Did you enjoy the Super Bowl this year? I have never been a huge TV sports fan but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it this time around. I am normally one of those who watch the big game to discover the new commercials. The only ad that truly caught my attention this year, was the Budweiser commercial featuring the heartwarming story of the horse who recognized his first owner. It shook my childhood memories and reminded me of a long lost furry friend I once had...
The next morning, I went on a wild goose chase all over the house to find two old Polaroids. I am not sure if I kept them in an album that I left at my parent's house up in Canada, or if they moved with me and are still buried somewhere in the unopened moving boxes since this past summer...I still haven't found them, but I will keep looking.
These two photos were the only ones I had of happy kiddie me holding my puppy named Chico. Back when I was four or five, we lived in a triplex apartment complex with my parents, brother, grandmother, two uncles and an aunt in Longueuil city. While we didn't seem to be crammed enough, one of my uncles brought home two German Sheppard pups. They named them Chico and Mino.
I barely had any toys growing up. These puppies were the best thing I ever got to play with. Chico was my favorite pup. He had a little mole on his left cheek and had the softest look on his eyes, as if he worried whether I was ok. He had this compassionate head tilt and and a soft, constantly concerned frown where his brows would be, if he had any. I found so much comfort in him and we bonded so greatly.
Barely a few weeks later, on a school morning, I woke up and realized in horror that both puppies were gone. My parents decided we were overly crowded in the apartment and that they required too much attention. I wished they warned me ahead so I could hug Chico goodbye. I was so sad but I wasn't allowed to display my anger and sadness to anyone. Because I was only a child, I was ordered to just accept their decision and move on. And so I did.
I did a pretty good job at letting him go. But whenever someone poured themselves a bowl of disgusting Sugar Crisp cereal, I was reminded of Chico. I started hating that cereal a little less since Chico was gone as they reminded me of him. With his bionic dog ears, he would run up to the kitchen before they even had time to finish pouring their milk. I hated the smell of those cereal, which reminded me of roasted coffee beans, back then. Now, I'm sure I would get a little teary if I smelled them again.
Many years later, while I was working at my parent's store, the one in the Villeray neighborhood, a huge German Sheppard dog ran into the store, followed by a middle-age man. The dog ran without hesitating around the counter and jumped on me and licked me. This wasn't uncommon though, and most dogs would do that whenever they came into the store. Perhaps my father would give them treats. But this dog was different. He was persistent and kept on kissing my hands and thighs with his snout, and stared right at me. And then, I saw a mole on his right cheek. " Could it be you, my Chico?". I quickly chased that thought and was too shy to ask his owner anything. When they left, the dog dragged his paws and didn't seem to want to leave and his owner whistled and said " Come on Chico! Let's go buddy!". It was such a happy and sad moment at the same time. I am almost 100% certain it was him....
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