II. Tenji

Tenji,

Modern Earth via Dog years. (Shiba Inu = 1:5)

It was a clear night sky as I walk with Ingrid on an unfamiliar land. The trees could be seen everywhere. I couldn’t exactly tell the way home. My senses must have dulled through the years. I’ve been growing old. This sweet lovely girl had been my master for all these years. It really was a good time to walk a dog around.

but phew, man this sure is tiring.

She’s been telling stories of her life, those she shared with me and her parents: her family. It sure was nostalgic.

After a long walk we stopped at a nice spot. It was an open area within the forest where grass was abundant. The soil was quite hard compared to the soil my family had been cultivating downhill at their farm. The almost-solid ground had been covered by moist grass that you won't feel its hardness anymore when you sit or lay your body at it.

“Okay there, Tenji, let’s take our time to rest here. Good boy.”

God please remember my gender correctly. The name is Tenji. Please burn that to you memory, you wretched hag.

I lay my body on the ground. I felt the coolness of the grass and the warmth of the ground. It really had been a long run.

---

The very first memory I could remember was when I’m already living with Ingrid’s family. I was already a happy dog by that time. Before that I was a stray dog and my previous owners just put me in a box beside the road. I’ve wondered where could’ve been my real parents were. Maybe, they died when I was still young, or maybe I was a stray or abandoned pup.

They always call me Tenji, that’s what I was named. I didn’t even know what it meant, and it didn’t sound cool. They could’ve picked a better one.

All I could remember was Ingrid’s cute little figure. She always have cherished me. Of course her parents too, but her love for me was incomparable.

You could say I was treated very well.

Every day I come near the entrance to welcome her and her mother as they arrive from school. We always play at the fields afterwards. Back then I was still small too.

At times I help out at the farm too. Or did I? I was a good benefactor to the farm’s booming business.

During meal time we always eat together at the dining room. But I never really had the chance to eat at the table. Oh well, I’m a dog. Either ways, breakfast, lunch and dinner, never was a skipped meal for me. I’m grateful, for one of a dog’s happiness is being served food.

Days like these must remain forever

As a dog, I could wish for nothing more.

It was at my late twenties that Ingrid’s mother fell ill, and passed away.

I was tied outside the building. Everyone’s wearing black, I wondered what’s happening. Anyways, I guess animals like me were not allowed to such place. I could only look inside through this clear something I coudln't even scratch where Ingrid and her father were attending to the guests.

Wait, is mother lying in there? Can I still play with her?

I was brought home after the burial. All three of us were at home, but not mother.

Both of them are doing strange noises. Ah, I remember this one. This was one from when Ingrid was a kid and tripped at the field. Red stuff is coming out of her knees and she was doing this sound too. There are watery fluid flowing on her eyes. Father told Ingrid "stop crying already." I suppose that's what it's called.

I felt the morbid air in the room. I approached my master, she must’ve been sad.

“Tenji, you see, mother is gone, and she’s not here to play with you anymore, to play with me too... Both father and I we’re sad and crying.”

What? Can someone translate that on dog language?

All I know that time was my master is sad. A loyal dog’s job is to comfort her master at times like this. I tried to lick her face. She looked at me with a smiling face.

Oh come on, if you’re really happy please put those watery eyes away. It kills my mood.

I lay my body beside her as they cried their night.

It was a very long time that an incident like this occurred again. It was my early fifties that Ingrid’s father passed away too.

It was the same exact scenario that happened back then when mother passed away. But now, Ingrid was all alone.

For the past years that both of them have been living without mother, they still never failed to take care of me. Ingrid, even though she came home more lately than before, still never forgot to play with me before dinner. Father too. All the years I’ve seen them support each other. I also did my best as a loyal pet.

That night Ingrid was crying again, now alone, inside our house.

That time I perfectly knew already when my master was being sad.

---

I stared at Ingrid’s face.

I really am getting old.

I remembered. I remembered those night Mother and Father left Ingrid.

My master why are you making that face? Is this event happening again?

It was the same face back then. Now I remembered why we’re here at the first place... Why was I here?

---

After Ingrid’s father’s death, a few events led her to having a new family. I wondered that time if humans really does this whenever being left alone by their families. It was like a failsafe. I wish I had one to when I was young. My previous owner could have brought me to their relatives if they were willing to adopt an excess pup. I was envious.

This family must have been Ingrid’s relatives, because they decided to include Ingrid on their family too. It should have been the same as when they kept me too. Why does my master have to experience same thing as me? I wished the curse could have stayed within me alone.

