The First day of 2006 - Me and Silly

A large window of my living room overlooks a small flowing canal. The large brown, now barren naked trees line the steep grass covered banks that lead to the cold murky waters. In the dawn and the dusk, I see elderly people take their walks, children carefully kick their colourful balls and a few walk their dogs on the promenade.
The first day of the New Year presented me a sight that is forever going to be etched in my memories. The similarity in life of a human and the dog is the perfect analogy of haplessness and helplessness.
It was a cold frosty morning, the grass was in hues of white and green and the lines of white snow adorned the branches of the tress. I had slept very little since a few nights and wanted to be with myself. I needed to re-look at the things that were shaping my existence. Engrossed in my reverie, I sat on the steps that led down to the canal absently watching the water carry away dead leaves in its flow.
Presently a middle aged man, whistling merrily, came down the winding path with his small white dog on the leash. Both the man and the dog turned to look at me as the man bent down and released the leash. Obligingly, the little dog nuzzled against his trousers before bounding away and disappearing into the trees. ‘Silly’, called the man and the dog appeared from nowhere.
The man pulled out a packet from his pocket, unwrapped what seemed like a bone and threw it powerfully way. Even before the bone landed, Silly shot towards it. The bone landed on the brink of the bank amongst the bushes and grass. Silly was there in no time but stood there wagging his small tail and looking in the direction of the bone and his master. The men (he and I) watched the dog and the dog watched the bone. Why did it not retrieve the bone I wondered!!
Silly was not silly after all. When it saw no help forthcoming, it carefully stepped into the bushes and launched itself precariously at the bank. Obviously the bone had landed on the edge and slithered down the steep bank. With its front paws grinding into the slippery grass, it ducked its head. With what seemed like a Herculean effort for the little animal, it launched itself backward; almost somersaulting onto flat safe ground. It had successfully retrieved the bone. Holding the bone in its jaws, it trotted back to the man.
My first thought – Silly could have easily slipped into the water. The current of the canal and the chill of the water would have killed the dog in no time. It shook its fear off and the instincts of danger in order to do what was commanded by its master though no words had been exchanged. It was an expectation, an understanding and no words were necessary for the communication. Silly, a dog, showed the love, care and commitment it contained for its master.
Reaching the man, it was ecstatic. It laid the bone at his feet and went crazy. It jumped up his trousers, chewed at his shoes and barked softly. The bone was forgotten. The man growled his disapproval, but Silly was undeterred. Suddenly he kicked the dog which catapulted the little thing a few feet away. Silly yelped in pain (or was it shock too), recovered, sat on its bottom, looked at the man and whined. A few minutes later, the man called out. Silly, still whining softly walked back to him. It licked his feet, trying to make amends for its intense unwelcome enthusiasm.
What wrong had the dog done? I compared Silly with myself. Several times, I have been hurt as if kicked. Did I give up? No, I always had gone back to begging. Did I care for life? No – I have risked slipping into oblivion a number of times, and yet launched back to my duties; to the call of my heart. I did what my heart commanded – not waited for fear, peril or morals to take me over. There are some, who get kicked because they are too intense in their longing. Silly does not have a choice, do I? Is it devotion or is it foolishness? What am I? As I thought and got up the steps, I realized I had not worn any warm clothes. My body was numb with cold like my mind, but the heart hurt as hell.
I do not have a picture to show here. I will try to get one of the bank soon. But where is my bank???

Wish you a very happy, successful, prosperous 2oo6.