Sunday, August 28, 2011

Preserving a Relationship over a Puppy

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The arrival of a puppy one Saturday morning brought at least joy to every dog-lover here at the center, and so to me surprisingly. Since I am a dog-phobia freak, then a surprised feeling like this is really acceptable. I insist!

Grown dogs disliked me a lot. Sad to say they are my stressors along the road. Although I fancy bird or cat or fish over a dog but it doesn’t mean I hate dogs. As far as I can remember I have never mistreated nor hurt one. I think I am just so unfortunate having nasty dogs around me.

So much about grown dogs! Let me go back to king-king, a new puppy in the campus.

For the first time I had a sincere attachment to a puppy. Not mine though, but I was always the person this lovely creature looked for every morning. Those pampering and special treatment I had for the puppy won his (king-king) attention.

When everyone gave him a name, my naming stood them all. He listened to me more than he listened to other adorers. Unbelievably he listened to me more than he listened to his owner. Wonder?

Every morning he would come to my bed and woke me up. At times it was so annoying but his fawning was so enticing. What can I do? He was such too cutie to resist and not to care about.

Of course, the story didn’t end there. As he was growing up everyday, the more the craving for food as well - obviously very picky and difficult to feed. For one reason I totally understood because he was just a month old or maybe less when he was brought here – not weaned yet from his mother. So everyday was a discovery for a first timer (a dog lover) like me. Lucky enough king-king was always pleased with my discoveries and ate the food I fed him.

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When I thought everything was just right, then the bugging began. It wasn’t the puppy. It was the owner! His responsibility for his pet was always left undone - at all times from breakfast to supper. It was I, it was I and it was I who always took over.

Everyday was like treating a person with amnesia reminding him of a very simple task – FEED THE DOG! For many times, with chances and constant reminders and still his amnesia is uncured, getting worst.

Just a week ago, I gave him another (LAST) chance. Hopingly he would understand since he is no longer a kid – he is a University student so to speak. But it turned out that my admonitions were just clanging cymbals ignored and defied. Intentionally? I don’t know. I’ll leave it to him to think of that.

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He is one of the Big Brothers of the kids that I am taking care of at the center. So I was doing my hardest to preserve our relationship because it is just too much to bear. And it was just a puppy problem honestly. I was also doing my best to hold my horses not to say hurtful words just because of puppy issue. But nothing happened.

Then tired and fed up!

So it was time to make a move – in a nice and loving way certainly. After all I don’t want to lose my trust to this boy.

I told him “I am choosing you over the puppy despite of your defiant behavior. I don’t want that our relationship will be broken because of this puppy. And you know what I mean.” Then I gave him the key to my motorbike and asked him to drive the puppy back to his house where it belongs.

He agreed and I was thankful for that spirit.

Yes, it was a difficult decision to make but I have made the right choice. I and the kids are so missing king-king right now. Just tonight, it broke my heart seeing the food for king-king hanged in my room. I bought it this morning and have forgotten to send it on their way home.

The boy is coming back tomorrow morning (without king-king for sure), but I am not that confident if he really appreciated my decision. Sooner or later, I wish he would. For now, what matters most is that I preserved our relationship over a puppy. And that is very soothing.

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