Learning to love

It’s true that dogs are the most loyal animals. We used to have so many dogs in Afghanistan, where I lived till I was 16, before moving to New Delhi. Once, we even had ten of them for a year. With all of them in our house it was like a battlefield. Every morning we woke up, in between two big apple trees, in the middle of our garden, under a beautiful blue sky and with the view of a mountain in the distance, and found these little creatures wandering around, playing joyfully.

Despite the chaos, they were always there for us. Unfortunately, we could not keep all of them through the year, and my grandmother ultimately allowed only three to remain — the three who had been with our family from the beginning. One of those dogs was a little crazy but it was our own fault, because when he was a little newborn, he fell from a height and hurt his head. He was also the most loyal of them all. We, who grew up and played together in that house, used to call him the black dog. I don’t think even German Shepherds had his strength or speed. He was like a wolf. From the thieves he drove out to the great adventures we had in that beautiful house, he left us with many memories.

The reason we had so many dogs was because of my uncle’s love for animals. He has since married and gone to Canada, more than 13 years ago, and never returned to Afghanistan. The only thing waiting for him all these years is that crazy and loyal dog. I never understood how someone could maintain hope of seeing a loved one for so long. But seeing that dog waiting so patiently, and sometimes even cry, I began to understand. I remember asking someone, “Do animals cry too?” But they thought it was a foolish question and I never got the answer. I never told anyone about that dog crying, because I didn’t want them to laugh at me.

A few months ago, my little sister brought home a little newborn cat from our locality in Delhi without my mom and dad’s permission. She held him and cried and hid him. I think that’s when she understood how to love him even though she might lose him. But luckily, she got to keep him. I hope that her childhood will be joyful.

Sofia Kakar and Shivani are members of The Community Library Project