A hidden talent in a big city

It all began one Sunday morning. My mom yelling my name from downstairs saying ‘Chacha come downstairs - Now!

I thought- what the heck did I do now? I was the favorite to pick, always the one to blame for anything. I’m coming down soon, I replied. I was not in the mood for humiliation again,

I always lost on this game.

Willie my brother number 2 out of 4, 3 guys and 1 girl, I was labeled to be the ‘Tasmanian devil’ of the family. And I honored that name. Always getting my brothers in trouble, always making them crazy out of their minds. And I enjoyed it.

But today I was not the one to get in trouble. Mom always a dog advocate, had adopted every dog she heard nobody wanted. Just before I was born, mom changed, Mom passed away and never knew nor commented anything about her passion.

But this Sunday morning everything changed.

Willie showed up walking up the stairs to the kitchen announcing himself as usual. ‘Mom I’m home!

I’m here with something for you!

My head came out from the other window, pushing the curtain that semi covered the middle window.

My curiosity picked up when I heard a little dog crying. Another dog?

Cool! I want one!

I rush up to my brother to look at the new cutest member of the family. Willie opened the little cardboard box up and little black furry long ears and bright black round eyes popped out of the box. He instantly turned his head left to right and viceversa trying to catch what my excitement was about. I took him out of the box and placed him on the floor. His curiosity could do more than his hunger.

Mom’s eyes brighten up.

He won Mom’s heart and a name.

This German Shepard’s name was TITI. Nobody wanted him because it was a breed of a unexpected mix- German Shepard and a wolf.

No pure breed

An outcast

Not loved anymore

But we did

Titi grew up surrounded by love, happiness and love for sports. He had a hidden talent nobody expect nor knew about. For us it was good enough to have an obedient dog.

He had a trick under his sleeve we were not aware of.

After a couple of years we noticed Titi showed up with new toys every day I went up to clean his area.

Down in South America the houses have a straight roof. Dogs were normally kept on top of the flat roofs for protection and guarding the house from invasions and robberies. Our house had like a balcony where our dogs could take a look at the street and other houses in the surroundings and alert us if something went wrong.

It was so strange for us that every time I went up to clan up after him, I kept finding balls all sizes. I remembered from when we decided to adopt him, Titi had a fascination for balls. But it puzzled me the idea of where these balls where coming from.

One day, on a weekend, I heard a bit of commotion on the other side of the street, kids and neighbours; all talking and laughing and pointing to the rooftop of my house. I thought- perhaps they caught the intruder that broke in some houses.

Instead, there was Titi holding a soccer ball with his mouth, he managed a way to secure the soccer ball on the balcony edge, so it won’t move, run half way before the start of the kitchen roof; and with the impulse of his running, kick the soccer ball down to the first floor where all the kids were waiting and cheering for his next move. Of course the kids got used to throwing the ball at him. In less than three days I had to pick up 5 to 8 balls weekly.

Titi became the star of the neighbouring areas, the German Shepard that played soccer with everyone that he could call and play with him.

Time passed by - for Titi, age didn’t matter. His black two tone hair turned grey. The brightness on his eyes one day started to fade.

He wasn’t as playful as usual, his energy wasn’t as contagious as before. White that, kids stopped coming by. The long ear black German Shepard was not in his usual balcony. No more balls being returned nor kicked back to the street.

The noisy neighbourhood was not not noisy anymore.

I still go up to clean up after my dogs. No more balls on the floor.