The 1st Encounter:
I couldn't remember how it was when she first came into our house. But I do remember why. My dad asked me do I want to have a dog or not few days before she came. I wanted to say yes,but I had a stray cat at that time and I was pretty much comfort and enjoy his companion,so I wasn't so sure whether I wanted to break that companionship or not,so I kept silence. My mom said no,but we always ignored her voice,so the dog came anyway. Such a tiny hyperactive jumper. She could jump as high as my thigh (I was 10 years old) without a break for 10 times. Her story was: A friend of my uncle got her from the street (she was probably a lost dog). Knowing my uncles love dogs too,he gave her to him. While my uncle was having two Chihuahuas at that time, he couldn't afford to have this hyperactive MinPin anymore. So he gave it to my dad, which is my family where she live happily for about 13 years. She wasn't a puppy anymore,but still very young. Probably at the age of 1 or 2. So we never had puppy biting habits problem with her.
The 1st Walk：
It was an evening. I volunteer myself to walk her. Tiny but strong she was the one who actually walking me. I was excited. Although she's not the first dog of our family,she was my first. She loved the grass. She keep bolting and chocked herself every time that I had to get her harness someday. But the first walk,I was not doing it rightly,my bro said. Everyone was outside with me and her,my two brothers.
A walk in the morning and evening became hers and our habit for 13 years. We never toilet trained her but she never pee or poo in the house. She would wait for the time for us to bring her out. Well,unless she couldn't hold it any longer,which is our fault. During my school years,I took afternoon nap on cushion and she would jumped up and woke me up with her licks whenever it was her walking time.She was very persistent that I had to give in every time.
During her young age,we had to keep her on leash during the walk as she was a runner. As trust and bonding grew stronger,we let her out off leash. But she would still try to sneak away under our watch (smart!) and we would have to run in front of her to stop her from going further. As she grew older,she became more sensitive and fearful and dare not to venture far from our house without us walking with her. Until the day before she left,she still insisted to go out to pee with her weak wobbly legs. Just that we have to carry her as she couldn't walk too long.
The 1st Nest:
We gave her a box to sleep in, and put her at the back of kitchen at night. I would eventually carried the box with her sleeping inside to the back of kitchen every night (I don't know why). Then we found an old dog cage,so we caged her at night when we sleep. Fearing that mosquito would drained her blood,mom made a mosquito net for her (tailor-made!). Then we changed furniture so she had a cushion as bed! My mom made her a cotton (real cotton) bed too! She changed quite a few beds in her lifetime!
At her old age where she couldn't jumped with bad eyesight,she couldn't sleep inside her cage anymore.Mom put her bed outside of her cage.We let one of the lights and fans for her at night.
The Last Hyperactive:
Whenever I came back,she would welcome me with her short waggy tail and butt so that anyone could tell how happy she was. Then I would let her sat on my lap like old time until mom urged me to bath. But this time she just gave me a short greeting. She didn't came out like usual when I got home until I went near to her bed. She still follow me around for a while and curled up on my lap for a little while. Mom said she just recovered from don't know what sickness and she just got back her strength to walk around on that day.
The Last Days:
Her eyes were in grey caused by cataracts, almost blind. Her hearing ability decreased that we not sure whether she still could hear us. She was so skinny that as if only a layer of skin covering her bones. She just laid on her bed the whole day until she stood up signaling us that she wants to go out.
Her condition was unpredictable. It was a day of getting better then a day of just sleeping on bed. On the 8th day of Dragon Year, she refused to eat anything,even cereal with minced meat that she finished the day before. At night, we tried to feed her hard-boiled egg and to our relief, she ate the whole egg yolk and half of the egg.
On the 9th day,again she refused to eat. Just a little bit of 'Ang Gu' and water. I put her on my lap for the last time as mom changed her bed cover. At night,I noticed her breathing difficulty problem. She was like dropped her head to a side and grasping for air. I sat by her and comforted her until she got her breath back. I told mom that tomorrow we should call the vet. Mom said she is just waiting for her time.
2 something at night, I was sleepy but I was unwilling to sleep. Mom wasn't sleeping yet as well. I kept an eye on her while editing my resume. Mom went to bed. She grasping for air again. My hand felt her bed was wet. She wet her bed at last. I told her it was okay and I'll bring her to vet tomorrow and she hid her face away as if she felt ashamed of wetting her bed. I shut down my laptop,left the light and fans on for her and went to bed.
Back to the 1st:
Mom woke me up saying I should be awake. I checked the time,it's 8 just something,too early and unusual for her to wake me up. I wanted to get back to sleep but I felt something was not right,so I got up anyway. I went out to look for her but she and her bed was not there. I asked mom where is she, mom said she's dead. Mom put her in a box with her towel. Her eyes weren't shut tight, her limps weren't stiff, as if she was just sleeping. We dug a hole and buried her at the back of our house. She is still nearby.
I watched an episode of Dog Whisperer where a family was still grieving for their lost dog. The kid of the family said the dog has finally able to run freely again and not covered in white fur anymore. I guess this is the best way to think of her. She is hyperactive again with her cute big puppy eyes that made her looked smart,her sharp hearing, and loud barking,she is young once more. I would never forget her young days where she jumped around the cushions in living room like crazy,her big wide eyes,her snuggled on my laps,slept on my butt when I laid in living room watching tv. I would never forget also my heartache when I saw her cataract grey-white eyes, white muzzles and whiskers, white fur,old age of her.
She made me fall in love with dogs.
We grow up together but I wasn't here when she was growing old.
Mimi was a great dog.
Thanks you for growing up with me.
Sorry for not being there with you while you were growing old.
But I'm glad I was here during her last days.
Mom said she'd chosen the right time.
Indeed. I came back for new year. I was here with her.
I was the last person she saw and heard. And she waited until everyone was asleep. Then she sneaked away. Silently.
