(this purely is a fiction)
The bus stops, I was awakened by the loud conversations which I later realized as arguments between the conductor and the passengers. The bus was broke down in the middle of nowhere. I was traveling alone to my house after my 3 year’s higher studies in north. I was eager to get my hands on some tasty non-vegetarian food, after my pathetic hostel food system, even thinking about a chicken leg or beef roast made both my eyes and mouth water. Something heavy fell on my head and I jumped out of my reverie. It was a suitcase, a heavy one; it flew out of its owners hand while he was fighting with the conductor. Both the conductor and the owner looked at me as if they had just killed me. The owner gave me several apologies and continued with his fighting which lessened to just a heated argument. It was 12.30 and the sun was doing it’s best to get attention. I wished I was home by now, I craved for some rest. The conductor announced that the mechanic would come any moment and the bus would soar to life once again. Somehow, even after hearing such an assurance I did not feel a bit relieved.
I hopped out of the bus for letting the road side shop wala treat me with butter milk. The cool liquid refreshed my whole body, as I was waiting for the second glass I noticed a dog, a puppy there. It was trying it’s best to grab one of those tins of biscuits. It was continuously jumping on its hind legs. Each time it landed on the ground I saw its rib bones protruding with thin layer of fur covering it. I bought a biscuit and the puppy with eager hungry eyes looked at me in a way that would make even the Hitler cry. Tears swelled in my eyes as I watched it eating. The shop-keeper stormed out and mimicked a kick at the puppy and it ran afraid. But fear is tolerable when compared to hunger right; it came again, looked at me with its tail wagging in a very high frequency. The man in the shop asked me not to encourage it. He had extreme disgust in his face and voice when he spoke. I did not drink the second glass of butter milk and walked to the bus. The puppy ran towards me and I felt miserable for being a helpless idiot.
I have never had a pet and I hadn’t had any kind of relationships with any kind of animal. I am against cruelty to animals but I had never done anything that could help them, and in fact I hardly used to spare a thought about them.
I went inside the bus leaving the puppy on the road wagging his tale with utmost innocence and divinity. I closed my eyes for a moment, I wanted to divert my mind from that little thing but all I could visualize in my mind was the puppy, his beautiful white and brown coat, his deep brown innocent eyes. I went to the conductor to enquire about the condition of the bus and he assured me a departure in 10 minutes. I tried a lot not look at the puppy again but I did, I saw it curled up on the road, in the heat, starved and thirsty, craving for some love. He was hardly a month old. ‘Poor thing’ I said out loud and the lady next to me followed my gaze and saw where I was looking, “one more starving creature, it will die soon or somebody would kill it and we are helpless”. Not even a second I had to think about what she had said and the bus was ready to leave. Everyone were relieved and clapped their hands, I did not take my eyes of the puppy and it mine. I ran to the driver and asked him to spare me a minute, all I could hear were my co-passengers shouting, I heard almost all the Indian languages in it. The driver scolded me and I begged to him, he finally put the engine off when I almost strangled him. I ran out of the bus, bought a packet of biscuit and grabbed the puppy. ‘Wow it felt so warm, so happy, and so full of life”
I wouldn’t have been looking at this beautiful creature sleep on my laps if at all that merciful passenger had argued for me, to let an animal into the bus.
“What kind of a person are you? It is just a tiny thing, have a little humanitarian concern” he had said and the driver who had a bored expression from the moment I saw him, ordered me to get in and the bus was moving.
So you did it, huh, the lady next to me stated with a satisfied smile.
As I looked into those brown puppy eyes something fluttered in my heart, for the first time in my entire life I felt as if I was the best person on earth.
I learned that my seat mate’s name was Ramya and she was a teacher, she had two children who were abroad and she had been visiting her mother who stayed at Cochin. I had to give her my whole bio data. She just kept on asking questions in a flow and I just kept on answering her with my eyes on the puppy. “Ann Mary…no, I am 21…haha…..yeah….no we live in Kerala, cochin….MBA…maybe...hopefully…haha…thank you, thanks a lot….”smiles. I found out that that my rescuer was looking at me and I flashed him a smile and mimicked thanks. He smiled back at me.
