Oops - A Missed Kiss

I am selfish. I care about myself first and then about others. These thoughts became more prominent when I left the secure nest that my parents had created for me. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to be spoiled by a host of aunts, uncles, cousins and my dear parents. So, when I met my husband, whose middle name is NICE, I was attracted to him. He had what I lacked - unselfishness.

Fast forward a few years into our marriage, I realized that I was incapable of unconditional love. For example, I would refuse to roll down the car windows on summer days because my husband liked it. I would be very strict in marking the boundaries on the bed because just because I am smaller does not mean he gets a bigger share of the bed.

And then the unbelievable happened. I realized I was capable of unconditional love. I did have it in myself to put somebody else's needs before me. And the miracle that made it happen is our lovely Shiba-Inu Aki. For those of you who do not know, Shiba-Inu is a Japanese breed, look like a fox and is often confused with Akitas.

Aki came to us as a twelve-week old pup. He flew in from Minnesota in the cargo of an aeroplane. The day he was supposed to arrive, my husband and I went to the airport and waited in the arrivals section. There was no sign of him even after all the baggage arrived. So we asked an official why our puppy hadn't reached. The official told us to go to the airport's cargo section before shooting us a look that said, 'You were expecting your puppy to walk down the escalator after touchdown'.

Aki has been a great spiritual teacher. When the students were ready - teacher Aki appeared. This one time when he ran away - yes, he is a runner, we had the entire neighbourhood galvanized in his search. After a frantic calling of 'Aki' for a couple of hours, he shows up at our doorstep with his friend Taco's owner in tow. Apparently, he saw Taco and ran over to him not before rolling in poop all over. And this is when I realized how I make myself miserable unnecassarily. Aki ran away, rolled in poop, played with his friend and came home. But, I was still fuming another total twenty-four hours past the incident. Even now, my heartbeat increases when I think of that incident.

We are somewhat of a rarity in midwest Ohio - an interracial couple. My husband is American, and I am an Indian. And I will admit that even though I am an extrovert, I am a little out of sorts when making small talk with strangers. However, with Aki, that problem is solved because people come up and talk to me. Aki is a great social equalizer that way, or maybe his cuteness is irresistible. I suspect that people in our community know us only by Aki. They may not know our names, but they definitely know who Aki's humans are.

Aki is his own master - he will ring the bell to go for a walk even if he has two full walks during the day. This one time he rang the bell and we went for a walk around the block. As we got back to our home, I waited while Aki sniffed for 'the best' spot for peeing in our front yard. It was pretty dark, and our porch lights were not on. A car came by and stopped in front of the house opposite us. Now, Aki is fascinated by vehicles so his urgent need to pee disappeared, and he was all ears. A girl and a guy walked from the car towards the house. They talked for a bit, and just as they are about to kiss, Aki gives a series of barks, and my husband turns on the porch lights. Well, we gave each other awkward looks except Aki, who decided that it was the right moment for him to do a super long pee. So, the three of us stood there waiting for Aki to do his business before Aki and I ran in.

Life with Aki is full of surprises. You never know what might happen. And now, I roll down the windows even if it is freezing outside. Aki can hog all the bed he wants; I will adjust. Who knew I was capable of caring for somebody other than me.