ME AND FLASH

AYESHA SAEED MALIK
MBBS 3RD YEAR

Now, hold on there before you plaster me with plagiarism, read again, it says “Me and Flash” not “Marley and Me.” It’s a new story, my dog story, I promise you. If it’s any solace to your vain souls then I’ll admit that I haven’t yet watched Owen Wilson’s dog tale.

So, Flash our little pup is 2 months old, I don’t quite remember the date he arrived but it was somewhere in the middle of July, this year. I rang the doorbell, but just as I was about to open the gate, my brother called out to me and said, “Say hello to the newest member of our family!” here I’d like to mention a slight detail of how my brother’s been yearning for a dog for the past 8 years but never had genie granted him this particular wish, so I thought 8 years of wait had finally knocked him off his senses, my brother was hallucinating! Right then, my eyes caught hold of a golden white fur ball, FLASH, our pure breed golden Labrador retriever who’d flown all the way from Belgium to greet us.

Truth be told, I never liked animals but there was something about his deep coal eyes that vaporized the barricades of dislike for animals from my heart. I came to love him immensely just like everyone else. Flash had bewitched us all.

We have found  someone to liven up our days, no matter how naughty or chaotic he may be, we don’t care because it is a proven fact that no breathing soul in this universe can resist his puppy dog face or his sweet innocence, he’s just so adorable! That is the only reason I can ever come up with, for his miscreant behavior.

The first day he came to us my abba wouldn’t stop calling from his office to check up on flash. “I mean abba calm down, he’s a dog for crying out loud,” I thought, but when on abba’s stern orders I was made to leave the comfort of my room to check in on flash I saw him lying on the ground with the most melancholic look on his face, it broke my heart, my scathing irritation at the attention and care he was receiving from my family members melted instantly and for probably the second time in my life I knelt down to pet an animal, but he wouldn’t respond to my touch, he was too depressed at leaving his former abode. That first day came to an end and so did flash’s indifference to us, he finally grew out of his home-sickness and began to bond with us.

Many a times when it’s too hot to take him out during the day and he’s getting bored, he comes by the kitchen door; pulls a few little stunts to gain our attention or makes his puppy dog eyes as a weapon to exploit us, beguile us with his notorious charms or simply lies down and goes into a deep slumber, once he’d gotten himself so dirty that flies surrounded him; sat and picked on him, flash had made a wonderful attempt at looking like a homeless stray dog (he has no regard for self-hygiene *rolls eyes*) for a moment I thought he had died; he was so still, so unbothered by the common houseflies resting on him. My heart stopped, I called out to him in a broken voice, he made a delicate nod with his eyes still closed, he was alive! My arrhythmias ceased.

One day I went out to empty the trash, heedful of flash sneaking up on me, I looked around for any sounds of his hasty pitter patter of paws, no sign of him, good! The coast was clear but then out of nowhere, I saw him running towards me, that’s it, I freaked! I ran like crazy, away from him, in through the door within the safety of solid brick walls separating me from flash and his devilish stride.

Now, look all of you avid dog lovers, I get you, I really do, I didn’t before, but ever since flash came, I do but you must understand this, my love for him is strictly emotional, a thing of the heart. I’ll keenly watch him chase a towel or little children or nibble down the garage viper (he’s teething so…) and l’ll enjoy enormously but I cannot for the life of me allow him to stampede on me or dribble his goo all over me, no sir! Absolutely not!

I understand that he wanted to play but flash, play with abba, play with Sarmad, play with them all you want and love me all you want, too, but please darling, from 10 paces away! I don’t care that you don’t intend on pounding on me or that you don’t bite, for all that the world should be concerned with and so should you, my beloved flash is that, I am still afraid of animals regardless of how benign they maybe.

The other day my brother didn’t take him out to play so that vindictive sly dog for a pet peed in the garage! He’s like that nosy bugger who’d claw at your patience and peace if he doesn’t get his way. However, that incident taught my brother well, never since that woeful day have they ever missed out on their play dates.

Yesterday, my brother left his shoe outside so flash being the good ol’ fella that he is, picked it up in his mouth and carried it all the way to our kitchen door, luckily for I was standing there, catering myself to a glass of water. When I saw him and something black in his mouth, alarm bells rang in my ears. I got out to see what abomination was he up to this time but that sweet little pup dropped the shoe at my feet. Now, isn’t he just adorable, despite all the un-named mischiefs common decency forbids me to disclose in this article?

Once we had gone out, came back around 9, a little past flash’s dinner time and boy was he unforgiving! Like an unruly child he threw a massive tantrum. Let me tell you this, flash does not compromise on his tight schedule, he’s like royalty; he wants things his way and on his clock. He turns the tables on us where he’s the master and we, his loyal subjects. Dear friends, might I mention this that flash is very particular about what goes in his belly, he won’t eat a morsel that doesn’t come out of his special feed sack, try all you want but that stubborn arse won’t budge.

He usually gets very excited when I come home from university, countless times he has snuck up on me where he’s been met by a scream and stern, “NO FLASH! BACK OFF” but maybe he is tone deaf because he still hasn’t halted from rushing towards me. It’s often a cat and mouse chase between us, with me running for shelter behind a shut door and him chasing after me like it’s his life’s mission. I think in his peanut sized brain it’s some sort of a game, where he misinterprets my screams for HELP as encouragement. Stupid dog, he’s bent on making me mend my “afraid of animals” way. You never know he just might pull it off sucessfully.

Oh by the way this wasn’t going to have a sad ending like ‘Marley and Me’ so for all those cynical folks who thought I couldn’t come up with something other than a tragic dog story, condolences for you.

Until next time, with more flash stories, Stay tuned, amigos. ADIOS!