November 18
Hello there
I am Beauty and I am six years old. I am sure that after seeing my picture you know why I am named Beauty. I live in a house called Pranika. I was born sometime in 2018 in an open area next to the boundaries of Pranika. Sarala, who is my friend and my kinda soulmate picked me and my sis, Naughty, and brought us to this house. Momma and Poppa are endearing souls. I love Poppa..he has the kindest mildest light black eyes that one can see, a loving smile and what more he is tall. When I came home to make me comfy, he would carry me in his arms till I fell asleep. I used to be a frightened little pup, and any noise was enough to make me cry. Mornings the minute I woke up I wanted something to drink, and poppa would hold and pet me asking me to wait, till the hot milk was cooled and kept for me.
Now you may ask me why I want a journal. Recently mommy did a decluttering program she has gotten into that mood after retiring and oh my you should have seen the chaos (the house is still strewn around with varied boxes marked something or the other). She shucked off to the garbage collector’s shop many of poppa’s stuff (I am sure of that because from ages she would be telling that he keeps preserving 100 year old stuff). I wanted many of those things to chew and bite …there were plaques given to Poppa, tons of poppa’s old books, the little master’s (whom by the way I have never met in person –only in videos) toys, ..oh wait I forgot to tell you about the journal…mommy had segregated a whole lot of old diaries and note books and since I was running in and around them as she was stacking them together, she threw one at me….probably in her hurry she did not notice that she had thrown a blank one at me.. well now this is under my bed and since poppa last time told me I should do something ‘constructive’ I decided to keep the journal. I know I am wayward and bit of a free thinker, but I am sure going to write something in this even if not consistently. Oh, I just hear the roadside whiney doggy barking, and I need to see what he is up to. Bye for now.
December 1
Oh hello..see what amma found while looking at our pics. She showed me this one where my sister and I are watching the road behind ours from the terrace. My sister and I would love going up onto the terrace and playing. Every day in the evening anytime between 4 30-5.30 pm when my buddy Sarala had finished the chores downside, she would go up to the terrace to water the plants. Of course, that included sis and me running up too.
While she was watering the plants, we were allowed to roam around and play as much as possible. I would love to sit and watch from the small stone table that was there. On the back street, there were many dogs that used to be playing. I had no idea who these dogs were, but I always felt that they were very happy and joyful as they seem to be running around each another, catching one another, pushing and jostling, and rolling in the mud. I would also think that I would like to do all those. Naughty my sister would admonish me and would always tell me not to forget our house. She would say, “You are enjoying the best of everything here… if you had been there outside, am very sure you would not get any food to eat, nor would you be able to survive. The very same dogs that look like fun would bite you”
I thought Naughty was just jealous and hence made such remarks. One of these days, when the gate is open, I’m going to go and explore there and see how life is .(Oh..I did go but that’s another incident that I will tell you some other time) After watching the back road street dogs, I then sit on the other side of the terrace from where I can see the water tank. I like watching the water tank because right on top of the water tank, the crows come and perch. Well, I have decided that they should not be sitting there because that space belongs to us. Pranika house territory be it up or down is mine and my sister’s territory. The silly crows think that is their property as they can sit up and crow. The job that I undertake whenever I am on the terrace, is to dispel this illusionary belongingness. Slowly like a hunter, I will, sneak close to the water tank and shout at them. I will do the barking and they fly away, but sometimes there are some cheeky ones who fly down just to irritate me and make a signal that says, “oh, we are not afraid of you.” Sitting up there made them bold, but if they dared to come close, they would learn exactly who I was. Even though my name is Beauty, I am quite terrifying when necessary. Once my water tank patrol was done, I would wander to the front of the terrace and peer down through the railings, observing the world below. There was the old man on his balcony, always reading a local paper or browsing his phone. The corner house child was riding her bicycle. Since I didn’t particularly like her, I would put my paws on the rail and bark ferociously. If she was with her grandparents, she had some courage.
But today, she got frightened, went to the corner of the road, and didn’t come back.
By then, Sarala would have finished watering the plants, and it was time to go back downstairs, waiting patiently for Amma to give us our biscuits. Some days when Amma was in a good mood, she also takes us upstairs, where we walk around and just enjoy along with her. When she sits down, we also sit next to her because she has this beautiful umm.. fingers, which will play around in our fur and on our skin, make us feel so wanted and loved. I enjoy that so much. I remember that evening when Amma was with us walking up and down and saw us both trying to hold onto to the terrace and see the back streets dogs quarrelling with two big dogs that lived in the road next to the Sai baba temple. Amma loved how we looked in that moment and clicked a picture—later showing it to me.
“This is you, watching them,” she said.
It was such a funny picture, (picture date: Jun 5, 2020)only showing our backs with no faces—just us, lost in observation. I was two years old then.
Amma says it’s a beautiful picture. I do hope you enjoy seeing it here.
