It has already been 5 years since my buddy left this world. That's right, Tuesday was my buddy and he died when i was 13. Of all the families to adopt a dog, it had to be a muslim family; my muslim (or shld i say, EX muslim) family. As some of you may already know, muslims are not allowed to own dogs. But Tuesday held a special place in my family's heart. Sides, we weren't very much muslims anyways.
A dog was tied to a pole in the basketball court. Depsite the weather, he stood out there, silently hoping his owners would come back. A little boy came not soon after and found the abandoned dog. Seeing how cute it was, he thought he'd bring it home. "Mama, can we keep the dog?" he asked. She said yes, so the dog had a place to sleep for the night. But the fickle decision of the parent soon changed and the boy would in turn have to abandon the dog. Unless, he could give the dog to the animal loving neighbours next door...
They had a cat, so it might be hard. Still he tried. And yes, the family next door took in the dog, seeing as the cat did not try to butcher the dog, or the other way around. The family happily took the dog in, and the dog seemed happy too. It was tuesday, so they called the dog Tuesday.
Tuesday stayed with us for some time. And in that time, his trust in me grew widely, to a point where he trusted me the most in my family. He became my buddy instantaneously. Tuesday was not what i thought a dog would be, meaning he couldn't sit, eat outta a doggy bowl, or even fetch a simple ball. He was a dog with a mind of his own. I'd bring him down on walks often. When i opened the drawers, The little canine hopped around enthusiastically and without care, even sometimes hurting himself in the process. Oh the joy in the animals face. When i brought him down, he'd pull me all the way to the other side of the neighbourhood, as if showing me where he once stayed. Hesitantly i'd pull him back, hoping i didn't meet his owners and have to return him.
As much as all of us loved him, my step-dad hated him. I remember he kicked him once, and Tuesday's back slammed against the back of a wooden sofa. I rushed to help him but he hit me too, so i just brouhgt him into the room.
Not too long after we got him, my buddy got really sick. He started bleeding through the nose and he was blue-black around his tummy. Doctor's couldn't find anything wrong at that moment. Tuesday wasn't toilet trained though, so he'd poop around wherever he wanted to. I came home one day and saw him preparing to leave his CRAP in the middle of the kitchen. I rushed to chase him away but when i got there my heart sank beneath the floor i stood upon. For lying on the floor was not dog poop, but it was a pool of blood, mixed with small traces of faeces. Yes, Tuesday was bleeding on the inside.
Not long after that, he was diagnosed with liver failure. My mom spent hundreds of dollars on medical bills for him to be recovered, but to no avail. It continued for weeks till one day the nurse called us and asked if we wanted to let him go humanely. I saw the tears that formed in her eyes. We knew wat it meant. My little buddy was dying. Maybe thats why people abandoned him in the first place.
He led the life he had always lived with us; walks, sharing our food, occasional jumping around and lots & lots of love. I woke up one day to hear my older my brother wailing in despair. Tuesday had died in his arms. I denied it completely till i felt his cold and breathless body. My buddy was gone this time.
We cremated him but did not keep his ashes. It was too much to hold on to. That week was a hard one. I was alone at home when, for fun, i just called out his name the way i used to when he was alive. I swear i heard his little doggy footsteps running down the living room to where i was, just as he used to do.
But hang on, this is not all a sad story. I posted this up to let people know that untill his last moments with us, he led a happy life and one i'm sure where he felt loved and cared for. Even in the adversity of death, it was our love for the little fella that made us move on. In the end i guess that's what triumphed. I did not regret buying him more stuff, giving him more walks or even toilet training him. What i really felt bad about was that i wished i spent more time with him, cuz i never got to say goodbye.
so i leave you blog patrons with this message; love like there is no tommorrow, because you never know when tommorrow will not come.
and congratulations for being able to read all the way down here! lol
cheers~
2 comments:
That is a very very sad story. At ur previous blog u said u been awakened by ur cat, I was like.. Huh? A cat? Why not a dog? I love dogs.
And then at first I thought Tuesday was a human.. I read twice and thrice.. My eyes turned wet. I still can't forget, when I was 3, our family dog being chopped by Indoensian foreign worker. I was standing and look at his bloody ear.. Dumb. So sad. :(
thank you. i loved Tuesday so much. when he would get angry at people i would go there and pet him even though he sometimes bit me and it would calm him down. i cant believe how close we got in our short time together.
anyho, this story was just a reminder to love the ones u hold dear. Tuesday was not a sad memory, neither am i sad when i think of him. Just lots and lots of love =)
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