A Dog’s Love

By Carmeliza Pedro Sustituido

“Daddy!” Yana shouted as she ran into her father’s arms, giving him a big warm hug. But then she suddenly noticed a box wiggling at the back that seemed to have something inside.

“Oh Daddy, what’s that?” Yana asked.

“Go and you’ll see.” her dad said, smiling.

As she opened it, she saw a little puppy that looked frightened and cold. Yana suddenly took the puppy out and carried it like a baby with care. Yana felt so close and warm, she didn’t want to put it down.

Since then, she was the one preparing its milk and food as well as playing and sometimes talking with the puppy as if they understood each other. Her dad and mom felt so proud and happy seeing Yana taking care of the puppy. She named it Bambi. It had white thin fur with black spots on its body and a big one on its face.

As the days went by, the dog became so close and attached to Yana, that it followed her around, even while sleeping or going outside. Every morning they had to jog and play fetch, and sometimes they just lay around somewhere at home. While studying or watching television, Bambi could be found just sitting still or lay beside her, as if they were glued together.

It feels good whenever you have a friend that is always by your side, doing whatever you do, listening to you. Even if it’s a dog, it seems he understands you. He cheers you up when you’re lonely and sad by sitting beside you or letting you cuddling him. Others say that it’s just a dog, but for all dog lovers, including Yana, a dog is a companion, friend and family, and there’s a special trust and loyalty.

One day, there was a family gathering at home. Relatives and friends came by. Yana proudly introduced Bambi to her cousins and friends. They played all day long and didn’t even notice they hadn’t eaten.

“Yana, come here, eat first,” her dad called.

“Okay, Dad! I’ll be right there!” she answered.

She rushed into the dining area with her cousins to eat and forgot that she had left Bambi behind. The dog kept on walking, looking for Yana until it finally just sat and lay at a corner. It kept looking around, seeing people talking and kids running, until it fell asleep.

After a whole day of playing, eating and talking, Yana suddenly thought of Bambi and found it sleeping. She lifted and cuddled it then went out to find food for it.

“Mom, is there anything I can feed Bambi?” she asked her mother.

“Ahm… I don’t think there are leftovers, your dad probably already put them into the garbage.”

Yana was saddened to hear that there was no food for Bambi. She carried Bambi away and sat at a corner where no one else could see them. Putting her head down and not saying anything made Bambi worried and so snuggled in beside her. Tears were falling down from Yana’s eyes while looking at Bambi, making the surroundings even lonelier. She pitied the poor dog, it was like her heart was torn apart.

“I’m so sorry Bambi,” she said as she hugged the dog.

Her mom came and saw her crying, and asked why. She replied that Bambi had no food and must be very hungry. Mom found a way for Bambi to eat so that Yana would not be sad anymore.

For a month, Yana was busy taking her classes, going from home to school and back again in her everyday routine.  Sometimes she forgot to notice Bambi, but when she would get home, Bambi was always at the front door waiting for her. Running towards her wagging its tail, it was full of excitement and happiness to see its owner.

Bambi always would always wait for her at the end of the day. It would help Yana forget her problems and her tiredness and she would feel grateful and relieved at that moment.

One day, Yana felt terrible and weak because of a stomachache. Bambi noticed that she was not feeling well, going up and down the stairs, returning from the bathroom several times. That whole day Bambi was just staring and following her. It was as though the dog was worried and sad for her.

When the evening came, the family was sound asleep except for one, Yana. She was in her room with Bambi and suddenly cried out of pain. Bambi heard it and went to her side, but the pain was getting worse. She went downstairs and lay down on the sofa, crying silently so her parents could not hear her. While she was enduring the pain, Bambi was just staring at her.

“I can’t take the pain anymore,” she said, while looking at Bambi.

The dog suddenly sat near her and started whining, sharing the pain she was feeling and keeping her company. The dog did not leave her side until Yana fell asleep.

Morning came, and Yana felt much better waking up, her stomachache was gone. AS she was leaving for school, she greeted Bambi with a smile said she would be back soon. But the dog didn’t react and just lay down on a corner.

A whole day passed by and it was late afternoon when Yana came back from school. Excitedly, she looked around, but her dog was nowhere to be found. She looked in every nook and cranny of the house, but she saw no traces of Bambi. Her parents looked at her with worry on their faces.

“Yana, come here sweetheart. We’d like to tell you something,” her dad said. “Bambi is dead. This morning after you leave, he could hardly breathe and felt weak the whole day. We tried to revive him, but it was too late. I’m so sorry, Honey.”

While hearing those words, you could see the tears flowing down from Yana’s sad eyes. It broke her heart that the only friend she had was now gone.

It’s fascinating to think that animals do have loyalty and trust towards humans, which is sometimes hard to find from human themselves. We may not directly communicate with them, but through actions and how we treat them, it will result in a good relationship between humans and animals. The love and trust we gain from them is the result of how we treat and love them. Humans are the only being with knowledge and skills that can be used to make the world better specially taking care of surroundings, living or non-living.

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