“What breed is your dog?” - Somebody would ask me as I
walk with my dog in that particular evening. “ I don’t know but it’s a good
dog” – would be my answer. Yes, the only breed of a dog I am aware about is a
GOOD dog and I really do not give a shit about knowing the breed of my dog.
Casper, it is the first dog and the first pet I have
ever owned. Nikes, one of my friends from GBS, gave this dog to me. Casper was
probably only few months old at that time and it was like two years back. In
fact, Nikes christened the name Casper, a gospel animation character. It was
cute little black puppy then. I did not get a good impression on the very day I
got it. I would wash it and make a cozy living place out of a cardboard and let
it stay in my room for the rest of the
night. To my dismay, next morning I would find Casper on the floor with my pant
and a big hole in it. I was like shit !!!!!!!! F***!!!!!!!!……….
For several months, Casper would chew everything that
it finds and litter around. This activity particularly annoyed my mother. I
feel like, mothers do not like dogs it they are not a dog-lovers themselves. My
mom would grumble now and again about his reckless behavior like chewing
slippers, making holes in kurta ,saree, t-shirts whatever and worst of all he
would walk shitting around the house.
I would always defend Casper’s activities but this
time it was a greater issue. He would dig holes in the front garden, backyards
and even scratch it nails on the cemented floor. People around believed that such activity
brings bad omen to the house. It might
be a mere co-incidence but within weeks of his first digging my dad got
symptoms related to the cardiac arrest. He was rushed to Sahid Gangalal
Hospital. My mom is a firm believer of
all these kind of superstitions and so am I, a little bit.
My mom herself started having troubles. She got sick. Then she became pretty sure that Casper is a trouble machine .
Casper is greater known for its mischievous behavior
in our community. He is the loudest dog in the whole area. Once he killed a
rooster of our neighbor and mom had to compensate the loss. Whenever he is out of house, we would always
think that Casper will bring home a trouble. Often Casper will collect many
friends of its kind and indulge in a dogfight. But the only place around the
house where it could play is the crop field of our neighbors’. So, who would
love to see theirs crops being destroyed. People would come yelling….. “ look
what your dog has done to my corns……. “
I never cared about Casper’s deed. But for my mom everything about him was getting
intolerable. Mom decided to give it away to one of our relatives . I was helpless.
I would not even look at him when he was being taken away. He was taken to Kahu Danda on February 2011. One day I
got a phone call telling me that Casper was missing. It was in September, the
same year. For a week or so I made calls
to know if he came home. Then I had a feeling that Casper had been a prey. I lost hope and he was almost out of my mind.
RIP Casper…..
Story is not over, yet. I was having a nap this particular afternoon,
probably 10 days after Casper went missing. Meanwhile I heard a squeal and a
scratchy sound. Something was wrong
downstairs. As I went downstairs, Casper was
standing on the porch wagging its tail and still making a squeal sound.
OMG , I could not believe my eyes. Casper came to its original home after 6
months and 10 days after he was found missing…. I do not know how much he
travelled to trace the way back. I was awestricken. I hugged my dog. He was
bruised all around and stinking a lot.
Loyalty is something you cannot impart on someone at
your whim nor you can teach or buy or gift or whatever… Loyalty is something
what Casper has shown. Casper is still the same notorious dog. I love Casper. And if you still want to know
what breed is my dog, I would still say “ it’s a GOOD dog”.
P.S. – that last time Casper dug hole on the front yard
was the day before Pokhara suffered from Seti Flood.
