A friend in Christ

By: Razzle A. Garcia

***
He rush towards my direction.
His tails wiggled like an abominable whip.
He is Yongyong, a companion and my best friend. Who always there with me
whenever I feels down. He's the best of me.

.
.

June 1,2015 when my family decided to get puppy not for pet but to guard our
homes. Dogs are best security measures at night specially when some evildoer
may visit our home. They howl for signal that a stranger is coming and nipped
them if they would try to invade against our property. That is somewhat my
families purpose of getting a dog.

The puppy is adorable and I couldn't resist it. I even let it slept into my bed
during night. We named it yongyong because his ears are frowning down. The
word yongyong is a bisaya term of frowning.

Time passed and yongyong grew up into a matured dog. His ears are still floppy
and his furs are thick. We make a small cabin just for him.

At school I don't really have friends. I don't even have the confidence to be with
them. My face is ugly and I couldn't afford to approached someone quite in par
with my self. There's sometime that a three years old child called out upon me
saying,

"Panget!"

That somewhat dragged my remaining courage. I hurriedly went home and run
to my bed. I cry out all the time, even questioned god why did he do this to me?
I was in a middle of cursing when I felt a cold sensation at my limbs. I try to
look for it and it was yongyong who was wiping my limbs with his tongue. The
tears on my limb gone wet.
I look at him and he was looking at me with his tail wiggling in excitement. I
know what he wants. I wiped my tears and get the small ball made of rubber at
the corner of my room. He likes the ball.

" You want this? " I asked like I don't know dogs could talked. His wiggled
becomes more aggressive then I grin.

" Then, you'll get it!" I said I I run outside. He follows me until we made our
way to the open ground.

We played all around. That somewhat ease the emotion I felt. I forgot the
remaining time while playing 'habulan' with our dog.

There was a night when my father went home drunked. He must be with his
drunken friends at the neighboring place. My mother scolded him but he fight
back. They both in conflict that time when I decided to go out. I'm just 14 years
old that time and its annoying to hear their words. I silently cried as I sit in a tall
erected tree. All the time I felt pained when you heard one of your love ones
fighting each others. I'm still crying that time when felt a fur in my legs. It was
yongyong whos there to aid me. He sits in front of me and looked at me straight
in my eyes. I don't know how dogs can comfort someone but his action seems
comforting enough to me. I hugged him until I feel pain no more.

When I turned 18 our bond seems to cease. I went to high school that time when
I need to focus on my studies. I even got some new friends with me.

I invited my friends a group study at our houses. They both agreed and arrived
in the house at 7pm in the evening. We keep on chitchatting about some usual
things in schools. Like our, cold terror adviser. That time, yongyong went inside
and tried to be noticed my me. I don't have much time to play with him, instead
I ignored him and focus on chatting with my friends.

Yongyong is too old that time. He lost some of his fur and even smells odd.
Meca, one of my friends says,

" I smell something gross!" They all pinpointing the smells of yongyong who
was at my side.
"That dog smells odd!"
"Iww!"
They tantrum.

I point my forefinger at the door exit and says,

"Get out! Now!" I demand. Usually, he do as I pleased. But he stays stoic even
more stubborn to go out. I stared at him angrily. His reaction becomes taming
like he wants to be with me.

I want him to stay out his freaking smell away from my friends. I stand up and
aggressively hit him with a broom.

"Accckk!" He cries in pain. I felt hurting whenever the tip of the broom meet
his body. He stays still like he didn't want to go out.

I carry him. I almost stiffed I look at him. He's looks like he liked being carried
but in the end. I threw him out the house and looked out the room.

I feel guilty about what I did but I just strugged off the idea knowing my
friends are here.

In the morning, I felt the pain in my head. As I went out of room, I take a gaze
at my mother who came from the outside. She terribly looks odd, I notice a
small semi-crystal thing lingering inside her eyes.

She's crying. I rush towards her and asked.

" What's wrong with you mother? Why are you crying? " she looks at me sadly
and mutter the words that cause me to shed in tears.

" No! That's not true! I just saw him yesterday night. I- th-threw him out! No!
Mom tell me your lying! Pleaseeee! Tell mee!" I plead.

I couldn't really believed that yongyong had passed away that night. The cause
of death was still unknown but one thing is for sure. He craved for my attention
during the last moment of his life. I regretted what I did to him. If only I could
spin back the time, I would gladly do so, just to spend time with him.
He was there when I'm alone, when I need comfort. He was there at times when
I need to lean on. He was with me at times I need him yet I let go of him at
times he need me to be with.

I'm such a fool. I cried every time I remembered the moment I lay my gaze on
his looks. He beg me to stay with him but instead I threw him out. What kind of
friend I be?

The death of my dearest companion/friend left a broken pieces on my heart.

To the people out there, please consider the people who stays with you during
your ups and downs. Lean with them if you have to, they will listen to you and
notice them when you experiencing ups. Friendship is not user. A friend always
stays at your side no matter what. Just like Jesus who stays at our sides when we
felt alone. He raise us when we're down. He carry us when we can't handle life
anymore. Like, friend. Jesus is our companion during our journey in this life.

Don't be me, who leans on to someone in times of troubles but leaves in times I
no longer need help.

Appreciated the comfort brought by Jesus himself when you were troubled and
praise him at times you experience success and happiness. Jesus is a friend who
stays at your side whenever your ups and down because
"A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED!"

PS. There is no available camera that time to capture one single pic to him.