The last travel note of the journey must be dedicated to Hachi. This is the first time in my life that I have been with a dog for ten consecutive days. Before I left, I burst into tears. I don’t know when I will see you again. Hachi, take care!
Our First Met
Hachi is my brother-in-law’s dog, a milky white Labrador, only one and a half years old. Five months ago, Curry Bro moved to Bangalore due to a new job, but he couldn’t take Hachi with him by that time, so Hachi was staying with my Curry Parents. Curry Boy had already met Hachi when he returned home last year, and it was the first time for me.
Usually, I don’t have any special feelings for dogs, except when they bark at me. When Curry Boy and I arrived at our home in India, Hachi was already barking from the second floor. The others said Hachi remembered Curry Boy, so he barked to say hello; it may be also because it was the first time he saw me, a stranger, so he barked as a warning to me.
At that time, I was sick, dizzy and tired due to Covid. I sat on a bench outside to take a rest. Hachi came to sniff and greet me. Surprisingly, I didn’t panic too much. As long as he didn’t jump over me, then it was fine.
That was our first met.
See What’s in my Hand?
Hachi’s bedroom was on the second floor, just outside our room. Because we had to be quarantined, so in the first four to five days, only Hachi was not afraid of being infected (or he didn’t know :P) to come close to us, and I began to be able to touch him.
In fact, before the trip, I was excited about meeting Hachi, since there was nothing much to do at home, so I bought some snacks to bribe him. Sure enough, he couldn’t resist. As soon as he saw the dog treats in my hand, you asked him to sit, he sits; you asked him to stay, he wouldn’t go away, just staring and droodling. Sometimes, before you say ‘Go’, he can’t wait and already been pounced on the food.
Knock-Knock, Who’s There?
Every morning at around 7:00am, Curry Mom would come to unchain Hachi and take him to the garden. The next day, after he was unchained, instead of going to the garden, he rushed to our room to see what we were doing! I hope my screaming didn’t frighten him, haha!
For the next few days, he knew he couldn’t break into our room, but he would knock on the door! There are three doors on the second floor, he first knocked on the closest door and made some strange noises, as if to say ‘Come on get up!’ Curry Boy and I stayed in bed for a while, unable to bear Hachi’s calling, so we had to get up. He heard us moving, and ran to another entrance to knock and bark, because he knew we were brushing our teeth! The only thing that can stop him from barking is to go out and play with him. That’s our morning warm up. 🙂
I’m Up, Let’s Play!
Hachi likes to play ball very much. He can play Go and Fetch more than ten times in a row. Curry Boy even threw the ball onto the hillside intentionally, and Hachi had to run up and down, which really made him exhausted. When he was out of energy, he would just grab the ball, walk to the shade, drop the ball, drink water, and stretch out all its limbs like a frog to cool down. I’ve never seen other dogs lying down like him.
Badminton? Count Me In!
I looked up the characteristics of Labrador dogs online. One mentioned that they are food-lovers and want to put everything in their mouths! If you have something to eat, they will try their best to get a bite, with whether barking or giving you a puppy eye. Shortly after, the food is in their mouth! This includes a badminton shuttle!
One day, Curry Boy and I were playing badminton in the front yard. Hachi was super excited, ran over and tried to fetch the shuttle. Only by saying No to him a thousand times couldn’t stop him, so we took him to the second floor and closed the gate. He was trapped.
As he watched us playing badminton, he just went banana, running back and forth to chase the shuttlecock like crazy. After we’ve been playing for a while, I accidentally hit the shuttlecock on the second floor…”Ooh…bye bye shuttlecock.” Hachi immediately fetched it and dismantled it in seconds. He won. We tried to take the shuttlecock out of his mouth. He held it tight, as if saying to us: ‘See? Never give up!’
Don’t Leave Me Alone……
I don’t know if the Labrador is too clingy or if other dogs are the same. One day we went out with our family and didn’t come home from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm, leaving only Hachi at home, and asked the relatives next door to visit Hachi sometimes and take him to the garden. Poor Hachi must be so lonely, thinking we wouldn’t come back. He didn’t eat or drink, just waiting for us to go home.
After 7-hours of anxiously waiting, he’d finally been released from the chain, and relieved.
Hachi likes to make sure everybody is fine, and he often comes to check what I’ve been up to. Even though I was just drying clothes, he patrolled like a security guard, then sat nearby and looked at me quietly.
Sometimes, when I was sitting in the garden (without food though), he came slowly and sat beside me. We sat side by side with nothing to do, but we felt very close. Another time, when I touched his head, he would lie down, with his tummy up, telling me :’Please! Please! Massage my neck and tummy’.
Don’t Cry for Me
Whenever I was with this cutie, I always forgot to take photos, because I was enjoying every moment with him. After spending only ten days with him, I found that I was deeply connected with Hachi (hopefully it’s not a one-way connection).
When we were about to leave, Curry Mom started to cry. I looked at her, then looked at Hachi, and I couldn’t help but burst into tears. Mom was surprised why I was crying. She must have thought that I was reluctant to leave her… um… sometimes it’s better not to clarify.
Today, at this moment when I’m typing this blog post, Hachi is on a road trip, because my brother-in-law is bringing him back to Bangalore to live together! From a small village to a big city, I wonder if Hachi can adapt easily? My brother-in-law also has a kitten named Chichi, a Persian cat that can slap dogs. Can Hachi and Chichi live in peace? Will Hachi be defeated by Chichi?
OMG! I can’t believe it’s been more than a week since I’ve been back to Germany. Every day I’ll mention Hachi to Curry Boy: ‘Do you remember that Hachi knocks on the door every day?’ ‘Do you think Hachi knows if he’s a dog or not?’ ‘Hachi is sleeping now?’ ‘Will it be hard for Hachi to sit in the car all the time?’ (⋯⋯) Curry Boy almost thinks Hachi is his love rival, I bet.
I hope that Hachi can enjoy his new life as soon as possible after arriving in Bangalore. One day, I will definitely come to visit you. Please, don’t forget me, Hachi!
