Waiting for You to Come Back Home

How the end always comes, way too soon, how we wish we could’ve had more times with them, but all we have now, are the, memories we’d made with our, beloved, pets, and that will, stay, for as long as we, live…translated…

After Hahn Died, I Flew Abroad for the Very First, Time, to New York, Saw the Snow, Also, Returned Back to the Hiking Trails with the Taiwan Hemlock, and All the Way, I Took His Pictures with Me……….

Gan, was the Labrador retriever that’s been straying for a very long time, until mom found it and adopted it.

He was light yellow, a large-breed male, he was outgoing, and quite active too, at first, we’d only taken him around the neighborhoods to walk him, later, we’d, taken him to the trails, we’d found he loved the car rides, and would sit up straight, with that inquisitiveness about him, looking all around.  Considering the distances, that Gan may get motion sickness, so we’d, always planned the trips for the multiple day, and found him a kennel first; until as we’d taken him overnight to Guanshan, Taidong, although the drives up the mountains were winding, which made him carsick, but, in the nighttime, he was well-behaved and, quiet, a high quality travel companion, and ever since, when we go on trips, we’d, tried our best to accommodate, Gan.

It was when we’d taken him to the Sun Moon Lagoon, the cold fronts that came at the beginning of March, during the night, in the cabins, even as I layered myself under the thick quilts, I still couldn’t, block out the, cold.  I’d, lain a matt for Gan, as the skies turned light, I’d felt, that warmth of the furnace between my, calves, and as I’d wakened, I’d realized, that it was, Gan, curled up, sleeping, soundly, guess he must’ve, climbed up onto the bed in the night as it’d become, freezing for him to, sleep on the, floors.

illustration from UDN.com

By the end of May it was already, quite hot, we’d gone to visit Guanzi Hilltop, the tar paved roads were smoking with heat, which made Gan pull his feet up with each and every step he’d taken, only after a little while, mom suggested that we head back to the B&B.  On this trip, Gan became, quieter, enjoyed the air-conditioning, and lying on his, sides, considering how hot the weather was, I’d not, taken too much, heed on it.

In October, I’d set up the vacation for many days for Taiping Mountain, because the forest park restricted the pets, I’d, placed Gan with a relative.  The day before we set out, I’d found that he started, trembling abnormally, quickly, I’d rushed him to the vet, and the vet checked him out for a long, long time, and told, that there was something up with his stomach, and prescribed some meds.  After I’d administered the medication to him, he’d still, continued to, tremble, and started vomiting, seeing how he’d, arched his back, and was in pain, I’d felt, really, worried, and told my family, that we should, cancel the, trip, but considering there was no refund for the stay, we’d still, set out.

On the way, I’d, checked on Gan many times, and although, he’d still, kept that arched position, he’d stopped, vomiting, and after he had some sun, he’d, started, rolling around on the lawns, and, as we’d gone hiking to the trails, the rain came pouring down, the trail wasn’t long but, there was that voice ringing in my ears, begging me to come beg, which led me to return back sooner.  As I’d returned to my relatives, opening the door, Gan immediately leapt off the couch to greet me, started wagging his tail by the door at me, I’d patted his head, and felt, that what was troubling him was, over.  That very evening, I’d taken him out for a walk, and we’d only, walked, a short ways before he wanted to, return.

The day following before work, I’d found, that Gan was lazy and drowsily asleep, I’d patted his head, thought that it must’ve been how we’d placed him away from us, that’s, caused him to feel so tired.  And in the afternoon, I got a call from mom, telling me, Gan is, gone, I’d immediately filed for the afternoon off, rushed to the hospital, seeing how peaceful Gan was, tears started, rushing, out.

in the pet’s, memory…photo from online

At the end of that same year, for the very first time, I’d, gone abroad, flown to New York, saw the snow, and returned back to the hiking trail of Taiping Mountain, and all the way, I took Gan’s pictures with me.  Although, it’d been, many years since, sometimes, when I recalled Gan, I’d felt, that he must be, somewhere, smiling on, and that was how I’d told myself, that everything is, okay with him.

And so, your regret is that you’d, neglected to note, that your dog wasn’t feeling well, and then, he’d died, and that last trip with his photo you took hiking the trails, that was, a way you had, to find the closure you needed to losing your beloved dog.