How a Discovery Made a Plain Girl Courageous

By: Tehniat Abbas

Giving back to my community has always been a major part of my being. Since childhood, I have always had a fascination for dogs but religious boundaries didn’t allow me to keep one. Their loyalty and care is somethingI truly admire because of their rarity. Tell me who doesn’t want selfless love with an added bonus of warm cuddles? Especially from someone who is mute but can move mountains if asked. Someone who will forever rememberyou without a smartphone and send you messages through adorable eyes. Someone who will not abuse you for what you did last night. Someone who will stay at your doormat without food or water just to see you come home safely. Someone who will not ask for expensive gifts, fine hoteling, lavish cars or huge mansions but the tenderness of your palm.Such creatures do not just exist in story books but in real life as well. We call them dogs.

Never had I thought of keeping a puppy let alone giving him the approval to hold my heart but there is always a first of everything. Love, pain, heartbreak. You name it, life has it coming. These experiences have a property of being unforgettable and I couldn’t agree more after living an unexpected dream. One day, my usual visit to the market left me awestruck when I discovered a puppy in a parking lot. His wittiness had me the moment I laid my eyes on him. You could tell by the wagging of his tail that he was full of joy. Like you could literally feel happiness bursting from his tiny frame. We named him Kaka which translates to beloved. Each visit allowed him to occupy my heart until it was all taken and I was no more single.

Things were running smoothly until he was hit by a car. An accident that shook me to the core. The unfortunate hit resulted in paralyzingright side of his bodytwisting his neck sideways. The heavy bleeding clogged his right eye and nose which gave him a hard time breathing. Each hum took forever to return. I almost shrieked in terror and was on the verge of colliding when it hit me. Time was limited and immediate action was required.

Due to high treatment costs, visits to the veterinary eliminated all the possibilities but one. To take care of Kaka on my own. Faith was all I had and losing wasn’t an option. Then the race started. Tiring nights followed by early-than-usual mornings, hearty prayers, non-stop sessions of feeding milk through syringes, warm showers with a baby shampoo, bandages of egg-yolk, cartons of wipes, comforting massages, regular exercises, enrichment walks in the sun, a lot of hard work, motivation and help of my amazing friends was all it took. Faith won and the same playful pup returned to usual health.

Often in life, we get unfair treatment and steep challenges but if you are laser-focused and consistent enough to pursue what you really want, the universe will conspire in helping you achieve that. Kaka’s recovery inspired me to be fearless in the pursuit of my goals, to always be there for others but never leavingmyself behind, to accomplish the uncommon and to always believe in myself. This story is to remind you that you are brave enough to achieve what people think is impossible or at least unattainable. Go after what you really want, question its existence, find the hidden meaning and you my friend will be unforgettable. Just like the first of everything!

P.C my friend