Eleven years ago, late in the evening, I saw two boys with a pale brown puppy and I asked them what they were doing with her. They told me she was Boxer-Mongrel cross and I knew immediately that they were going to abandon her, so I took her home. She was named Fury and she became the junior-most and much loved member of our family.
In due course, Fury grew up to be a sharp-minded, playful, affectionate and beautiful dog. As our home is situated near dense vegetation, snakes often climb over the gates into our lush green garden. We have even seen five formidable cobras. Fury always used to caution us about their presence with a different type of barking. She has now grown wise and we’re glad she keeps a safe distance from them while doing so. Fury’s a foodie and who even devours fruits, with papaya being her favourite. Further, she has a sweet tooth: I sometimes feed her eatables without the knowledge of others and she is a willing accomplice to these little crimes. When we play ‘chase’ with her in the garden, she stands motionless behind a tree in an attempt to hide from us, not knowing that three-fourths of her body are clearly visible.
The most number of pictures on my mobile are of her – and anytime my sister talks to her children on her cell phone, Fury comes to her with a wagging tail and asks us to place the mobile near her ear, so she can listen to the children’s voices with smiling eyes. She knows that my mother and my sister are the bosses of their respective homes and showers them with extra affection. As for me, I am fully aware of the fact that such comradeship and unconditional love can only be received from one of God's best creations — a dog.
