Rocky!

“So what are we doing in a pet shop?” I asked my dad who had brought me here.

“Twinkle, say hello to your uncle, he is the owner of this shop.” My dad said looking deep in my eyes.

I was pretty busy, I did want to greet him, but the words weren’t just coming out. I was too busy looking over a Pomeranian. He had glistening eyes, and we had this small connection which no one could break. It was like, I can talk to him. Ok I know it sounds crazy but that’s what happened!

My dad started talking to his friend and me with that cute little puppy. It had been hours since I had been playing with that puppy, it was time to go. I didn’t want to but you can’t always do what you like.

The other day, normal day, I got up, and all. My winter vacations were going on. I was hell bored when from nowhere I heard a bark, of a puppy. I heard it once; I thought it was maybe some stray dog. So then after like 3-4 minutes my mom came from the back with a pup in her hands, I saw it, and I was about to cry, because believe it or not but it was the same Pomeranian I saw in that pet shop. Later I discovered that it was that uncle, the owner of the pet shop, he had sent the dog for me

So now it was mine, it was a gift from him. I had a pet dog; I at last had what I always wanted. Guess what I named him! ROCKY! A Pomeranian not more than a year old called Rocky was now my pet! He was like a companion, a true friend.

I am the youngest in my family, so for me to have someone have younger to me and whom I could take care of was a new feeling and a new experience for me. My mom wasn’t really in favor of having a pet dog, so for the starting months when he wasn’t really trained, I had to pick up his poop. I used to feed him, take him for walks, train him, play with him and even sleep with him.

They were the winter’s time, when I had got him as a gift. He was like my baby, at nights he used to come over my bed and sleep with me, eat and drink with me, he used to even wake me up early to take him for walks and to get up in winter is really hard but I used to, just for him. I bought this Frisbee for him and I used to throw it to him, which he used to catch perfectly. Rocky was really very smart and in one month he learnt a lot. I made him learn how to do a handshake, and he even knew his name is “Rocky” and he used to come running when someone used to call him by his name. I had even got a really cute neck band for him, that neck band had small metallic bells attached to it, so far away on the street people could easily make out that it was Rocky coming.

He was even a great keeper; no one could even touch me in front of him. He used to bark so hard at strangers that they just used to get frightened by that little guy. He even used to dance with me and nod when his favorite songs used to come up. Later my school started (winter holidays got over); still I used to take him for early walks. Once mom called me, I was being quite late and Rocky hadn’t pooped yet, so I left him in the street and came back to take a bath. I don’t know why I did that; maybe I was too small to understand it all. When I got back, Rocky was there crying in pain. He had been harmed by some stray dogs. I cried a lot, took him to the doctor and didn’t even go to school. It was entirely my fault; I had left him there, all alone.

After some days, he started recovering. He was recovering very fast, and I was happy to see him again going out to just play and have fun with all those kids and some of my colony friends. After some 15-20 days, he started going out by himself on the road. It was very difficult for me to keep up with him. Most of the times he used to go out when I wasn’t home, and mom was busy with the household chores. We never got him a rope or anything, he was free. Sometimes, when he used to leave the house like this, the colony kids used to come back with him. It was really scary for me; I didn’t want to lose him. He was my first pet, my first very own pet! He was my little one.

Once the most unexpected happened, I wasn’t home; I had gone to my best friend’s house. She had bought a dog too, his name was John. After meeting John, I told my friend to take John at my place to meet Rocky, she agreed. We reached home, I called out for Rocky, but he didn’t come out. I thought maybe he is on the terrace, with the tenant’s kids but to my surprise he wasn’t there too. I ran back to my room, I searched and searched but he was nowhere to see. My friend had left, it had been more than an hour, he hadn’t come back home yet. After waiting for more 15 minutes, a little kid came and he said “Rocky is in our house”. I was relieved to some extent, I was happy to know that he is at some safe place. I went to that little kid’s house and when I reached there, Rocky was laying there. He wasn’t even moving and it was strange as he didn’t even move when I called out his name. Rocky was dead.

Rocky had been harmed by some stray dogs again. The next morning we buried him.

Here are few lines, dedicated to Rocky:

I loved you best

So this is where we part, My Friend,

And you’ll run on, around the bend.

Gone from sight, but not from mind,

New pleasures there you’ll surely find.

I will go on; I’ll find the strength,

Life measures quality, not its length.

One long embraces before you leave,

Share one last look, before I grieve.

There are others, that much is true,

But they be they, and they aren’t you.

And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought,

Will remember well all you’ve taught.

You place I’ll hold, you will be missed,

The fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.

And as your journey to your final rest,

Take  with you this… I loved you best.

“A pet is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself”. Love them, take proper care of them.