As I reached my city I waved at all my co-passengers and thanked my conductor, ramya gave me a thumps-up and told her that I would surely call her once. After 5 declines of my requests to auto-rickshaw drivers, the 6th guy let us in. it was tough, handling both my luggage and the puppy, but I somehow did it all.
My mom greeted us with absolute delight. She was somehow pleased with what I did; I never expected such a reaction from her. Grandma disapproved initially but gave in very quickly.
My father passed away when I was 6. He suffered blood cancer. I hardly remember any time I have spent with him, I remember his face only because of the albums. I have had a very quite childhood, school was the only place where I socialized. Days passed in a routine, luckily after my degree I was gone to another place, earned some exposure. I was ignorant of the world outside my locality until I joined the college in Mumbai. I hardly read newspapers, I hardly showed any interests in sports and I hardly did something out of normal.
The three years in north has changed me entirely into a new person. The first few days there were a little terrifying for me. Every night I talk to my mom and grandma, and I sob under my blanket before I sleep. I found others too matured to mingle with. I felt like a kid. I felt like an idiot. It was the exams that helped me break through the shell. I was the third topper in the first semester and people started noticing me. Gradually I was in love with the life there. The whole community was my friends.
The naming ceremony was real fun. We all gathered in the porch, my friend and neighbor Shreya had also come to be friends with the new member of our family. The names that had been suggested were all extremely stupid. I was getting irritated with all the half hearted participation of my family. Finally it was my grandma who decided to name him Easter. I found the name a little weird for a dog but Easter loved the name Easter and that was it.
The first 15 days of him being home and training him to reveal himself in a specific area was hectic, no when I think about it now, I adore those moments. Those moments were the doorway for a whole new world to me. The world I loved to be in. The world where I found my true self.
Easter was a big foodie and he loved milk. The person who managed the kitchen had to stay locked up because the scent that came flared up Easter’s nostrils which lead him to be a manic. Easter became the whole topic of our conversations, at least my part in the conversations. No home training had been given to him; he was a perfect dog, if only pulling the curtains, mattress, barking at guests, biting the furniture were saved.
We had a special link, me and Easter. He read my mind all through and I read him right back. He grew up really fast. Within 8 months he was the size of an adult dog. He was magnificent to look at. His brown and white coat was amazingly shiny. He was muscular, he was too beautiful.
Within a year we moved into a bigger house that I bought. My salary was pretty huge, something I had been proud and relieved of. Easter loved the lawn their. His playing area was huge. Our lives were at its best.
One morning, in spite of Easter the guard being there, a stray gave birth in our outhouse. We did not enter the outhouse for the rest of the week. One fine moment, when I saw Easter come out of the outhouse the secret was revealed, he was the father. I still remember grandma scolding him a lot. The new born were pretty much the combination of both the parents. Two of them had a black and white combination while the two females were pure black. The odd one and the prettiest with the deep brown shade did not make it to the second week. That was a hell of a moment, burying the puppy in our backyard. The mother did not stay in our compound even though the space had been provided. Five dogs were a big number to handle. Each of them competed with each other in the case of food consumption. Easter showed no fatherly affection towards them, in fact they even had a minor quarrel once. I enquired for people who wished to have dogs but most of them turned down the offer when they were told that the puppies were cross breads and from a stray. One day two boys came to enquire about the notice I had stuck in the lane saying puppies for sale. We finally fixed the deal and I sold the puppy for 2000 bucks. After a few days I visited those boys to see how the puppy was doing. To my horror I saw that the owners had left the house leaving the dog inside a cage which was twice smaller than the size of the dog. Rage gripped me; I brought the dog back home without any notice or consideration. Within a week the dog was brought back to health.
