"He's so cute!" I zip around the new house keeping my tail high. I wag a bit and sniff and inspect every corner. It smells like my human but we've only just got here. A man and a woman live here. There aren't any other animals. The man and woman are old. They're nice. I can tell. I jump on the couch and sniff around.
"Sorry, Mum."
"It's okay, Malcolm, he's welcome to sit on the furniture."
This house is clean. Everything smells like bubbles. I roll around, hoping it will start to smell like me.
"Here's his food an' his toy..."
I jump off the couch and run further in. There's so many new smells! I love seeing new places! I love meeting new people! I love going on adventures with my human! I love my human and he loves me!
"We'll be gone for a long time so I bought maybe....ten bags of the stuff. An' don't give him any people food, okay? Not while I'm gone."
"We'll take good care of him, Malcolm."
A new bed! This one is huge! I jump on it and sniff around. It smells sharp. Unnatural. I jump down and leave. I don't like this bed as well as mine. I trot back to my human. He stands at the door and hands my rope to the woman. She's smiling at me. The man smiles at me too. He kneels and gives me pets and scratches. I lick his face.
"Be a good boy, okay? I'll be back in a bit."
"Stay safe, Malcolm!"
My human leaves the house and shuts the door before I can follow. I stare at the door. I sniff the bottom of it. He's not leaving. He can't be leaving! He can't!!
I race to the window and stand on my hind legs. My tail droops. I see him. He gets into a car and it starts moving away from the house. The man goes farther and farther away from us. Away from me. The car is gone. I watch and wait for it to come back. Surely he forgot me. I'm supposed to go with him and he just forgot. He'll realize his mistake and come back for me.
I stand at the window and wait.
And wait.
And wait.
"Are you hungry?"
The woman speaks but I don't look at her. I have to stand by this window and keep watch for my owner. He'll be back any minute and I want to be the first to see him. I want to be the one to greet him at the door and go home with him.
So I wait.
"Poor thing doesn't understand."
I see a car go by and I wag my tail. It's him! He's coming, I knew he would! I yip and squeal! He's back he's back he's back!
Only the car doesn't stop. It keeps going and going until it's gone. My tail stops wagging. I stop yipping. I stand there and keep watching and waiting.
He still wants me. He hasn't given me away. I whine. He'll come back. There's been a mistake. I just have to wait for him. He didn't give me up. I won't believe it.
I love him and he loves me.
**********
I still stand by the window and I still wait. The woman puts a bowl of food near me to tempt me to leave but I won't fall for her tricks. I won't let my owner down. I won't leave this window. I'm not hungry anyway. I won't eat until he comes back.
I whine and yawn.
**********
The woman pets me sometimes. The older man pets me sometimes. They offer me my toy. I stare out the window. They offer me water. I'm not thirsty. They sit on the couch and pat their knees. I don't sit next to them. They show me my rope and I ignore it. I see another car coming! It's him! I must wag my tail! It's him, my human finally came back! He's back!
I yip like crazy! I paw the window! I dig at it! Maybe it will break and I'll be able to run right out and greet the man faster! I must dig! I must chew it! Anything to see my human!
But the car keeps going. It doesn't stop. It doesn't even slow down. I lower my tail and get on all fours. I walk away from the window and lie down on the floor. I sigh. It isn't him. I have to keep waiting.
So I wait.
**********
I don't go to bed with the humans. They're not mine. They're nice enough and give me plenty of pets. They speak to me gently. But they're not my owner.
I want my owner.
I want my Mum.
I whine and sigh and lie down on the floor by the window. The house is cold. Cold air blows all throughout. The sun is gone. It's dark. And I close my eyes while I wait.
