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

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

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

wanted to question him more about his parents or why he was alone, but I wasn’t even sure he talked, and given how he ignored me when I started with this line of questioning, I decided not to

rudimentary, but at least it was one.

went by and he interacted more and more with the dog, his expression slowly melted into one of pure childish glee.

“What is your name?” I asked him.

disappeared as he looked briefly at me.

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

shared information first it could make me sound more trustworthy, but I wasn’t

my drawing pad, I found a little bag.

was going on, and

treat out slowly, making

shaking his weight from his left paw to

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

this scene in

want to try it?” I asked.

He nodded.

I did an internal ‘yoop’ as I managed to make the kid say something. Silently, but still, it’s an achievement.

to tell him to sit though,” I said as Miki was now back on his paws going in circles and then sitting, but going back up and putting his paws on my legs to

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

to be done, but he worked it out faster than I expected. So the kid was intelligent enough.

up feeding five treats

so much feeding, but it was working really well, and I had heard the boy say at least four words

treats were all gone, he looked at me expectantly.

you know what Miki loves?” I