A dance with love and death.

New companion, Who are you?

The sun in the sky marked a new day in my new lonely life. A life is full uncertaintynty and fear, a life of constantly looking behind your back. A life that I've never actually lived before.  A new life. . . 

I tried to remind myself that a new day brings new opportunities. At least, that was what Alida was telling me when I was feeling down. She told me that she had heard it from an older dog that claimed she knew how to read human signs. Maybe she knew, maybe she didn't. I didlly care, I have other problems. . . 

I left my spot under a tent where I spent the night for good. I have decided that I will find a purpose in this life and I'm going to fulfill it. But first, I have to eat something. . . 

I was walking down a street which I didn't know at the time that it was a pavement in S Buckhout St. in Irvington New York and I was admiring the green landscape with the beautiful places that humans live in. Their exterior was all brown. A very light brown it seemed.  

All this talk about scolorscolours opened my appetite so I decidedtogo to a place where somebody would give me some food. 

I was taking the road down to Hudsountilr until I encountered another dog resting outside a building. 

I tried to walk past it without waking him up but it was pointless. That dog was sleeping with his one eye wide open:

"Where are you going?" he asked me. "I can help you".

"No need" I responded calmly. "I'm nothing more than a passer-by to your neighborhood". 

"Why do you have to break my heart?" asked me seriously. 

Besides the tone, his voice had when he said that, I was still not sure if he was kidding or not. . . 

"Pardon me?" I pretended to be ignorant. 

"Oh! We have a traveler here" he admired sarcastically. "I didn't know you speak human". 

"No, I don't. It was just a form of expression". 

And now, at this very moment, I understood that I had found myself in a very difficult position. 

"A form of expression?" he asked. He was puzzled for a moment but then, he found his rhythm. "You're funny," he said to me and then laughed. "I like you".

Funny. . . Yeah, I decided to go with that!

"Oh thank you" I replied humbly. "If I was a human, I would be a comedian".

"Yeah. . ." said in an uninterested way. 

It seems that I found his trigger point. Humans. . . I wonder what his relation is to them.

"So. . ." I started but then I cut myself. 

"Go on," he said. "You can ask me anything" he added supportingly. 

"You and humans. . . What's happening?".

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "I thought you were going to ask me something very serious. What's happening with me and humans?" asked himself. "Let's see. . . My relationship with them is very. . . unique. Yeah! let's say unique. I can say this about me and the strangers who meet me. The strangers could be humans or even animals. . . They never forget me".

"I wonder why" were the only words I let leave my mouth. 

"Your answers are very cryptic. . I like it". He let it seem as if he admired me. "We're going to have a lot of fun. . . you and I".

"What do you mean?".

"I wasn't completely honest before. I have a closer relationship with humans than I said I did".

"You have an owner!" I let it slip my mouth the moment I figured it out. 

"Yes. You're smart, that's why I liked you. How did you figure it out?".

"It was pretty easy actually". The way I said that was pretty arrogant so I tried to change it. "For starters, you sleep on the doorstep of this house with your one eye wide open so you're protecting it. Secondly, if you were a stray I'm sure that the owner of this house would not let you sleep here with the excuse that you'll infect him with some disease you'll for sure a stray as you will have".

"Anything else?" he said with a slight irritation in his tone. 

"Yes. The last thing is your collar on your neck" said at the same time I was pointing it with my paw. "That was what gave it away". 

He scoffed at himself. Then smiled. "I'm Khishchnik but you can call me Khish".

"Khish. . . What does that mean?".

"My owner named me after my actions. Once you'll see them, then you'll understand. But I urge you not to look at the meaning before I reveal it to you. That would spoil the fun. Our fun".

"Okay, Khish. What now?" I asked him. 

"Being a stray dog, I deduce you're hungry".

"You deduce correctly. Do you know any good trash can where".

"Trash can? What do you want humans to think? That you're some kind of monster that's eating garbage? No! Follow me". 

He got up and started walking in a very quick rhythm.  

"Where are we going?" I yelled at him as I was trying to catch up. 

"Don't fall behind. We have to get here before it's closed!" he explained. 

"Closed? What are you talking about?".

"The bakery," Khish said. "Run, quickly!". 

We run and run without a quick break for a while until we got there. . .

The human bakery. There was a sign in front of it but I could not read it. Perhaps it's a name for this place. 

"What is this place's name?" I asked Khish. 

"That's not important right now" he quickly dismissed my question. 

"Why?" I persisted. 

"Because after what we do to this bakery, they would not want us to come back". 

"What would we do?". 

"Nothing morally incorrect. It's called surviving in a hostile environment. I am simply your supplier. This world is not for animals like you and me. So I'll do whatever is necessary to help you survive".

"You were once a stray dog like me?".

I was pleasantly surprised. Depending on this question answer, that's, that is where I will base my hope. . .  

"Yes, yes I was. Will you help me now borrow some food from here?".

"I'll do anything". Right there, right now, I decided to open myself up to him. "I trust you".

Khish smiled. "Good. . ."

                                                                        END OF CHAPTER 2

                                                                      CHAPTER 3: Hudson River, 

                                                                    what a beautiful place!