Author Topic: The seafarer, the little girl, and the dog (Read 2119 times)

islander · « **on:** August 05, 2014, 03:14:12 AM »

there was once a seafarer who left his puppy with his friend's family before he boarded his ship. It was a temporary arrangement, a favor asked with the promise to come back for his puppy after a few months.

as it happened, that family had a next-door neighbor of relations. among them was an 11-year-old girl.

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islander · « **Reply #1 on:** August 05, 2014, 03:16:02 AM »

the girl got wind of the puppy in that temporary shelter of her cousins' home. she began to visit the puppy regularly to play with it. later, she got bolder by borrowing the puppy and bringing it home, on the condition that it be returned by early evening.

always, it was the daughter of the household help of the puppy's temporary home who came to claim the puppy at the agreed time. she set the rules anyhow, to begin with.

and that was how the girl became subservient to the wishes, whims and caprices of that family's household help's daughter.

a likeness of that puppy

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islander · « **Reply #2 on:** August 05, 2014, 03:37:36 AM »

but aside from her who was about the same age as the girl, it seemed as if everyone in that family regarded the puppy more as a nuisance that nobody wanted, an imposition tolerated at best and regretted at worst.

the sadness of the unwanted dog

the 11-year-old girl grew fonder of the puppy and made it a point to borrow and play with it every day, after school on weekdays and throughout the day on weekends. it became a source of quarrel between the two pre-teen girls.

indeed, fate played its tricky hand as the daughter of the household help had the misfortune of being in a family that disliked the puppy.

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islander · « **Reply #3 on:** August 05, 2014, 03:38:59 AM »

give it to her and don't bring it back, the head of that household commanded their help's daughter. it was a command that brooked no resistance, it rendered the ten commandments a whit tamer.

and that was how the girl became the de facto owner of the puppy that she named gwendolyn.

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islander · « **Reply #4 on:** August 05, 2014, 03:40:51 AM »

the seafarer was back, the little girl heard one day, and he's asking about his puppy.

two men knocked on the girl's door. someone opened it, and what met the men's eyes was the girl sitting on a low stool, puppy on her lap, arms held tight around the puppy. she eyed the two men with dagger looks and tried to scare them away with her worst possible scowl. it could only have meant armaggedon if the girl and the puppy were parted.

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islander · « **Reply #5 on:** August 05, 2014, 03:43:10 AM »

it's all right, one of the smiling men said. we're not here to get cutie. we only want to visit her and see how she is.

her name is not cutie, the girl snapped. it's gwendolyn.

and that was how the 11-year-old girl became the sole owner, playmate, bedmate, and constant vacation buddy of many summers of the puppy named gwendolyn. the puppy was soon to become the dog who knew how to shell and eat peanuts and relished eating bread dipped in soda drink.

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islander · « **Reply #6 on:** August 05, 2014, 03:45:13 AM »

gwendolyn died when the girl was already into her fourth year of work as a professional.

needless to say, growing up became much more bearable and happier for that 11-year-old girl.

i should know. i was that 11-year-old.

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islander · « **Reply #7 on:** August 05, 2014, 03:51:20 AM »

it's quite late, though i hope that it's none too soon anyhow, to thank that seafarer whose name i never got to know but whose smile of understanding is forever etched in my memory.

thank you for your kindness, fellow boholano, my paisano, whoever and wherever you are now, mate.

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #8 on:** August 08, 2014, 09:13:56 PM »

A great story. Brava!

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pioneer · « **Reply #9 on:** August 08, 2014, 09:16:33 PM »

Pwede himoan ug short fiction based on this story?

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islander · « **Reply #10 on:** August 10, 2014, 12:41:30 AM »

pwede jamo, mr webmaster. pwede gani iapil nimo nga wa gyoy makapukaw sa girl kay hambaton sa iyang iro ang bisan kinsa nga moduol as long as the girl is in bed. palami gyod ang girl ug hila-hila, maugtas na lang iyang papa dayon ingon, 'pareha na man gyod mog baho ni gwendolyn.' and the girl who lived happily ever after malipay jamo because she took it as a great compliment.

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islander · « **Reply #11 on:** August 10, 2014, 12:54:40 AM »

some kind of sad postscript: that daughter of our cousins' household help died while she was still in her mid-30s. she fell off a motorcycle and may have suffered from internal hemorrhage. i never saw her again before then, but i asked her relatives about her, and this was their story.

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islander · « **Reply #12 on:** August 10, 2014, 01:04:27 AM »

A great story. Brava!

thanks. it's in the telling, dear. aherm, one learns something from masters like you, like writing and having the last word.

kung tutuusin, bata ra baya gyod ko ato nga nangilog ug di ako, hihihi.

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #13 on:** August 10, 2014, 07:09:12 PM »

Hmm, that renders me barkless...

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Author Topic: The seafarer, the little girl, and the dog (Read 2119 times)

islander

The seafarer, the little girl, and the dog

islander

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islander

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islander

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islander

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