Puppy Love

PUPPY LOVE

Julian Lorenzana

“Look at them, mommy! Aren’t they the most beautiful puppies in the world?” Tessie, my youngest sister, exclaims as she glances admiringly at the three puppies sleeping on the living room carpet.

Who would believe that just a few days ago these three puppies were ready to die? Their bodies were so skinny one could see the outlines of their ribcages. Now they are as playful and as chubby as they can be.

“Yes, Tessie, they are,” replied Mother with a faraway look on her face. She was probably thinking about the day when the puppies would be given away. As I looked at them, my mind went back to the time when I brought them home.

How and why did these puppies come to this house, where they are well fed and everybody loves them? Were they born to a family’s pet and then left to their fate? Were they bought as a litter at the local pet shop?

One morning, Mother told me that Mrs. Ella Williams, a friend of the family, had passed away a few days ago and she wanted me to go to her house to check on a beloved dog she owned.

“What happened to her, mom? What did she die of? Had she been ill?” Robbie asked her.

“No. She suddenly got very sick and doctors could not save her,” Mother answered. “It happened so suddenly we did not have a chance to visit her on our scheduled visit, which was two days after the day she died. We saw her at the funeral and, sadly, said good-bye to her there,” she added.

“How come my sisters and I didn’t know about it? She was our friend, too,” Robbie complained.

“Well, we thought the whole thing would be too sad for you. You or the girls would probably have cried,” she declared.

“I would not have cried! I’m not a baby anymore! I’m older than the girls!” he retorted.

“You are only twelve years old and lots of twelve-year olds cry at wakes and funerals,” Mother explained. “Let’s just forget it and do me a favor, okay?” she asked.

“Does it have anything to do with Mrs. Williams?” Robbie asked.

“Yes, it does. She had a female dog expecting puppies and she asked us to keep an eye on her if anything happened to her,” Mother said.

“Mother, that sounds as if she knew she was going to die soon! Isn’t it strange?” Robbie stated.

“Well, she was old, sick and alone. She simply wanted to make sure someone would be there to care for her companion. But let’s not talk about that anymore, okay? Just take a trip to her house and look around to see if her dog is there. Maybe someone took it already. I don’t know. Be careful on your way there and back. Take your cell phone and call me if you have any problems. And don‘t take too long coming back,” she demanded.