Mum was a stray dog. They called her Bobo in the neighbourhood. There was a lovely woman around who always gave her food. She spoke to her kindly. Whenever Bobo caught sight of Kriszti her heart melted, as she was so very different from other people who just shouted at her, “Get lost you dirty mongrel!”
She could not remember a time when she was not alone. She only remembered hazily a time when she was outside, and it was bitterly cold. She tried to find shelter under a heap of dead leaves. Then she dug further in, in the hope of finding some more protection.
A drizzle started falling outside and fog was building up. The garden, where Bobo hoped to find shelter (she managed to sneak in through a hole in the rusty fence), was silent. Only the chirping of sparrows was to be heard. She felt pangs of pain in her tummy. She was terribly hungry. She found a wooden shed which she was able to enter through a creaking door. It was dark inside only a beam of light seeped in through a broken window. She found a pile of rugs, lay down and fell asleep right away. She dreamt of a warm bath, a nice meal like innards with lentils – her favourite – and lying on Mum’s chest.
She recalled a tryst with a kind dog, some two months before. It was love at first sight. The dog had a beautiful white fur collar which surrounded his neck.
His eyes were glowing and warm. She fell into a deep sleep around midnight. The rays of the rising sun woke her up. It was still cold, but this sunshine brought hope that spring would come soon.
Later on, she noticed that Collar, the name she gave him, had disappeared. She was not sure if he had abandoned her but even the thought of it, was a real heartache.
Days got cooler and cooler. One day the first snow arrived. Bobo was running in the meadow. The cool breeze and the sunshine gave her such a light mood, so much optimism. But she halted suddenly. An overwhelming cramp came about in her tummy. “Oh no…” She whispered, “Did I go too far?” The pain worsened and she felt sick. She knew immediately that she had to find a secluded place, as clean as possible, to give birth. She went limping back to the shed. It was pitch dark at the time she arrived. “Oh!”, she thought, “God help me…”
Kriszti was waiting inside for her with a candle, flickering in her hand. She had some rolled-up rug under her arm; it was a clean bedsheet. Her heartfelt smile calmed
Bobo down. It gave her so much hope, and pain became so much more bearable. As soon as Bobo lay down on the sheet, she felt warm fluid tinkling down her thighs.
Oh, gosh!” whispered Kriszti. “You are very close.”
She tried to calm Bobo down and stroke her belly. “Well done!” Kriszti whispered,
“Now take a deep breath and let it out. Good girl…” said Kriszti.
Bobo had two girls and two boys. She curled up very close to them and her breasts soon started to swell. Puppies found their way even if their eyes were close to their mother’s breasts and began sucking milk with rhythmic moaning. Bobo was exhausted and fell asleep.
Bobo woke up at the crack of dawn. Kriszti was there early in the morning. As Bobo was slumbering with the kids most of the time, she couldn’t tell how late it was.
Kriszti brought Bobo chicken breasts, cut into small pieces, with potato mash. She also had a heater in her hand.
On her way home she popped in to have a word with Bob, her neighbour.
“Look Bob, I know you are busy being the family doctor for half of the village, but I have a wish. There is a poor dog with four puppies living in the nearby shed.
However, I try to look after them, I dread they will not survive. Nights are bitterly cold and gusty winds and snowstorms make things even worse.
“Oh Kriszti,” uttered Bob, “I already have two dogs, Amália and Geraldine. They being greyhounds, wouldn’t be happy about the newcomers…”
“Bob, I am begging you. You know that my hubby, Laci is too old and ill, he would never consent to anything like this.”
“Okay, you know me, my heart is melting already…”
Kriszti embraced him, and she became tearful. “Thank you, Bob,” she whispered.
As weeks passed the puppies opened their eyes, grew day by day and became very lively. They wrestled, bit each other ferociously and barked incessantly. Bobo grew more and more upset, and she lost her temper again and again. Sometimes she bit them cruelly. They screamed and ran away licking their sides but started the same behaviour in no time at all. Amália and Geraldine came to the rescue. They gathered the puppies around them in a cosy circle, and gave them some twigs to chew on.They didn’t shout or bite, they were very calm. They admonished the children in a very low and velvety voice, if needed.
As time went by, the puppies were given away to friends who came to visit Bob.
While they were staying there for coffee or dinner the little dogs started playing with them, jumped into their laps, kissed their lips and barked in their lovely thin voice. Bob had one puppy deep in his heart, a female one, also called a bitch, and he gave her the name Fifi. He was adamant that he would keep her.
Fifi was frolicking in the garden even if it was cool and rainy. Her favourite place was the pond where she admired the goldfish. The biggest, the most beautiful goldfish was called Amál. One morning Fifi caught poor Amál on a whim and killed her in a second. Then she ran and called Bob showing off her hunting skills. Robs heart sank as he caught sight of the dead body of poor Amal. He took a deep breath and went back to the house. Why should he punish Fifi ? These are her basic instincts. To have dogs, goldfish and a beautiful garden at the same time ? Hm…seems impossible.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon Bob threw a garden-party. A happy company was barbecuing and drinking cocktails in the garden. Bob sprinkled some lavender oil on the bushes to keep mosquitos away. Some of his friends danced on the grass till the wee small hours.
As the soiree ended Bob left the dirty dishes and glasses where they were and went to sleep. Bobo and Fifi were sleeping peacefully on a worn-out duvet, in front of Bob’s bed.
Weeks went by, and summer’s end approached slowly.
One Saturday, there were some guests in the neighbour’s garden. One of them started waving at the gate. Bob went there and let the man in. After a polite introductory conversation, the man asked Bob to let him have Fifi. Bob was very reluctant to give in. But the man persuaded him. He promised Fifi a much better life in a country house where he lived with his spouse. He said she would live there like a princess, not like a member of the pack. They had a large field on their own and a big house.
As months went by Bob received letters about Fifi’s life, showing how she sat beside her new master helping him work, and watching the screen with dreamy eyes. She also accompanied her new Mum and Dad on many journeys abroad. “She may have a better life there,” thought Bob while sitting watching films on his terrace. “Love may be like I let her go.” he pondered.
