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.

It was brief, and he returned his gaze 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

sure he would not get too close to the kid and spook him, whom eventually

a few times, and he did more and more

he ignored me when I

rudimentary, but

interacted more and more with the dog, his expression slowly melted into one

“What is your name?” I asked him.

disappeared as he looked briefly at me.

I’m Mila. I live with Miki not

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

next to my drawing pad, I found a little

what was going on, and

I took a treat out slowly, making him sit.

could hardly contain his excitement and sat, shaking his

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

looked at this scene in pure fascination.

try it?” I asked.

He nodded.

internal ‘yoop’ as I managed to make the kid say

was now back on 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

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

ended up feeding five treats in a

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

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

know what Miki loves?” I asked him.