She was a dog of black fur, little in size, but could give
an elderly person a fright with her high keening growl. I remember picking her
up from my neighbor’s house after her black dog gave birth to a litter of
puppies. She was adorable and precious in my sight.
I got her based on the notion that she will grow up to give
us also litter of puppies. She ate a lot, even more than our big dog with
golden fur, but she never became fat and this was the most surprising thing
about her nature.
She never accepted any other person into her fold except for
those of us that were her family, even my neighbors that visits often and bring
bones for her to feed on never fails to receive a thin growl from her. We keep
her warm, healthy and provide nourishment for her and she reciprocate this, by
keeping us safe, warning us when there is a stranger around or when there is
danger.
The day she died, the heaven mourned with me, even the sun
failed to give his very best, because my sorrow mirrored the love I felt for
her.
It was morning, I woke up to go to work and I noticed that
she did not eat the food that was given to her, I was nonchalant, because she
sometimes refuses to eat if the food is not what she wishes to eat, so I went
to work, walking gallantly, not knowing that will be the end of her short life.
I got home later in the day and I had my headset on, so her
thoughts didn’t cross my mind. It was after I have refreshed and I came out
that I noticed her just lying there, unmoving and responding. I knew she was
dead before I approached her to confirm my fears.
I was speechless. I felt a tightening in my chest and a
tingling in my feet. She was gone and I couldn’t bring her back. I love her in
my own way and I miss the way she is always happy at my return, how she
sometimes eat from my bare hands and growl at me when I have done something she
doesn’t like.
I realize something a long time later after her death. Love
is why I care about her, love is why I never fail to provide for her, love is
why I laugh in the face of her growl, love is why I accept her for what she is.
Love is why I have empathy for her and why I felt her loss.
And when we love, God resides within us.
In God’s love,
©Okunola peace.
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