The dog who loves a belly rub!

“Eeeeeeee, get him out of here!” The silence was shattered by a loud shriek. Tim had come to us wagging his tail, and my cousin did not approve of this. Timmy also did not approve of her shrieking like that! My cousin detested all kinds of animals, even harmless Timmy. I laughed at her, and she gave me her best scowl.

Ever since Timmy came into our lives, he made a place in our hearts. He would get a spanking for chewing on our best shoes, but the look in his warm brown eyes would melt the hardest of hearts! My parents were very firm that we should feed him cautiously in the first few days that we got him, but I would sneak out and give him choice tidbits from my plate.

Timmy is a trained dog, but in a rather different way. When we say, ‘Sit’, he rolls over on his back, wags his tail and waits for a belly rub that he loves best!

Once, he really scared me  when he rolled over and lay motionless for several agonising minutes!  I thought he had passed out cold. And I burst into tears. I was so relieved when he opened one lazy eye and rolled back and licked my face!

Like me, Timmy has his treasures — two pairs of slippers, one newspaper, a pair of dad’s best socks and mom’s umbrella handle. He keeps them in his secret niche and chews on them for hours.

A cleanliness freak, he keeps his corner spotless and wouldn’t dream of peeing there. But he has no such qualms about using the veranda to finish his business! There is invariably a war on who should wash the veranda, and it is  always dad, mom or me. My brother always manages to wriggle out of this chore!

A few days after Timmy’s arrival, mom began to tire of his mischief. She told dad to send him away. But when she saw Timmy’s woebegone expression, she had no choice but to give in. Not only did she let him stay, but she also gave him a belly rub when she thought no one was looking!

Timmy is not just another dog. He has strong likes and dislikes. If I give him dog biscuits, he’ll look at me like: ‘What’s this? These are for dogs. I prefer cookies or cream biscuits, thank you.”

After a month of his arrival, Timmy suddenly became weak. He threw up whatever he ate. We rushed him to the vet, who gave him plenty of pills. I sat with him for hours in the night and prayed for him. Days passed, but Timmy’s condition did not change. Even my mom, who is the busiest of people, agreed to take Timmy to the vet.

Miraculously, after a few days Timmy became better. Now, he is hale and healthy and naughty. I will always love him and he will love me back.

Tara C Babu
VIII Std ‘B’, ITI Central School