Kabita Parajuli
“Mom, the dog Rocky in our street is not barking today, is it?” Saral said, while doing his homework.
“So what? It’s even better. There is no disturbance in the study hour,” his mother said.
“It’s good, Brother. It’s peaceful; the dog is not yelping,” Sajal said.
“Brother, you should not be saying that. Rocky did not bark this morning as well. I am done with my homework. Come; let’s go and look for Rocky,” said Saral, standing from his position.
“Brother, where should we go to find the dog? I will stay back and check my book for the new grade,” Saral said.
“You don’t go either, my son. You’d better stay home, checking your own book. The new grade is going to be rather difficult,” the mother said.
“We shouldn’t be staying that, Mom. He is the guard of our street. He guards ten houses in this locality. I should find him, at least to pay for his favor, if not for anything else,” said Saral to his mother, making his voice firm.
His father permitted him to go, signaling with his right hand.
Saral sprinted, and went out of his door.
“I didn’t like your decision. Why did you let our son go?” the mother said, objecting to the decision of the father.
“Guruama, our son is big enough to appreciate others’ favor. How could I stop him from helping someone who has helped us?” said the father, modestly.
On hearing these words from the father, the mother quieted, and started thinking deep. She said nothing.
Saral, on his part, came out on the front yard and started running his alert eyes everywhere.
‘Where could Rocky have gone? He hasn’t barked since yesterday,’ he was thinking. He started calling, “Rocky! Rocky!”
Rocky, who would come running when called on other days, was nowhere around. This made Saral quite depressed. ‘Seems the town municipality caught and took it away. Its employees had been moving around on a vehicle to catch stray dogs,’ the thought, feeling sad for Rocky. Without delay, he sprinted towards the main road.
“Honey, where are you running to?” said his mother, shouting form the balcony.
But Saral did not hear her. He went to the treatment centre, where the dogs caught by the town municipality had been kept.
“Sir, a boy from Durga Street has come to find his dog. What shall we do?” said a policeman to his boss.
Saral was waiting outside the door. The boss was about to move out.
“Brother, why are you here?” he said in a coarse voice.
“Sir, I have come to take back a dog from my street that has been caught,” said Saral in a soft voice.
“Why, then, did you let it free on the street? We have brought only those dogs that eat things from the filth. It’s fine; go and check inside once. If you find, you may take it back only after we give it rabies vaccination,” said the boss, counseling.
“That’s fine, Sir. Thank you,” said Saral, folding his hand in honor for the man.
Saral walked inside and checked all the dogs lifted from the street. But Rocky was not there.
He was depressed. He ran back to his home, quite frustrated.
‘It seems someone picked him up to make a pet. That’s good; he will get a new friend,’ he thought, as he moved homeward.
“Brother, didn’t you find Rocky?” said Sajal, running close to Saral. He was playing in the garden near to their home.
In a hopeless tone, Saral said, “I didn’t find him, Brother.”
“It seems Radha is hiding it. His puppy too is lost together with Rocky. It’s not barking, either,” said Sajal in a low tone, holding his brother’s hand.
“Really?”
Saral quickly moved towards Radha’s home. Radha was squatting near to the animal pen outside her home, and was gawking out, vacantly.
“What’s wrong with your Bhote, Radha?” said Saral, straight.
Startled, Radha looked at Saral.
“It seems my puppy will die now. Daddy says he is not inviting any doctor,” said Radha, quite dejected.
Saraj went closer and peeped into the pen. Oh God, Rocky was there inside, togther with the pup.
“Radha, is Rocky sick as well?” said Saral, happy on finding Rocky back.
“He is. Father is angry with me, because I brought Rocky here. Why are you happy, though?” said Radha, quite annoyed.
“I have been looking for Rocky since early today. I also visited the municipality’s dog conservation center. I did not know your father was unhappy. Aren’t both Rocky and your puppy dogs?”
“He was unwilling to admit a dog from the street. I pulled him in, saying he was sick. This led to the discussion,” said Radha in a depressed tone.
“Radha, do you know where the dogs’ doctor is?” said Saral, whispering.
“I know,” said Radha, whispering in a similar way.
“Then, come; let’s go to the doctor’s,” said Saral, walking to the backdoor.
“Saral, you may also go from the front door,” said Asha, standing on the front yard.
Saral signaled her to be quiet, and called out for Radha.
