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.

automatically to Miki. It gave me the strange vibe 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

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 maybe two seconds, then he pressed his hands together on his chest and kept looking

times, and he did more and more every time.

I wasn’t even sure he talked, and given how he ignored me when I started

communication method was pretty rudimentary, but at least it was

interacted more and more with the dog, his expression

name?”

smiled disappeared as he looked briefly at me.

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

I thought that if I shared information first it could make me sound

to my drawing pad,

right away what was going on, and suddenly ignore the kid and turned

treat out slowly, making him sit.

sat, shaking his weight from his left

I held the treat above his head and made him lie down. I had to say it twice until, his desire for the biscuit overcame

child looked at this scene in

want to try it?” I asked.

He nodded.

managed to make the kid say something. Silently, but still, it’s an

his paws going in circles and then sitting, but going back

was more interested in the dog than me that he might be more willing to talk to him

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

feeding five treats in a

heard the boy say at least four words now, and they were not

were all gone, he looked at me expectantly.

what Miki loves?” I asked him.