So long

Mickey seemed to be picking up. He started walking around. He still can't get up on the mini sofa we put out for him though.

He couldn't stand properly when I put him down after carrying him out of my room just now. Practically fell on his face.

Human food used to hold such great appeal for him. Now he appears to reject all food, unless it was shot down his mouth into his throat using a syringe.

I went out and saw him lying in a pool of his own urine. His head is arched back, limbs stretched out. I put my hand on his ribcage.

A heartbeat. He is alive. I took out one of his towels and wiped the urine off him and off the floor. I took a small light and shined it on his eye. Pupil reacted. So he can still see.

Day has broken. He's lying on his sofa in the same position again. My mum woke up. We couldn't tell what it was. She said to wait until my dad came back from work.

I went to sleep.

The next thing I knew my father was telling me that Mickey has passed away.

*****

Eight years ago around this time, a colleague of my mother's had a litter of puppies she wanted to give away for free. My mother took one. It was a Jack Russell with the fur and ears of a Cocker Spaniel, mostly black and white on the belly, ends of his feet and his snout.

His name that was given by the original owner was Prince. When we took him, the colour scheme of his fur prompted my mother to name him Mickey, after the mouse.

He spends most of his time looking for human food, barking at strangers at the door or lying on one of our beds. Sometimes we'll play with him with the bone made of cloth. It was his toy. He would chase and grab it each time he saw it.

He's a very fun dog. It's his terrier personality shining through when he woke me up with a facial on weekend mornings in his earlier days, or when he was stomping on the half-asleep me while being led around by my mum with his toy in the later days when he was older.

Eight years seems a little short for a dog his size. But anybody with a right mind would know that it is inevitable.

Goodbye, Mickey.