I walked through the crowded streets beneath the falling snow, surrounded by bitter, freezing cold. I was shivering. My least favorite time of the year had arrived, and the cold had seeped into every part of my body. Yet no one seemed to notice me. One man even stepped on my foot without looking back. But that happened all the time.
I passed a restaurant, gazing hopelessly through its windows. My stomach ached with hunger, and I was terribly thirsty. I stood there watching the people inside until a man came out and gestured for me to leave. He frightened me. He was so much bigger than I was. So I walked away, my bare feet nearly frozen against the pavement. Once I had escaped the worst of the crowd, I stopped in the middle of the street.
I had nowhere to go.
I watched the people passing by, their footsteps carrying them toward places I could only imagine. Suddenly, I heard a voice. It sounded like someone was calling to me. I looked around, searching for its owner. Usually, I was mistaken. I had grown accustomed to listening to the voices around me, foolishly hoping that one of them might be speaking to me. This time was probably no different.
I was just about to turn away when I heard it again.
I searched the crowd once more and saw a young woman approaching me with a smile. I smiled back. She leaned close to my face and said something in a language I didn't understand. But her expression told me that her words were kind. Without hesitation, I threw myself into her arms. I only wanted to thank her for noticing me among all those people. She seemed a little uncomfortable, but her smile remained. She gently stroked my head.
And then she turned to leave.
She waved goodbye.
No. She couldn't leave me. I couldn't lose her.
So I followed her.
We reached a crossing, and I stopped beside her, leaning against her for warmth. She didn't seem to mind. I looked into her eyes and noticed something behind her smile. Pity. She felt sorry for me.
She motioned for me to follow her. I didn't hesitate.
We walked toward a street vendor. The wind had grown so fierce that I could barely feel my legs anymore. The young woman bought something, turned toward me, and held it out. It was warm and smelled wonderful. I devoured it immediately.
She looked at me one last time, stroked my head, and wrapped her arms around me. Then she let go and started walking away.
I swallowed the last of my food and hurried after her.
How could she possibly leave me? We were friends now. I needed her, and surely she needed me, too.
She noticed me following and quickened her pace, sadness settling over her face. I kept following, refusing to give up. Eventually, she stopped at a bus stop. I went straight to her and leaned against her again. I needed something to lean on. Someone.
She brought her face close to mine, gently cupped my cheeks in both hands, and spoke in that unfamiliar language once more. I couldn't understand a single word, but I could tell that whatever she was saying was sad.
That was the moment I realized she was going to leave me.
She gave me one final, sorrowful look.
A bus pulled up beside us, and she stepped aboard. I stood there, watching her through the window. She turned toward me one last time and waved.
The bus drove away.
I remained where I was, staring after it long after it had disappeared.
And just like that, I was alone in the cold again.
For a brief moment, an entire life had passed before me, only to vanish. Of course, I wished she had stayed. But at least my stomach was full, and for that I was grateful. In those few precious minutes, she had given me something even more important than food.
She had given me affection.
I looked around, my heart aching. Already, I longed for the warmth of her smile. I watched the people rushing past, none of them paying me the slightest attention. The cold was unbearable.
A man suddenly chased me away from the bus stop, pulling me back into the harsh reality of the world.
I tucked my tail between my legs, lowered my ears, and disappeared into the first narrow alley I could find, searching through the heavy snowfall for somewhere warm to curl up.
Melodi Baç
January 6, 2015
