The Lion That Rules Our Hearts

Dear reader, I present to you pure perfection with the glorious name that only a king can have - Leo. He is a four-year-old cocker spaniel who roams around his kingdom completely convinced he is human. Before I tell a story about how he made my workdays a thousand times better, I must tell a few more in order to illustrate why this lovely being deserves all the love in the world and why it will never be enough no matter how much of it he is given daily.

I still remember the first time he officially entered my life as though it was yesterday. I had just come back from the UK on a holiday and the whole family was gathered around the table on the balcony.

In a typical Eastern European fashion, we have a huge house with a spacious back garden and many balconies, one of which we turned into a barbecue/family gatherings’ area. Three generations live in this house. My grandparents, my parents, my uncle and his wife, and us, their children.

My cousin Elena was coming home to see me, as it had been a full year since I was last home. She had moved out of the family home as well and lived in the capital. We were waiting for her to arrive and I was expecting her to come with her boyfriend too, but what I did not expect was the tiny wet-nosed pup that brushed against my ankle under the table and scared the soul out of my body.

I remember scrambling up from the chair in a frenzy thinking a massive bug had for sure landed on my foot. What I did not expect to see is this tiny creature wagging its tail at me looking up with perpetually sad-looking eyes, the colour of honey, long ears that made up a third of his entire weight. Everyone laughed themselves hoarse when I finally calmed down and understood who the culprit behind this wet sensation was. I have to say, it was love at first sight.

From then on, this dog had been spoilt rotten to the point where he refuses to eat dog food and only eats around a table, with the rest of the family feeding him steaks and chicken all the time. Quite frankly he eats better than any of us combined. In fact, the only dog food he ever eats these days is the frustrated bites he has whenever his attempts to snatch a fly up from the air fail.

Cocker spaniels are natural-born hunters and he loves chasing anything that moves and sadly that includes all manner of insects, including the occasional wasp that avenges itself on its way out, leaving Leo with one side of his mouth evidently enlarged from the sting.

He sleeps in any bed of his choosing. Sometimes with my cousins, sometimes with my grandmother, but his usual go-to is my aunt and uncle’s bedroom. But do not think that he is one of those modest and well-mannered dogs that sleep by their owners’ feet, oh no, he sleeps right between them with his head on a pillow and under the covers. If my uncle leaves the bed in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom that is his mistake as when he returns, his side of the bed is already completely occupied with no chances of eviction.

Our king runs a tight ship. Hugs and kisses are not allowed in his presence unless he is the receiver of the affection. Whenever my other cousin, Nikolay, or my father tries to hug me, Leo starts jumping up and down trying to stop this preposterous display. Love should only ever be given to him. However, this also comes with an exception. If you dare go off on your merry way, leaving him behind, even if you try to give him a kiss or a hug, he puts his paw up in protest, bringing it to your chest, refusing your affection and apologies. The king is too proud and you have brought his ire upon yourself and must suffer the consequences even if at the end he spends the rest of the day sprawled on your bed, pouting, missing you, and looking away from whoever held him back from jumping into the car to follow you. Very dramatic indeed.

Another special thing about this king, and there are many, is that one can tell he is a Balkan boy as he protects the women of the house with all his might. No man is allowed to even put an arm around our shoulders. My uncle decided to test how far he would go when defending us and one time pretended to hit Elena. Our brave lion was to the rescue immediately with his teeth bared and his voice guttural. Even ignoring the fact that it was a family member he was baring his fangs to. Nobody is allowed to hurt us. Had I not known how sweet and affectionate he is, I would have been scared and backed away. We have a true protector of the pack in Leo and he proves it in every way possible. He even checks up on every last person in line as we go on family hikes, making sure no one has fallen behind.

One time we did a hike on a very tricky trail and I remember I got separated as I was moving slightly slower out of fear of heights. I had completely lost sight of my family and had reached a strange part that I did not recognise. We were on our way back and I should have recognised the path and yet I did not, which made me realise I had made a mistake somewhere along the way. I started to panic a little bit as I also had no reception here; I could not call anyone if I got lost. I picked up the pace to try and catch up and figure out an alternative way back as I had somehow ended up in some pretty thick bushes when out of nowhere I see my favourite boy running towards me and jumping up to greet me, then he started showing me the way, stopping to make sure I followed. Not saying he saved my life here, but he definitely rescued me from a tough spot.

Leo also has a goofy side to him, despite being so smart and caring. He understands everything we say. Whenever it is time for his bath my grandmother only has to say the words “Come on, time for a bath,” and he gets up, goes into the corner of the bathroom, and sits patiently waiting for one of us to come to give him a bath.

Needless to say, he is the family’s favourite. My aunt calls his name when she tries to call her son over for something. He is always on our minds whatever we do. We buy him toys and treats whenever we have had to go away on business trips and whenever any of us is on the phone with a family member we always ask one another if Leo is around to show him on the phone. He sees us and recognizes our voices over the phone too. There is nothing like the recognition of a dog when you have been away for a while. That pure, undiluted love he gives is incomparable. It is so intoxicating that all of us feel as though we are suffering from withdrawal when we are away for more than a week at a time.

There are so many facts and cute little stories I can tell that would make you even more endeared to this special boy, but I think I have rambled on enough. It is time to get to the essence of this tale.

COVID-19 hit us all pretty hard in many ways. I spent the whole of 2020 working from home in the UK, the whole time worrying about my family back home, which prompted my move back to Bulgaria in 2021. I was done missing them, especially since the whole house got infected and I was not there to help them, to take care of them. It felt horrible to not be able to do anything from so far away.

As soon as 2021 hit and travel was allowed, I packed my bags and left, reuniting with everyone I love, including our golden king. I thought I would at least work from an office this time as I missed talking to people, having office banter, but it was still pandemic times and I still had to work from home, but that was alright as I had a new adorable work colleague now. He was my only companion during work, and although very distracting and often interruptive, he made my days brighter.

Most days he would just sit near me, taking deep sighs as I was not obliging him with walks and plays, but every now and then he would snuggle up to me, resting his curly little head on my leg and pressing random keys on my keyboard with his wet nose when I was particularly focused on some task on the couch with the laptop in my lap.

Other times, I would be sitting in the garden for a change of scenery, drinking freshly squeezed orange juice and he would hop on my lap, blocking my screen and putting his tiny body between me and the keyboard just so he would get some attention. He is so used to being adored that I swear, he also gets withdrawal when he goes without pets and kisses for longer than an hour.

He would also be a guest speaker during work calls, always nestling near me whenever he hears voices from that infernal machine I keep choosing over him for eight hours each day. It is unbearable to him, but still, he puts up with it as long as he gets to be near me and feels involved.

He is very distracting and sometimes he is not even trying to be but when I hear his little sighs or his cute swallowing noises, or see his goofy sleeping positions, I cannot help myself, I scoop him up and shower him with cuddles, pets, play and lots and lots of kisses.

I used to be beyond bored having to work from home, felt miserable and isolated but no more. I work alongside a king who makes me smile just by looking at his peaceful and carefree sleepy face. He brings such comfort and joy, so much happiness in all of our days that it is hard to put into words or consign to a specific word count. I could go on and on but I believe I have drawn a pretty good picture as to why I believe I have the best workmate out there.

We all need a smile each day and a little bit of distraction to douse the stress that bubbles up to the surface in all of our hearts from isolation, fear, and impending hard times. We all have demons we fight on a daily basis and I believe dogs are the angles that drive them away. I am forever thankful for my guardian Leo.