Tango

Tango is our family pet dog. He was with as for almost a year now. He is a cross breed of a pug and a poodle. He was a very quick-witted, charming, chubby, little brown dog. He used to wiggle his odd tail every time I come home from work and lick my leg as I enter our humble abode. I would start my morning with a melodious bark from him as he invites me to play with him. He would playfully bite our walis tambo as I try to sweep the dust past him then he will roll over the dust as particles of dirt stick through his uneven-thick hair.

His first Bark
When Tango first arrive our home he was then a month old, just right after he was weaned from his mum. He was so small then that his eyes look so big for his tiny head and his tail look so long for his short legs. His mouth is a rounded snout with little stiff whiskers around it. His skin has an uneven-thick hair. Down after his head are unkempt fuzz similar to that of a lion’s while the rest of his body is covered with skin-tight fur. He really do look so adoring especially when he had just taken a bath. Anyway, his first bark happened after his three day stay with us. My niece and nephew visited us on that Saturday morning and it was the first time Tango would meet them. As Meg and Kobe arrive, Tango excitedly wiggles his tail and bark as if he was trying to say “welcome”. That was the first time we all hear his charming yap and from then on he would joyfully bark and wiggle-waggle his tail every time we arrive home.

His first Playmates
As I had said Tango was still quite a baby when he was given to us and he really long for a playmate. He was our only puppy then but we have one askal dog named Imang which at that time was a month pregnant. Despite the “age gap” between them, they still became good buddies. During Imang’s labor, Tango was there looking and from time to time would bark as if reassuring her. Imang had a successful delivery of five little puppies and at times I caught Tango look at them adoringly. His big, black rounded eyes seemed to soften as he looked at them. When the puppies were close to three weeks, Tango would already invitingly bark at them to play. He would impishly bit their tails to pull them out of their improvised home then as soon as they are out he would yanked them into a circular motion as if in a merry-go-round carousel. The puppies would pitiably yelp not for pain but for Tango’s kakulitan.

His first Love
Imang is Tango’s first love. We observed him to be very generous to Imang. He would openhandedly give his share of bone marrow to Imang and as Imang munched on the bone he would just look out for possible intruders. He would also willingly surrender his comfortable space just for Imang. And as Imang bloomed with many suitor-dogs gratifying her, Tango will jealously howl at the other male dogs.

Tango is Sick
I am sad looking at Tango now. He is no longer the lively Tango but the Tango who is almost shedding out of life. According to his veterinarian, Tango’s nervous system is collapsing that he is having a seizure. For two weeks now, Tango never ceased in having spasms and he almost could not stand up on his own. He would helplessly yelp every time he needs to pee. I really miss the little Tango we used to have and it seems that that little Tango will no longer return to us. It is hard to accept that the Tango full of energy and enthusiasm now turned to be a feeble and frail dog.

Even now that he is sick, he would still struggle to wiggle his tail just to let me know that he is happy because I am near him. I hope I had let him feel how happy I am too when he arrived to us. If only I could turn back time to the second he was still energetic, maybe I would play with him and not yell at him every time he invites me to. If only the moment will return to the time he has the liveliness to jiggle his tail and lick my leg, maybe I would hug him with so much love and fondness instead of shooing him away. I am missing Tango because I never had a memorable moment with him. I let my disgust for dogs conquer me and now I am missing the missed chances I might have with an adorable dog and avid best friend.