Every night I used to work on my projects and Easter would be there by my feet. One night as usual I was working and the others had retired for the day. Easter was acting a little restless that night. I tried a lot to calm him down but he wouldn’t let me. Finally I decided to quit working and play fetch with him. He fetched a couple of times and then he barked at me. For the very first time he barked at me. I was deeply worried by that but then I realized that he was warning me something. He ran downstairs and barked at the door where mom and grandma slept. I followed him suddenly fear knocking my heart. This was the second time this warning thing was happening. The previous time it was about the gas stove that was forgotten to put off. I ran to the door and opened it, I woke mom up and told the issue and she assured me that nothing was wrong. Easter sniffed the whole room for a while then came out and looked at me for a moment. I got no idea of what this was all about.
I went upstairs leaving Easter lying in front of that door. I was a little puzzled of Easter’s behavior, something worried me. Later I found him pulling me by my arm; I had fallen asleep on my desk. When I didn’t respond he barked at me again. This time I felt an eagerness for something in his bark. I got up and followed him downstairs again. I found this all a bit irritating this time. I opened the door and found both of them sleeping peacefully, but Easter ran towards grandma before I realized anything.
We left Easter at home and the other dogs outside in the kennel and drove to the nearest hospital. Grandma was taken to the ICU. Mom was weeping hysterically. I was tensed and felt a little numb. This was the first time I dealt any hospital issue. More than anything I just wanted to see grandma. I felt a throbbing ache in my heart. Mom refused my request to let me stay alone in the hospital.
After a while in the doctor’s room, Dr. Eric Antony, told us that grandma had survived a heart attack. The next day she was moved to a room and all we spoke about was Easter.
Eric the doc was a young man and handsome. I had spoken to him a few times. First we spoke about grandma and only her. Gradually it shifted to the worldly affairs. When grandma was discharged the third day, he asked me to meet him in his cabin. “Would you reject me if I turned up in your house the next week with my parents?” he asked in his husky voice with that crooked smile of his. “I might” I said suddenly embarrassed.
Meanwhile I happened to adopt a dog that was sick as the owners asked me if I would take over it. By then I was known for the number of dogs I had, at least in my neighborhood. It was named BigB and he was a Great Dane. He was my first high bred dog. I had developed my knowledge about animals by referring books and talking to vets before I took the decision of establishing a Home for animals. I had developed a new sense of affection to the four legged. I spared a lot of thought about them. I realized by time that Easter was one among those lucky ones that got a good life and there were unimaginable numbers who were suffering on the streets and left abandoned.
Eric did what he said, the next week. Both our families agreed for our wedding. I could not believe that I was engaged until our year long dating and getting to know each other process ended. I had spoken to him about the Home I wanted build up for animals and he was completely in love with the idea. He was a busy and well known doctor, he had warned me of his being absent in the daily procedures of the firm and I assured him that I would do it all. We were irrevocably in love with each other.
By the time I was a half year old wife I had pretty much managed to act that way too. My life hadn’t changed much except for the fact that I had to be more responsible. I was a happily newly wed woman by all means.
Easter totally accepted Eric even though he hardly obeyed him. Eric was his play mate. The numbers of dogs in the kennels were 8 by now. It was difficult for Easter to move around when they were let free. They all envied Easter for his masterly behavior. Once Easter was cornered by the 8 of them, but before I could do something one of them bit him by his neck and he yelped in pain. I still remember the sound he had made. It took him 4 weeks of medication to completely get rid of the wound. The vet assured me that he was in good shape for a 5 year old.
I was convinced enough that the orphan dogs had to be somewhere far from Easter that I desperately searched for a good land. My dream was to have a large area with full of greens where I could shelter a large number of animals, whichever they may be. But all of it was impossible in the middle of a city. It was a fact that my job, home and family, and a full fledged welfare center was impossible to manage. I and Eric decided to go for a small area of land and shelter a suitable number of animals for the time being. It took us one long year to get in ease with the big responsibility of having more than 50 animals that found a relief in us. Maximum of 6 came in a week while 1 was being adopted each week. I and Eric could manage to keep 5 staffs there.
On September 9th my first baby boy was born. My life changed rapidly, I changed, my outlook to the world changed, but it all changed for the best. We named him Ron.
