Remembering Benji, The Unwanted Puppy

Remembering Benji, The Unwanted Puppy

She should be called Lucky, not Benji as she was so lucky to be picked up by si Upik as a very little, dirty, stinking, shivering puppy, left behind in a garbage heap in the rain with her eyes so piteously looking. She had to be given away and was sent to a Hansip (a man in charge to guard our district) who kept street dogs. She was so small, she couldn’t compete with the others for food, yet, almost unbelievable, she was so lucky this little puppy she could crawl and find the way back, entered stumbling through the trellis gate into our house the next day.  Then si Upik decided to take care of her despite her mother’s wishes. She was treated  in a dog’s asylum for her skin decease. She again was lucky she wasn’t killed as the doctor might think that she should better be finished as she was so ugly, stinking,  no one would have, or buy her unless  si Upik  take her back. And she came back after a long time and paid the doctor for his care.

Benji was bald when she came back, grew up, became healthy, beautiful with long hair, so loved. She was regarded as a very loved member of our family. Our coming home was a joy to see her waiting for us on the balcony, then lively, excitedly welcomed us, running to and fro,  jumping up the stairs. She was so courageous that she jumped up,  raged when the thunder threatening roared and when I took her for a walk she gladly went with me, she wasn’t ashamed though when she had her knotted, twisted hair badly cut.  There was no dog jeered at her foolish appearance. It was me that was ashamed, embarrassed walking with her. Ha. Ha.

These are the only pictures of her, I am happy I can preserve it  in You Tube, even though she was already old, feeble and sick. I still see her in my mind.

We all missed her when she died. If  Benji only could be retrieved back to life, I would gladly clean up when she vomits, or spoon her when she’s reluctant to eat, ... But as I now think am I happy that she died. Peaceful now, free from her illness and piteous appearance, instead to live a life of sufferings in old age.

July 2000

March 2012