If Your Pet Could Talk

 

I put on my jogging shoes, all set to go outside for a jog. As I put my hand on the door handle for opening the door, I heard somebody call from behind, “Hey”.

I was quite surprised. There was no one in the house except me and Tobby, my pet dog. I turned to see if by mistake I had forgotten to switch off the TV. But the TV was off. As I looked all around the room, I heard again.

“Why are you looking everywhere except in my direction. Cannot you see that I am trying to talk to you?”

The voice seemed to be coming from the place where Tobbywas sitting, looking hopefully at me. I was wondering about where the sound was coming from.

Then I saw Tobby looking at me. The voice was coming from him. Before I could absorb the shock of my pet speaking to me, he said again, “Please take me along also. I want to accompany you to see the outside world. I am bored of staying in the house all the time.” 

While I was absorbing the shock of my pet talking to me, he ran into the house and brought his leash, carrying it in his mouth. 

I wanted to see whether it was for real. So I asked him, not expecting an answer, thinking my ears were deceiving me. “Do you promise to behave yourself and not jump on strangers? Then I might not even hold your leash too tightly.”

He nodded his head, as if he understood everything.

I asked him, “You have to say yes. That will tell me you can speak.”

He said, “Yes, I promise to behave myself.”

So Tobby could really speak.

I locked the house and both of us left together.

He was very happy to be outside and kept on pestering me with questions. He ran on grass in the park, leaving the leash in my hand.

He asked me, “The grass looks good, let me taste it, perhaps it will be good for my stomach.”

I replied, “You can try, but it is normally meant for cattle.”

He did not react to it, just nibbled at it, but immediately spat out. “It has a peculiar taste. I don’t like it.”

I told him, “You don’t have to eat everything that looks good to you.”

Appropriately chastened, Tobby walked quietly beside me.

A woman walked by me and said ‘hello’ to me. I wished her back.

“Who is that fat woman?” Tobby asked me, a bit loudly.

I was embarrassed and hoped that the lady had not heard it. “Tobby, you have to be careful about what you say. People don’t like to be called fat.”

He nodded, probably without appreciating it.

Tobby had been behaving well, so I had untied his leash. He ran here and there, jumping all over the ground.

After sometime I understood that although Tobby’s speech was very clear to me, but no other person could follow it, even when he said something audible to them.

We really had fun and Tobby was not willing to get back. I reminded him of his promise to behave. He meekly acquiesced and walked back home.

I put some milk and chapatis in his bowl. He was happy. 

“Food was really good. I am feeling sleepy now.”

I said ‘good night’ to him.

Next day morning when I woke up, Tobby was already up. He immediately ran to me. I caressed his fur and asked, “How are feeling today, Tobby?”

He looked at me and started licking my hands. It seems he had got a human voice only for a day. 

Tobby was back to being a dog who could not speak. I was happy that I could get what goes in Tobby’s mind, even for a day.