All That Is Left Behind

I took my dog in my arms, and I made my way to the boy. I was no older than four of five, and there was absolute distress written all over his face.

I made sure to have a good grip on my dog as he could get exited easily, and I knew a lot of people, including children, are easily intimidated by dogs, especially the overly expressive ones.

“Hey there,” I said.

The boy didn’t even look at me.

“Are you lost?” I asked him.

He didn’t turn around, but I knew he heard and understood me as he pointedly put his back to mine. There were silent tears in his eyes, but contrary to most children I’ve encountered, he wasn’t expressing his sadness very openly, which I found quite strange.

“You see,” I began. “My dog is named Miki, and he kept asking me to come around here. I really don’t know why. Do you? Maybe there’s a tennis ball hidden here somewhere. Would you help me look?”

He finally turned around, but his eyes were automatically drawn to Miki.

Miki gave him a doggy grin and waved his tail so hard, his little booty went side to side in my arms.

The boy had brown hair and gorgeous large brown eyes. He was wearing good clean clothes too that fit him perfectly. And he looked at the dog, hypnotized.

“Do you want to pet him?” I asked.

He said nothing, but I knew he heard me. He didn’t look at me, still glued to Miki.

“Here, let me show you how.” Then I spent the next minute showing the boy how to pet a dog.

“Do you want to try?” I asked him.

to Miki. It gave me the strange vibe you get with autistic children. He had problems looking in my

finally both sat on the grass, I sat Miki in between us, keeping my hand on him to make sure he would not get too close to the kid and spook him, whom eventually caved and gave the first pet. It was short and just one

the exercise a few times, and he

his parents or why he was alone, but I wasn’t even sure he talked, and given how he ignored me when I

this communication method was pretty rudimentary,

and as minutes went by and he interacted more and more with the dog, his expression slowly

name?” I

His smiled disappeared as he

you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m Mila. I live with Miki not far

sound more trustworthy, but I wasn’t sure if this technique

my

away what was going on, and suddenly ignore the kid

took a treat out slowly, making him sit.

Miki could hardly contain his excitement and sat, shaking his weight from his left paw to his

made him lie down. I had to say it twice until, his desire for the biscuit overcame his excitement and then I gave it to

this

to try it?”

He nodded.

internal ‘yoop’ as I managed to make the

and then sitting, but going back up and putting his paws on my legs

of me to finally make the kid talk. I guessed that if he was more interested in

done, but he worked it

He ended up feeding five treats in a row to Miki.

boy say at least four words now, and they were not as hard to get out of

Once the treats were all gone, he looked at me expectantly.

Miki