BRUZO: The Dog With Diamond Eyes

I woke up as the cool breeze of windy winter kissed my cheeks. My hair started blowing and my face froze due to the air that kept entering through the window of my room. It was similar to the winter day of 2012. I stood up to the sound of kids playing cricket in the park. And I found myself lost in his memories. Again…

It was a cool morning of November and me and my grandpa were out for a walk.

“It feels so heavenly fresh here in this peaceful atmosphere away from the traffic, the pollution, the annoyance.” Grandpa said to me while breathing in the early morning’s fresh air to which I agreed.

We continued walking. I startled as I heard a sobbing cry of a baby animal as we crossed a carton. I was not sure if it was a puppy but I guessed it right when my grandpa opened the carton’s lid to expose the view of a white soft furry little dog whose eyes were as shiny as a diamond and crimson like rose.

“Oh! So adorable.”  I spontaneously commented.

“Maybe someone left him here in this chilly freezing weather.” He said while picking him up.

“Was the person heartless”? I asked but he didn’t reply so I asked the same question to the puppy. And it made a sound as to let me know that yes, he was.

“Are we taking him home with us?” I asked excitedly as my grandpa moved a few steps ahead with the dog.

“Yeah Lily. We cannot leave it here for dying everyday.”

I was extremely happy for our to-be-pet as we did not have any, but all our neighbours did.

“Look we are home with something cute.” I notified my siblings. They watched grandpa holding the puppy in his arms. Their eyes lighted up at the moment.

Grandpa asked me to pull the rug for him to put the puppy on it. We all started playing with the puppy even my mum, who usually doesn’t. My dad took his camera and captured the moments.

“Finally we have a pet.” Kori said.

“A pet! A pet! Yeahh!” My brother, Jack screamed in joy.

“Lets name him.” I suggested.

A pin drop silence occured as everyone began to think of the best name.

“Name…pet…mmm. Name.” Jack repeated his annoying habit. He usually does this. Now we are all use to this. I don’t know why he does that, but maybe because he is proving that he too can speak now just like us. Huh! The 2 years old boy.

“Bruuo…Brzzz…” he again said something to listen to his own voice, “Bruzo…pet.”

“Okay! We got the name.” Granny dismissed the whole naming ceremony right after that. And we all accepted the name. Actually we had to.

Bruzo. We became happy to have him and he to have us. The whole day passed and I took him for a walk near the park with my sister.

“So finally, you got a pet.” Kori’s classmate said teasingly.

“Yeah we did. Lastly but its better than anyone else’s much better.” Kori replied in anger.

“Actually the best.” I corrected her.

“Her friend got away as she found no words to speak.”

Kori gave me a high-5.

Time was really moving fast since he came in our lives. I remember when me and Kori were fighting for my pen which was taken by her in my absence. Bruzo observed it and took my side and began to chase my poor sister until she returned me my pen.

Days passed by and we became best of friends. He played with us, ate with us, went for rides with us. He became a new family member without whom everything was incomplete. He was the soul to our enjoyment, the breath to our life, the destroyer of our sorrows.

One day I was playing cricket with my friends in the colony. I hit a six and the ball went straight away to Uncle Charlie’s window glass. We ran into out homes at the crack of the glass.

Uncle Charlie was not a moody person. He was polite towards kids but still we were nervously horrified as he was in the police.

“Bruzo! Come mama has your favourite thing for you.” Mommy called for him for supper.

“Lily, could you…” I got out to call Bruzo without even letting my mother complete the sentence.

I found him standing near Uncle Charlie’s pole. “Hey cutie! Mom wants you to get in for your supper.”

He got in uninteresting. I was about to get in too when pieces of broken glass caught my eyes. And right beside them were some toppings of eggs and olives. The morning cricket incident hit me and I didn’t pay any heed to Uncle Charlie’s business.

“I’ll not talk to you if you don’t eat. See, I have prepared you favourite chicken bones for you with your favourite sauce, and still you are not eating.” I heard my mom pleading to Bruzo.

“Eat or either I will.” I smirked but he dis not respond.

“He must be full,” Grandpa suggested not to force for overeating.

He did not play with us. Instead he sat with Grandpa for more than 3 hours without disturbing him. He went to my parents’ room and came back in a while. He came back into the hall where I was sitting with my Granny.  I was flummoxed at that view. He rarely sits around my Granny but today he did.

“Feeling sleepy?” I asked while bending my knees.

He replied with a stare. A stare which was as deep as an ocean.

“Come.” I took him to his dog-bed and went to sleep in my own after kissing his forehead.

I was unhappy and something inside was pricking me hard.

Kori was sitting on the bed. I joined her.

“He is not well.” I sighed.

Kori replied in a nod. A silence swept our room. Maybe she too was sensing the same feeling. We came to reality when Bruzo entered our room and began whirling on it. He does this every time thrice or more but today he did only once. He sat between me and Kori in a sleepy manner. We caressed him like our dad caresses us. I switched off the light and tried to sleep.

Next morning we woke up to the sound of alarm clock. I found Kori on my right but Bruzo was not there. Both of us ran downstairs to see where he was.

I became morose when I saw him lying in the porch area with all the other members if family surrounding him.

Jack took my hand and said with wet eyes, “Bruzo..sleeping.”

“No sleep, no sleep.” He shouted at last in disbelief.

I could not believe my eyes. My tears could not come at cessation. He was loved by everyone. And he sensed it too. He sensed our love, our bond, our faith would never die. He sensed that the doors of death opened for him. He sensed that his last hours would always be printed in our hearts that’s why he emotionally gave us his last greetings.

Yet I sensed the regret of hitting the ball so hard that took the life of my Bruzo. Because I remember the eggs mixed with the broken glass near the pole of Uncle Charlie. He must have eaten those eggs. I regret my hit till now and will regret it till my last breath.

Sometimes you don’t know what your littlest action can turn into.

I felt Kori’s hand on my shoulder giving me sympathy and wiping my tears as I look out to find the kids running.

We turned.

‘Crackkk!!!’ The sound of breaking glass was heard. Both of us could not help but cry. We wiped tears. We felt alone again.

“We miss you Bruzo.” I sobbed.

We miss you like the stars miss the morning sun…

–END–