Finding Joy

“How could he betray me like this?", I thought. Only a few weeks ago, Luka and I were a team, conquering the world together, spending our days and nights roaming around, staring happily into each other's eyes, laying on the floor, looking at the ceiling, just taking in the joy of living.

Joy.

My name. What he and Kara used to call me when I first moved into the house. The one he would bark out excitedly with a huge grin on his face as soon as he came back from work or their long walks. I was never jealous of Kara, she was always kind to me, and she understood my relationship with Luka. That was until that day when everything changed. My insides could not believe that she would do this to me!

It all began on a rainy afternoon, when Kara, in her rush to attend to the demands of the day, accidentally stepped on me as she flew by because she was late for an appointment. The worst part was not that she did not even apologize! I would have understood if she failed to see me. Even that she would not hear me. But it was not that. With a swift movement, she shoved me aside as if I was nothing. "Shit!", was the one word that came out of her mouth as she closed the door, half-tripping down the stairs, as I fell backwards, landing with a thud in a dark, wet place.

Oh, the indignity of it all!

Through the horizontal slits before me, I saw Luka as he quickly followed her steps and jumped in the van without glancing behind. Leaving me there. In the cold. Wet and alone.

After the initial shock, I began to focus and think about my whereabouts. The front garden was visible by the mailbox, and also some houses around the block. I remember seeing the roundabout from the few times I was allowed to join Luka and Kara in the car on the way to work.

There was nothing to worry about. All was well. Despite the chilly weather outside, logic told me that when Luka returned, he would see me sitting there, so close to home, and carry me back inside, like a hero in an action movie.

It was not the case.

Both Kara and Luka just flew by, running up the steps and into the house without a second glance.

Days passed and I remained in the same place. The sun rose and set like clockwork. The routine was always similar. Every day, I saw Luka and Kara leave and come back. I was always expecting one of them to call for me, to find me, wishing dearly to be able to make a sound. I tried with all my might to squish at least a peep out of myself. But it was all in vain.

Sometimes I could hear Kara's voice filling the air with melodies of love and hope as she walked to the car. But what she did not know was that the tunes were missing something, they were missing me. Joy.

As my hope to be found began to fade, I remembered the sound of laughter echoing through the hallway, mingling with the scent of freshly baked cookies. I remembered Luka, with his eager eyes, searching high and low for me while playing hide and seek. Has he ever looked for me these past few days? Like he used to do when we were at home. Only this time, it's not a game. I am really hidden, I am lost. And I wonder if I will ever be found.

From my new resting spot in the dark, days passed slowly. I began watching the world go by in front of my eyes. Days turned into weeks, and still, I remained hidden from sight. But amidst the solitude, I found solace in the simple joys of observation.

From this vantage point, I had a front-row seat to the theatrics of the neighborhood. There was the lady next door, arguing vehemently with her husband every day, sometimes over the proper shade of toast, others about dirty underwear around the house, and mostly about someone stealing her roses. It was a myriad of disagreements and their voices echoed like a symphony of discord.

Another main character from the neighborhood cast, was a young mother who seemed to always be sleep-deprived and in a hurry, sometimes ushering her children out the door, oblivious to the mismatched socks adorning their feet, sometimes it was her feet that featured a mix-and-match look, which often made my heart laugh with empathy as the children chanted like a miniature tribe in the background.

But the real entertainment came from the young boy across the street, who fancied himself a modern-day Romeo. I watched in amusement as he pilfered roses from a neighbor's garden as a gift for a rosy-cheeked, freckled girl. His attempts at romance unfolded like a sweet and awkward, juvenile version of the badly scripted soap operas that Kara enjoys.

Through it all, I remained a silent observer, lost in my thoughts as I started to understand and find delight in the humorous colors of human behavior. I was only just beginning to accept my new life, when one fateful day, destiny intervened in the strangest of ways.

My solitary existence took an unexpected turn when, one afternoon, a vicious thug whisked me away, taking me to a tree behind the garden.

At first, he approached me cautiously, but once I was in his grasp things turned to worse. Oh, the horror of being squished and banged against the rough bark of the oak tree! Worst of all, he seemed to enjoy it! My heart pounded with fear as the scoundrel continued his ruthless assault.

In a second, I knew my days were ending, and as I squeaked desperately for my life, the world was quite literally turned upside down.

Then, I heard it.

Like the roar of a mighty warrior, the sound of my salvation! The powerful bark immediately sent the ruffian scouring back to his hole, like the coward he was.

Oh, how my heart swelled with happiness at the sight of Luka's face!

As I fell downwards about to land on my head, I saw him. Like a fierce firefighter, running through the flames, in his red, service dog vest.

When he ran to me, his tail was wagging with unrestrained excitement, his eyes shining with anticipation. He leapt to an impossible height, and I braced myself for the inevitable squishy embrace.

Then, the most expected and genuine squeak of delight came out from my rubbery insides as he caught me between his teeth!

As he set me down on the ground, Luka's joyful barks filled the air while he pounded his paws against the grass. Kara smiled in the distance as she happily stated "Luka! Baby, you finally found Joy!".

And so, as he squeezed me once again in his slobbery, canine embrace, I knew that my purpose had been fulfilled. For even in the darkest corners, Joy could always be found, waiting to be embraced with open arms -or mouth- by a pure heart.

Who would have thought, my worst nightmare could also be my greatest, adventure?

-

When the whims of life force us to sit in stillness and watch life from a different perspective, we learn valuable lessons. One of them is finding humor in the absurdity of it all, and embracing the joyful chaos of life (and writing)!