---

The supposed to be a small house for four, now became a huge house for the two of us.

One night Ingrid approached me, caressed my fur, and sat by my side.

“Do you want to leave this house?”

She’s talking to me... I can’t fully understand what you’re saying but at least let me keep up with it.

“You see, my current family is poor. I don’t want them to experience hardships in life like I did. That’s the very least I can do for them. This farm is big. The house might be small, but it can fit a happy family of five.”

What’s this? I can’t keep up

“This was our small happy home. But could you still consider this a happy home? It’s only the two of us…”

Did I failed you? Did I failed as a loyal servant?

“It’s not like you haven’t kept me company these years after dad died. I was still happy. You’ve done great Tenji.”

She's smiling... Good... I’m relieved if that’s so…

I laid my body on her lap.

“We’ll be trading houses with auntie. We will have our new home, the two of us.”

A few weeks after that, we have transferred to a new house. I couldn’t understand its layout. It’s too big but we only use the farthest room from the entrance.

I never really went out after that. I have always stayed at her room, sometimes at the living room. I realized there came a time that she housed a girl, and another girl after that. We have never really met. I tried to hide my presence as much from them. But they should knew that I exist. Both of them just don’t hang out that much with my master.

I noticed that she’s not the way she used to like before. She still never failed to pet me, and treat me as part of her family, but she’s more focused on something now. That thing I never had a chance to know.

Much more years have passed that I’ve lost track of my age already. I lost track of how long had it been since Ingrid and I had a new home. Guess I was growing old.

At times I don’t feel well, Ingrid will take all her time overnight to watch over me. My breathing became heavy. Lifting up my body hadn’t been the same as it was before. I could feel my muscles aching just from a single trip to the litter tray. The times I was sleeping became more frequent.

Do dogs like me even have a dream? One time there was a vision inside me of the four of us on our old home. Ingrid, her parents, and me. I missed those times so much that I hope when I wake up I get to see and live those memories again.

I woke up.

Ingrid was not home. This must’ve been a bad dream. I closed my eyes again.

There was darkness

---

…

---

I woke up and it’s shaking.

Oh god master please don’t shake me up like this it’s hard to get balance. Besides, my muscles have been failing me already. Please don't make this hard on me too much.

Where are we? It seemed like I'm inside a moving object. I look outside the glass and saw that we are moving, on a surface elevated from the ground.

“Tenji you’re awake. We’re going to have a walk.”

She spoke language I still couldn’t comprehend. But I sense that she’s happy. I was sitting beside her. It’s been a while since I lay my body on a couch like this. As a dog, I felt more alive than ever.

The moving object finally stopped.

“We can park the car here I guess. No one usually comes here around this hour so it must be safe.”

She opened the door, got my leash at the back and opened the door on my side.

Heh! I’m too old to use that tie. Do you want to tie me forever?

I let out a sound of refusing.

“Okay then, will you follow me, Tenji?”

She seems to have understood. As expected of my master.

This will be my final destination. How long did I lived? Did I served my master well? She’s happy so I suppose I’ve done my part well. I’ve supported her in her darkest hours, in her time of need, the times she needed to cheer up and be the usually happy energetic pretty master I’ve ever had.

Gathering up the last of my remaining strength, I stood up. I could feel the muscles tearing up within my body.

The slender I am, I stood up in front of her

“Do you want me to carry you?”

I moved in front, wagging my tail like the young dog I used to.

We walked towards the forest.

---

She was sitting, I was laying me body with my head on her lap. It was the same positions we always do when she pets me. But now:

She’s crying.

Please master don’t make that kind of face. I’ve done my part. Also, there’s the other two tenants now living on our house. You won’t feel lonely even when I’m gone…

My master why are you making that face? Is this event happening again?

It was the same face back then. Now I remember why we’re here at the first place. Why am I here?

The answer was simple: To say farewell to my master.

I let out sounds of being worried.

“Uuuuu… Tenji… uuuuu…”

I can’t stop her crying. I’m saddest myself too: I can’t stay for few more years, not until she won’t be like this once I’ll be gone. I’m full of regrets. I hope that my master will meet someone who can fill in the holes that I have left…

My body systems have failed me. I could feel everything inside me starting to stop functioning.

I gathered the last of my strength,

lifted myself up,

and licked her face.

I lay myself on her again. The last thing I felt was the warmth of my master’s embrace. I, Tenji, a loyal pet dog, died at age 76.