already taken to the name, so we just let it be. Spike usually roams the neighborhood and our neighbors help fed him too whenever they have some leftover bones or meats. Spike has taken over us so much that she always come back even though some neighbors treat her particularly well. That is dog for you, their loyalties stands firm. She greets us whenever we reached home. She’ll be eying the corner of our street and when she saw our car turns in, she’ll bark joyfully and madly and came trotting after our car. When mom and I went to the market, she’ll happily trot along following us but she always stops at the main road. There are too many cars there and we will shoo her back for we are afraid that she might get knock over. Mom always scolded me whenever I pat her. She said Spike is filthy but I just could not resist it each time I saw her. She always loves it when I patted her. She will close her eyes like she thoroughly enjoyed it. I even bought dog shampoo and tried to bath her. She does not like it but I grabbed on her to make her stay still. She is a mischievous dog, always chasing and barking at our neighborhood’s postman and people on bikes and bicycles. Most probably she is against people on two wheels. She looks fierce on the outside but she is one scaredy cat inside. All in all, she is one lovable dog. Dad has took a liking to her too and he bought her Pedigree (canned dog food) most of the time. She just loves them.

However, due to Spike’s playful nature she does annoyed some of the other neighbors. She did sneaked in into people’s garden and digs the dirt up and barks all the time in the middle of the night. Those that despise wild dog frequently lodge a report to get a few dogcatchers to capture Spike. Spike is pretty smart; many times she escapes when she saw the truck turning in. And she always outruns those dogcatchers. She has got a few good hiding places. My sis and me always pleaded to mom to take her in but mom always refuses.

One gloomy day however when I was in school, they managed to catch Spike. According to my mom, the neighbors said they surrounded her at both corners after a few runs and Spike knowing that she would never have a chance, succumb at our doorsteps and being drag away.

Spike came into our life for a short period of a year plus, but the vast memories she has given us is priceless. I have always dot on Spike a lot thus that is why I am her favorite and it hurts so deep to find out she ended up like this.

All that is left now is only memory. It had happened more than eight years ago but I can still feel the affection of Spike towards us. Her mischievousness and antics lingers in my mind all the time. Someday, I know I will have another dog, but the memory of my very first dog will never be forgotten. It might be painful but this is just part of life. And learning to accept it means that you have grown up. Friends or even the special someone come and go in your life. Nothing stays forever. Just be grateful that both of you once crossed path. For the memory will remain eternally.

She is more than a friend and a companion to me. She is a part of the family and that should never change. Wherever you are, Spike, you will always have a place in my heart.

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