Ron and Easter were inseparable. Sometimes it seemed as if they were engaged in serious discussions and otherwise they played, played and played. Ron was two; Easter was 8 when I gave birth the second time, a girl. The princess of my life. She was Meghann. Easter took care of the kids more than me. He would watch over them and inform me at once if something were going wrong. It seemed as if I and Easter had an untold understanding of how things worked. Meghann slept peacefully if she had Easter by her side. I still do not know what I would have done if Easter took it all in a different way. Instead of making it all difficult for me with two kids with a dog, he made my young mother hood a very sweet and adoring memory. A new respect formed in my mind for Easter. I regarded Easter as my equal. Many times I forgot the fact that he was a dog.
Grandma bid good bye when Meg was 2 months old. It was a good thing that she was not made to suffer a lot. Easter acted as if he understood everything that was said at the funeral though he lay beside her bed for a whole week.
Easter was growing slow. He took only milk and detested rice completely. I spent all my time at home with him. I sat beside him at night until I dozed off and Eric had to guide me to bed. Every morning I pray hard before I look at Easter. I was too afraid that Easter would leave me soon. His becoming old was killing me from inside. I could not digest the fact. ‘It is not fair’ I would say to myself. Most of the time he slept or he just lied down letting the kids play with his fur. He never opened his mouth for breathing and hence had become very silent and idle.
I walk into the house one morning from the shelter to see mom cooking, Ron and Meg playing with the building set and Easter lying beside them with his tongue sticking out. He did not come and greet me instead he lied there with the tip of his tail wagging. Fear crept over me. I knelt beside him and looked into those painful eyes and for once I realized that the dreadful time was not far away. I lay there hugging him, mom called the vet and Ron started crying while Meg was being taken by their grandma. I hid my face into his warm bosom and felt the beating heart. I didn’t want to let him go while the vet examined. I was afraid that he would just slip away to somewhere else leaving me behind. The vet confirmed my fear. Easter was dying inside. I telephoned Eric home.
I lay be side brushing him while all others surrounded us. He did not drink a drop of water offered to him. The clock struck 12. I had been weeping for more than two hours. Easter was suffering with pain be side me. It just happened within fraction of a second. Easter bit his tongue and his eyes bulged out and it went blank. My favorite eyes in the world went expressionless. I screamed before Eric consoling me. It felt as if my world spilt beneath my feet. I felt numb. I did not drop a tear for I was completely empty of them.
Easter was buried in our back yard, my Easter. My companion for beautiful long 9 years was gone. I could not see those beautiful eyes anymore. I could not feel that warm soft mane. I could not feel his loving licks or those naughty barks. I couldn’t be with him anymore. He was gone. Easter, the unexpected visitor that became the most important being in my life was gone. Easter was gone leaving a hole in my heart. He came into my life in the brightest hour of sun and slipped away from me and the world in the exact same hour, 9 years later.
Two weeks I lived with the painful memories of him wherever I went and then I got the will to move on. Move on and accept the fact. The next day I took my kids to the shelter and we returned home with a baby stray on Ron’s laps. There was the beginning of another beautiful journey, but this time the small difference was that, Ron and the lady Sony were the soul mates.
I park the car under the tallest tree in my 75 hectares of land that is home for 4782 animals including dogs, cats and cattle. I close my eyes and thank that puppy I met 20 years back for presenting me this life.
Animals are no slave to humans. They have their own concepts, beliefs and mind. They know the earth; they cherish the earth the way god meant her to be cherished. There is no just in tormenting those pure living beings for the thinking man’s happiness. The man’s world will never realize it because there they live each day to tick off there lists of wants, and their wants gets accomplished no matter who or what bothers them as they have the capacity to calculate life, where as the innocent voice less only knows what is real.
If a man chooses to save the ones that suffer right in front of their eyes at least, the world can be made a better place. Abandoning your pets are as cruel as selling your children. Do not present them with a life if you are prepared to take it back when their fate goes wrong. Remember, no pet is aware of the world outside, you abandon them and they know nothing of survival. They will be loyal to you until they breathe their last. See the love in them, see how godly they are, be a better person.
