Tommy was a strong street dog in our town. He had a long mane of silky hair and was the pet of the town.The bitches would love to have litter of puppies with Tommy, such was his demand! His bark was very powerful, his bite worse, many thieves with their torn trousers and wounded buttocks would vouch and be scared of Tommy, so much that, our town was not favoured for thefts, in view of Tommy and his pack of dogs.They were our protectors, less corrupt than the paunchy cops. Tommy was always followed by a coterie of lesser pedigreed dogs, somewhat like a political leader.He was a proud dog and he got the juiciest bones to chew from our neighbourhood meat butcher.He had even managed to get a shiny collar around his neck to prevent trouble from the dog catching squad,who would gather stray dogs and sterilise them. He was proud of his virility and always eluded the squad.He wanted to fill our town with his progeny.
Last month, Tommy was run over by a rogue biker, who had earlier been bitten by him. The heavy bike rolled over his left hind leg and crushed it.Tommy writhed in agony and emptied his bowels out of shock.He whimpered and dragged his leg slowly to his resting place. A kind old homeless man like him, took sympathy and bandaged a splint on his leg and gave him water but Tommy was destroyed from within, his pride dented and his soul deflated.Slowly,the injured leg fell off and Tommy started walking with three legs.It was such a pitiable sight.The pain was gone but deep inside,he was crying his heart out.
He imagined the plight of fellow handicapped human beings, who lost their limbs despite the best medical treatment offered.He must have wondered hopefully about an artificial limb or prosthesis for dogs. He was soon, an out caste in his pack and on his own.He used to sit under the shady banyan tree and wait for kind people to give him food and water.
Mating season came and went, he had no mate this time, how could he? which aggravated his sadness further.He whimpered like a small puppy.Occasionally,tears would flow out of his brown sallow eyes.
He made a decision that fateful day, he became a rabid dog, attempting to bite the passing people, started frothing at the mouth. He looked vicious. But he never bit anyone,was just pretending.People get scared of rabies,they came and attacked him with sticks and stones to reduce him to pulp and bones.Tommy was happy,relieved at last, of his suffering.
The crows had a feast that day.
No one saw Tommy in our small town again.
Last month, Tommy was run over by a rogue biker, who had earlier been bitten by him. The heavy bike rolled over his left hind leg and crushed it.Tommy writhed in agony and emptied his bowels out of shock.He whimpered and dragged his leg slowly to his resting place. A kind old homeless man like him, took sympathy and bandaged a splint on his leg and gave him water but Tommy was destroyed from within, his pride dented and his soul deflated.Slowly,the injured leg fell off and Tommy started walking with three legs.It was such a pitiable sight.The pain was gone but deep inside,he was crying his heart out.
He imagined the plight of fellow handicapped human beings, who lost their limbs despite the best medical treatment offered.He must have wondered hopefully about an artificial limb or prosthesis for dogs. He was soon, an out caste in his pack and on his own.He used to sit under the shady banyan tree and wait for kind people to give him food and water.
Mating season came and went, he had no mate this time, how could he? which aggravated his sadness further.He whimpered like a small puppy.Occasionally,tears would flow out of his brown sallow eyes.
He made a decision that fateful day, he became a rabid dog, attempting to bite the passing people, started frothing at the mouth. He looked vicious. But he never bit anyone,was just pretending.People get scared of rabies,they came and attacked him with sticks and stones to reduce him to pulp and bones.Tommy was happy,relieved at last, of his suffering.
The crows had a feast that day.
No one saw Tommy in our small town again.
No comments:
Post a Comment