A Stray Friend

I walked along the edge of the park, away from the crowds. From wall to wall, it was a groomed green field, segmented up by hard grey paths that cut from one edge of the park to the other. People sat on benches littered across the grass. Pigeons gathered around them, hoping that one generous soul would toss them some leftovers. Pampered dogs walked next to their people, attached to them by a leash. You could see excitement blatantly written in the dog’s faces and bodies, as if this was the best part of their day. Walking through this park used to be the best part of my day too, but the glamour of the place faded a long time ago.

The shade of the trimmed trees near the edge of the park hid me from most people. I had learned the hard way that people don’t like it too much to see a dog without a human trotting through the center plaza like there was nothing wrong in the world. I had to be careful. Most of my kind stayed away from humans entirely, but there was something about them to me that I just couldn’t give up.

An older lady sat alone on a bench nearby. Her back was to me, but the way she sat and sighed told me she was in pain.

I approached her slowly, careful not to startle her. She didn’t notice me until I was just a few steps away. She looked up, and gave me a tiny grin.

“Hey, buddy,” she cooed. “What are you doing here?”

I couldn’t understand what that meant, but her tone told me my presence was welcome. I stepped closer and rested my head on her knee, staring up at her with soft, golden eyes.

“Hi sweet thing,” she said softly as she stroked my head.

The woman's eyes were glossy and dull. I could see the sadness in them. She had just lost someone special to her. A partner? No. Someone younger. Someone too young. A child maybe, or grandchild.

I whined in empathy, and saw the crinkle around her eyes deepen as she smiled wider. I wagged my tail, triumphant. There was nothing more precious than being able to make hurt people happy again, even for just a brief moment. I guess that’s why I couldn’t bear to leave these humans behind.

***

The sky turned a dull orange as the sun set. As the crowds gradually disappeared for the night, I rummaged through trash bins in hopes to find a meal. I then made my way across the grass, passing a bench where a young girl sat. She had long brown hair that spilled over her shoulders, Her too-slim figure leaned weakly against the back of the seat. Her eyes were filled with a deep sorrow. Wanting to help, I crept up to the girl. I kept my head low, showing I meant no threat. But humans are very dull, and they don't pick up on such things. She looked up, saw me, and yelped.

“Go away!” she yelled, scooting as far away from me as she could. “Shoo! Get on! Go!” She put her feet on the bench and curled away from me. Seeing her terror, I turned and ran the other direction.

I watched the girl from a distance. She sat on the bench for a long time, until well after the sun had set. She didn’t do anything in particular, just sit there, unsmiling, staring at her phone or at the sky, until finally, she stood up and walked away.

***

The girl came the next night too. She sat on the same bench, the same pain weighing down on her. I tried to approach her, and once again, she yelled and shooed me away.

But I didn’t run away this time. Instead, I lay down, several paces away, and just watched her. She stared back at me. She waved and yelled at me from her bench to get me to leave, but I wouldn’t. Eventually, she gave up, and let me lie there.

Night after night, the girl came. She sat down every sunset, and left after the sky had grown dark. Every time, I lay down where she could see me, a safe distance away. She never wanted me near her, and I respected that, even though it hurt to see her in so much despair. She let me watch her though, as long as I kept my distance. Sometimes, she would look back at me, and we would spend minutes just staring at one another.

***

As much as I want to, I can’t always be kind. It’s just part of the life of a stray.

I was crossing the park one evening when a rustling caught my attention. A black-and-white stray stood on his hind legs, head in my trash bin. I ran over, growling, making it known that this was my territory, and my food. The other dog growled back at me, refusing to leave.

This dog was young, and big. Maybe when I was younger, I could have taken him, but I was old now, and he wasn’t backing down. He lunged for me, and I dodged, but not fast enough. Pain seared through my foot as he clamped his jaws down on my paw. I yelped and attempted to struggle out of his grasp, but he held firm.

“Hey!”

A voice startled both of us. He let go, and I stumbled to the ground.

“Shoo! Go away!”

It was the girl. She stood far away from the two of us, shouting. The other dog growled and faced her, making her gasp and step farther back. I pushed myself up and moved to get between the dog and the girl, not putting any weight on my hurt paw. Seeing me, the girl started shouting again, and getting closer. The other dog kept growling, but she didn’t stop. I could hear her voice shaking, but she didn’t let up.

“Get away from him! Go! Git!”

The other dog’s growls got weaker as the girl got closer. He was just as afraid of her as she was of him. Finally, he backed up, then turned tail and ran. I wagged my tail and whined at the girl, thanking her.

She knelt down in front of me, eyeing my injury. I limped towards her, but she flinched away. I lay down on my side to calm her down.

It’s okay, I tried to tell her. I won’t hurt you.

She seemed to get the message. Slowly, carefully, she reached out a shaking hand to meet my snout. I sniffed it, then let her move to pet my head. She seemed to relax. Her eyes told stories of sadness. She’d been hurt, mostly by herself. She tries to hide it. But that doesn’t work on me. I wanted to tell her she was kind, and beautiful, if only we spoke the same language. Still, I do my best. I wagged my tail and leaned into her hand, causing a faint crinkle to appear under her eyes. A smile. A small one, granted, but it was a start.

It had been a long time since I entered a human’s home. I'd forgotten about the warm yellow light, and the fuzzy floor. The girl washed and bandaged my paw, then laid out some soft cushions for me. I was careful to move slowly around her, for she still seemed uneasy around me. But she was warming up every minute.

I climbed onto the cushions and let myself sink into them. The girl crawled next to me to pet me again. I sat up and licked her hand.

"Awww," she said, and smiled. Really smiled.

***

We’ve healed in the past weeks. My paw doesn’t bother me so much anymore. Smiles and laughter have replaced the sadness in my girl's eyes. We’re both eating better.

We visit the park every day. It’s once again become my favorite place in the world. I still find people that are hurting, and I go to them. I wait for their smiles. I let them know that there’s still good in the world, that there always will be.