Shared Happiness
“Woof!” The sound was so faint I would have missed it, if I hadn't felt something brushing my feet. Looking down I saw a feeble pup standing shakily near the bench where I was seated. Wondering where it had wandered from, I scanned the park, hoping to find the litter from where I presumed it must have strayed. Unable to find its family, I decided to carry it home.
My daughter Maitri was overjoyed to see the new member in the house. Although, she already had Minnie as her companion, she was more than thrilled to have a new friend, and so was Minnie.
Choosing a name was the simplest task. The pup had a white coat with a little blob of black on its tail. The unanimous decision was of course Snowy! Eight-year-old Maitri was very efficient at looking after Snowy, since she had tended to Minnie when she was a tiny kitten. Under Maitri’s love and care Snowy slowly started looking stronger and healthier. It was a pleasure seeing all three play around the house. Snowy's favourite sport was following Maitri everywhere. He wouldn't leave her side for a minute and eagerly waited for her to return from school.
Thankfully Minnie liked her new friend too. She didn't mind Snowy prancing around her, playfully pulling her tail. Everyone in the family had met Snowy except Nani. Maitri's cousins would come over the weekend to play with Snowy. His soft brown eyes immediately won everyone's heart.
On our next visit to Nani's house we decided to take Snowy along. Having heard so much about him, she was eager to meet him. She was overjoyed to see us and melted away the moment she saw Snowy, cosily snuggled in Maitri’s arms. Nani squealed in delight seeing the small bundle of white. “This is the most adorable pup I have seen.” exclaimed Nani, wanting to take Snowy in her arms. Snowy leaped from Maitri’s arms into the extended warm hands of Nani.
The two days passed quickly. Nani and Snowy were inseparable. It was a sheer delight to watch Snowy following her everywhere in the house. She spoke to him as though he was a small child. “Snowy, do you see my glasses?” “Woof” came the reply from near the side table where Snowy saw them. “Snowy do you like cream biscuits?” Snowy’s affirmative reply was loud enough for the neighbours to hear!
Soon, it was time to leave. Nani was restless since that morning as though she wanted to say something but couldn’t understand how to express herself. Finally, when Maitri hugged her to say goodbye, she said "My child, you're very lucky to have a companion like Snowy, wish I too had someone like him. I know you are very fond of him, but can you let him be with me for some more days?” Maitri gave Nani a tight hug. She kneeled down and asked Snowy, "Will you be Nani's new friend?” The woofs drowned her remaining words.
Glossary:
Nani: maternal grandmother
[ratemypost]
Penmancy gets a small share of every purchase you make through these links, and every little helps us continue bringing you the reads you love!