Unknown —– Oct. 2000
Dog
One day when I was twelve years old and we lived in Moscow
my mom and I were coming back from my piano lessons.
Upon approaching the metro station
we noticed that there was a circle of people
in front of the entrance
all exclaiming and talking at the same time.
When we came closer we saw that in the middle of the circle sat
the most beautiful puppy on earth…
He was quite big and dirty from all the mud on the street
but he looked at me with his big brown eyes and
I fell in love with him from that very moment…
He was obviously lost and confused…
I asked my mom whether we could take him with us
but she said no so we walked off.
I started crying and my mom agreed to take him temporarily
until we found a home for him.
We came back but there was no one there.
Eventually we found him sitting at the other entrance.
My mom took him in her arms and
some beautiful young girl took off her expensive scarf and
wrapped it around Jim
as it was forbidden to take dogs into the metro.
We brought him home…
My mom kept looking for a decent organization
which took dogs and eventually found one.
She wrote the number down in the phone book in pencil and
naturally I erased it after which she just didn’t have
the time or patience to look for the number again…
Jim was very ill.
He was obviously thrown out for that reason.
In fact he had distemper from which
at least at the time 99% of dogs died in Russia.
Luckily a friend gave me the number of the best veterinarian in Moscow and
after lots of treatment and care Jim was cured…
Since then he has travelled all around the world:
he came with us to America where we stayed for four years
then to Australia
he was the sweetest most wonderful kindest creature
with an unbelievable love for life and the most forgiving heart…
He had gone through a lot of suffering
having to stay in quarantine in Australia for four months
and later on as a result suffering from arthritis
and then from asthma and other conditions.
But I am sure that he also had a lot of wonderful moments
joy and happiness with us
and the best and most amazing thing about him was
that he never gave up…
He would be ill unable to walk
but as soon as he felt the tiniest bit better
he was up again wanting to go for walks exploring
everything with endless curiosity
and always smiling quite literally as he honestly
always seemed to have a smile on his face…
He died several days after I left Australia to go study in England…
Sometimes I feel that it was
because I left and he felt that I abandoned him…
Then I just can’t forgive myself…
From very early childhood I’ve wanted to have a dog
but I always imagined a small dog
I never dared to dream of having anyone like Jim…
Jim looked like a dog
but combined all the qualities which humans aspire to
but which so few could boast of having…
Dreams do come true very much so
and no one could ever convince me otherwise…
Jim was my most sacred dream come true and
for that I shall be eternally grateful…
I just wish I knew how to go on living and smiling without him…
Elena
| Jim |