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.

you get with autistic children. He had problems looking in my eyes, but clearly none in looking in a dog’s eyes, so I used this to try to open a channel of communication.

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 finger on the forehead for

repeated the exercise a few times, and he did more and more every time.

talked, and given how he ignored me when I started with this line of questioning, I decided

pretty rudimentary, but at least

by and he interacted more and

name?” I asked

His smiled disappeared as he looked briefly

want to. I’m Mila. I live with Miki not far from here. Miki loves parks very much, so we came here for a bit of

could make me sound

bag, and next to my drawing pad, I found a little bag.

going on, and suddenly

took a treat out slowly, making

his excitement and sat, shaking his weight from his left paw

him lie down. I had to say it twice until, his

this scene in pure

want to try

He nodded.

make the kid say something. Silently,

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

It took a lot of coaxing out of me to finally make the kid talk. I guessed that if he was more interested in the dog than me that he might

few minutes for him to get the gist of what had to be done, but he worked it out faster

ended up feeding five treats in

feeding, but it was working really well, and I had heard the boy say at least four words now, and they were not as hard to get out of him

all gone,

“Do you know what Miki loves?” I asked him.