Dog Love

We were well into March, and yet, there seemed to be no relief from the cold winter in Shanghai. I was still stuffed under multiple layers of clothing, and a couple of times I had come close to swearing at the Good Lord for cursing this part of the world with a “never ending” winter.

The wind kept blowing so strongly, that I was afraid it might even blow me away as I walked to office. The shops on the roadside were opening, many of the shopkeepers were just sweeping clean their front walk as part of their morning routine. I smiled at our regular fruit guy as I walked past him and made a mental note to buy some strawberries when I returned from office that day.

I was about to take the turn to my office when a furry little creature ran past me, almost hitting me. A dog. A species that I have no particular care for, even bordering on the verge of hate. I have never had a soft corner for these creatures, but today would reveal an incident that would result in me giving them a little more respect.  

I looked ahead to see what was the creature running from – it could be a nasty shopkeeper wielding a stick to thrash its brains out. Hopefully, I searched for someone that fit the bill and quickly came to the conclusion that it was not running away from someone – but rather TO someone.

Probably to its owner who was careless enough to leave their pet behind. Usually, at this point, I would shake my head and walk ahead, totally uninterested in the happenings in Dogworld. Today, curiosity or maybe, my instincts prompted me to stay there and check whether the dog reached safely to its master.

What I turned around to see was different. The dog was baring its teeth and standing on the edges of the road, as if trying to cross the road but could not because of the onslaught of traffic. Where could it be rushing off to in such a hurry, I wondered.

My answer was right across the road. A lady was straining against the leash of a dog, which was trying hard to resist. The lady struggled to walk with the dog equally struggling not to co-operate.

I could see Dog no. 2’s resistance wane as the lady eventually started to drag him (or her. At this point, I would like to call it as ‘her’) along the harsh road. On the other side of the road, when the traffic saw a respite, I could see the hero of my story dashing to cross the street.

Too late. The lady had managed to drag dog no.2 to the gates of the community where she probably lived. From where I stood, I could see dog no.2 give as much resistance as possible, digging her claws into the hard road, trying to buy as much time for her friend to reach her. All the while, straining her neck on the harsh leash trying to turn around and keep her eyes on him.

Life is unfair – almost always. Not just in our world, but in the canine world too. By the time, he managed to cross the road without getting run over, the lady had disappeared with her pet into the depths of the concrete maze within the gates.

I could see the dog, worn and breathless gazing at the community gates. Though its back was turned to me, I could see in my mind, a pair of sad brown eyes. As if not willing to accept defeat, he walked to the shade of a tree and sat down.

I wondered, when was the last time I had run for a friend’s sake. Hell, when was the last time I did something – anything- for a friend?

Next time, I promised myself, if I ever have the chance to run for a friend, I will run like it is the end of the world. Even if the gates close on me.