“What’s wrong?” said Radha angrily.
“We shouldn’t be going through the front door. If Mom sees, she will scold. She won’t let us go. Since morning, I have eaten nothing; I am only running for the dog,” said Saral in a sullen voice.
“So you have been going around hungry?” said Radha, looking at Saral in surprise.
Saraj nodded.
“Wait for some time. I will put my shoes and come back. We shall go then,” said Radha and ran into her house.
When she returned, she had a red bag in her hand. She had worn a pair of bright, yellow shoes. Whenever she put a new dress, she always showed it to Saral.
“Oh, new shoes?” said Saral, smiling.
Radha moved her head and smiled.
They kept quick steps, came out from the backdoor and arrived on the path that ran from the side of the garden.
“Saral! Radha! Where are you going?” said Saral’s father, stopping his car. He was moving towards his office.
“Daddy, we are going only up to the bend near the peepal tree,” Saral said.
“Oh, that’s very near. It’s fine; walk only from the side,” he said, gearing up his car.
Radha waved to him, saying, “Good-bye Uncle!” Saral’s father waved back at her.
Radha handed over a packed of floor bread and potato curry to Saral and said, “You eat this, while walking.”
Saral thanked her, and started munching the stuff. He wanted to share a piece with Radha. Radha declined, but Saral forced. So, she also ate a little.
“Come on; drink this water too,” said Radha, taking out a bottle of water from her bad.
“So you are here with full preparations,” said Saral, drinking water.
“We are in grade seven, you know! We should at least make this much of preparation. We fall sick, if we move about hungry. It’s we who will be suffering later,” said Radha, moving her hands, the way their teachers did.
Saral smiled. He didn’t say anything.
When they reached the veterinary, the lady doctor was treating a pup.
“Doctor, will you please visit us and treat our dog?” said Radha, requesting.
“We charge 500 rupees for house call. I am not in a position to walk long today. But I can come to yours, because your home is on my way home,” she said.
“But we…” Saral stopped midway, as Radha said OK, and urged the doctor to be quick.
Saral looked at Radha out of wonder. Radha signaled him to stay quiet.
Without delay, he moved from there and arrived at Radha’s home before long.
“Both the dogs are fine; they don’t have any serious issue. It seems they at a lot of salty food and creamy biscuit. I have fed them a pill each. For three days, feed nothing but corn soup. They will be fine,” said the lady doctor, after she had examined the dogs.
“Go; tell your father and bring my fee quickly. I am getting late for home,” said the doctor, washing her hands at the tap.
Saral stared at Radha in disgust. He feared that the doctor might quarrel, if they failed to pay her.
From inside, Radha brought a plastic piggy-bag. She opened the lid on its backside, and poured out all the coins on a newspaper.
“How should I take such coins?” said the doctor, feeling distasteful.
“Doctor, it was Saral and I who invited you today. Daddy says, he won’t pay for the treatment of a stray dog. He is unhappy seeing me bring home a street dog and keep it together with our puppy. If these coins won’t do, I also have couple of toffees. Take two of them, please.”
Having said this, Aasha took out five toffees from the bag she was carrying. They were attractive toffees, wrapped in colorful papers.
“Oh, such beautiful toffees! They are quite big too,” said Saral, surprised.
“My uncle sent them from America,” said Radha out of joy.
The talks of the kids had appeased the lady doctor. She received to toffees from Radha’s hands and took her way.
Radha and Saral shared a toffee and ate half each. Then they watched the doctor move away.
After a while, as they were restoring the coins back into the piggy-bag, Saral said, “Radha, do not make Rocky and your pup sick again by feeding too much of toffees.”
Radha paid a quick look to Saral and said yes, biting her tongue in annoyance.
When Saral was about to move homeward, Radha caught his hand and said, “Saral, when you grow up, do become an animal doctor. That would be wonderful.”
“You could become one as well,” Saral said.
“I have promised my parents that I would become a doctor of the human being,” said Radha, explaining her obligations.
“It’s OK. I will become an animal doctor,” said Saral, announcing his decision.
Both were happy. Saral went home, sprinting. Radha seemed happy, even as she watched Saral move away, the piggy-bag still in her hand.
At the moment, Rocky and the pup were deep asleep inside the pen.
Translation: Mahesh Paudyal
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[Ms Kabita Parauli is a Nepali storywriter for children. She is now based in the United States.]