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.

with autistic children. He had problems looking in my eyes, but clearly none in looking in a dog’s eyes, so I used

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 finger on the forehead

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

and given how he ignored me when I started with this line of questioning, I decided not to push on too quickly as I feared he’d

Granted this communication method was pretty rudimentary, but at least it

and more with the dog, his expression slowly

“What is your name?” I asked

he looked briefly at me.

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 loves parks very much,

sound more trustworthy, but I wasn’t

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

what was going on, and suddenly ignore the kid and

out

his excitement and sat, shaking his weight from his left paw to his right.

I had to say it twice until, his desire for the biscuit

this scene in pure fascination.

you want to try it?” I asked.

nodded.

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

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 tell me he was still down for

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

him to get the gist of what had to be done, but he worked

five treats in a

I would normally not encourage so much 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

gone, he looked at me expectantly.

“Do you know what Miki loves?” I