The Story Of Grimy And Yip

I don't remember where I was born or whether I had a mother or siblings. The earliest memory of my existence dates back to a harsh winter day. I was covered in dirt after falling into an open drain and was shivering from the cold. I struggled to come out, but every attempt of mine failed. When I decided to surrender to my fate, I realised I hadn't eaten a morsel for a long time. My little stomach was growling, and I needed food badly. I knew if I stayed there for long, I wouldn't survive. I was homeless and helpless and resorted to the last thing I could do. I cried and cried as loud as my voice would let me. It was my ultimate attempt at survival, as I didn't want to die in that filthy ditch. Then suddenly, a miracle happened. I felt a hand pick me up and saw a pair of eyes that looked straight into mine. "Oh, God! You're covered in grime! Let's give you a bath first!" Saying that, he carefully covered me in a torn piece of cloth and put me in his pickup van. He took me to a small dilapidated house with broken windows and rusted grills.

"Welcome home, Grimy!" he exclaimed. I looked at him for a second and made a whining sound. "Wasn't that a strange name for a beautiful baby like me?" I wanted to ask him. However, I was more than happy to complain. He gave me a warm bath and a bowl of milk. That night he took me to bed with him. I snuggled against his chest and fell asleep. 

The following morning when I woke up, I tried to remember where I was. I couldn't find my human, and for a minute, I thought I had been deserted again! Then, just as I was about to jump out of bed, I heard a voice.

"Good morning Grimy! Did you have a good sleep?" saying that, he patted my head.

"Yip, yip!" I jumped up and licked his hand out of sheer happiness. He hadn't desolated me after all!

From that day on, I became Grimy, and my human became Yip for me. I followed him everywhere he went, except his workplace. He took me on long walks in the morning and proudly showed me off to his friends and neighbours. They would pat me, saying how shiny my brown coat looked, and then give me titbits that I would gladly devour. 

Whenever Yip said, "Grimy, stay at home. I'm going to work," I would whine at him. I understood that word very well. It meant he would be gone for long hours! He would keep some bread and a bowl of milk in the corner for me. Like an obedient pupil, I wouldn't go anywhere and wait for my Yip. Even when my friends came to call me, I wouldn’t go far from the house! I often had disagreements over this with Bella and Lucy, my new friends. They felt I should spend more time with them than my human. 

In the evening, I would jump with joy when I heard his approaching footsteps. At night Yip and I would sit together for our meal. He shared whatever food he managed to buy with the meager wage he received for that day's work. However, I never complained because, on Sundays, Yip would take me to the butchers and buy me a big bone. Aah! How I relished those bones! Sunday became my favourite day of the week, not because I could have my special food, but because I had Yip with me all the time.

Yip would often tell me stories of his life. On days when millions of stars were in the sky, Yip and I would sit on his porch and stare at the horizon. We would remain that way for a long time, and then Yip would break the silence with his words. He would narrate stories about his beautiful wife, Nancy, and his three children. He showed me his marriage photo, pointing at the words imprinted in italics that read, 'Wishing a lifetime of love and happiness to Peter and Nancy.'

Yip told me how hard he had worked at the stone quarry all his life to provide a decent living for them. He said his children had left him one by one and went to the city for better opportunities. They would only visit him sometimes whenever they got the chance, but he had no complaints. He knew city life was stressful and complicated compared to town life. 

Then one day, he spoke about his wife. Until then, I hadn't heard much about her. That day it was pouring heavily. The rain was lashing at the broken windows, making them rattle. I kept on whining, worrying all the time for the safety of my master. Just then, there was a thunderous roar. One side of the wall collapsed, and water started splashing in. It felt like the tiles of the roof would blow away next. Precisely at that moment, I saw Yip. He darted in and scooped me up in a panic. He held me against his chest while I whined softly. After the thunderstorm had subsided, Yip took me to bed with him. He caressed my furry head and told me how worried he was about me. He said his wife had left him on such a day to make her heavenly abode. He told me how lonely he felt without her and that he had nobody except me. His words triggered a kind of emotion I cannot explain. I touched his hand with my paw and promised him I would never leave his side. He stroked my soft fur as if he understood my gesture.

Somedays, Yip would tell me how beautiful my future would be. He said I would have a wife and lovely little children resembling me. I would listen and wonder about my future wife. What would she look like? I would imagine the faces of Bella, Lucy, and Molly and wonder if any of them would be my future wife!

Yip was a lovely human. He cared for me with whatever means he had. I wish he had stayed with me forever! But, unfortunately, one fateful day, Yip left for work and never returned. I waited till late and went out of the house searching for him. That was the first time I had stepped out without his permission and without Yip by my side. I walked through the lanes and bylanes of the small town. I didn’t know the way to the quarry, so I waited near the park where his friends greeted me every day. The next morning one of them saw me and took me to my Yip. I saw him lying peacefully inside a wooden box with his eyes shut. Many people had gathered around him. 

I went near and started licking his hands. I hoped he would wake up and take me in his arms like he did every morning. But Yip didn’t move. Suddenly I heard someone yelling, "Remove that dog from near my father!"

I stepped back and stood at a distance. Nobody else objected to my presence because they knew what we meant to each other. Then someone came and put a lid on the box. I stayed there at a distance and saw them slowly lower the wooden casket into the ground. I stayed there till the last person had left. I stayed there the following day, and the day after. Some passers-by patted my head and gave me bread. Some asked me to go home. But what is home for me without Yip?

At no time did I go back to that house again, but I meet Bella every day now. I feel she is the one for me. However, every night I return here to my Yip and sleep with him. I know Yip would be very happy to see my children, when ever that happens. Till then, I am here to keep my promise to never ever leave his side.