She’s on vacation and he misses her terribly. I know even if he can’t always tell me.
When school lets out, he looks for her around the house. “MinnieMinnieMinnie” he chants in his singsong voice, zooming from room to room on his little scooter.
He touches her dog bed with a sad toe, and looks up at me with shiny eyes when I say,
“Minnie is on vacation, love. She’ll be back Sunday.”
He understands, but his little boy heart still wants her. After a year of keeping her at arms’ length, she’s now his bosom buddy. They nuzzle together, under one of our many giant blankets, a tangle of arms, paws and giggles. She checks him if he squeezes too hard, he pushes her away if she gets in his face. There’s running, squealing, giggling. And so much barking, which doesn’t bother him despite his auditory sensitivity. Somehow amidst all the madness, she grounds him and showers him with that pure love only dogs can offer. When they’re together, they have a language of their own and it is beautiful, even if it has very few words.
This morning, he points at where her crate is usually kept and murmurs, “Minnie is on vacation.”
“Yes, she is.”
“Amma, how many hours then will Minnie will be back?”
“On Sunday, in the evening.So, let me see -101 hours?”
He pauses, a smile blooming on his soft, unlined face.
“How does that make you feel, love?”
He doesn’t answer, but zooms away, chanting, “MinnieMinnieMinnie.”
A boy, his dog, and their beautiful song, even if it has very few words.
(Edited to add: Minnie is living her best life in South Lake Tahoe, CA, borking at strangers and reveling in attention). 😀
