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Around this time 5 years ago, I had just moved into a new, small flat, had recently taken over what became a shitty job, was pretty much broke, and had recently arrived from abroad. I was very much on my own. One night I went out to fetch a pack of smokes and I saw in the distance this beautiful, elegant siberian husky wondering about. She was lost, or worse, abandoned, no doubt about that, had lost considerable weight and was all too dirty. Yet something in her grabbed my attention: despite her raggy, dirty appereance, there was something beneath the long months of hunger and her wondering the streets for who knows how long: She was docile and sweet and seeked the company of bystanders by walking along with them until they would neglect her. It seemed to me she was looking for a home.

I acted on impulse, ran back home and fetched some bread. I went out back again, and shortly after, I tried to gain her attention and made a trail of breadcrumbs so that she would follow me back home. At first she was distrustful and a bit uncertain, but she was in no position to neglect food. She followed the trail all the way back into my apartment and once she overcame the uncertainty of wether or not cross through the door, I gave her a bowl of milk with bread. At this point I must say I had nothing else to give her.

I watched her eat and noticed she was in a terrible condition, so I decided to give her a bath. Now, at this point, I must add she was a quite huge dog and I was uncertain, as she probably was also, wether or not either of us would perhaps represent some kind of danger to the other. But I took my chances and walked her to the shower. It didn't do much good I must say, she had layers and layers of dirt. But she behaved like a lady. And the first thing that I welcomed was that, at one point, she scratched the door because she needed to go out. She was an already educated dog. And so, she spent the night with me. During the night, I kept wondering what had happened to her, had she gotten lost or was she deliberately abandoned? I wasn't sure wether to keep her or not, so I began to consider different options as to find a home for this beautiful dog.

Early next morning I wasn't sure wether to leave her on her own all day long in my apartment. What if, when I came back, I would found a complete mess of everything? So I decided to bring her along to my work, a nearby school where I had been hired as an Art teacher. Somehow I would have to make her understand she had to wait for me until I got out.

Well, by the time I got out, she was nowhere to be seen. She had gone. I became very sad because in my mind i realized she must have thought she had been dumped again. So I decided to look for her. The doorman at my condo told me she had been desperately trying to get in and when she finally was able to, began scratching at my apartment's door. When no one opened, she would lay there and howl all day long. He told me he had seen her wondering about the condo for hours. I asked him to keep an eye open while I'd go look for her.

I looked all over the neighbourhood for hours. And when night fell, I decided to head back home, completely disencouraged, I had not found her. As soon as the doorman saw me, he told me he had just seen two guys turn round the corner with her on a leash. I ran like a mad man, turned round the corner and when I saw them I yelled outloud "Nikita!!!"

And a miracle happened. At this point, I had not given her a name yet. She turned round as If she knew, saw me and became hectic, stood on her two legs and pulled until she - literally - hugged me. The two young men who were walking her were completely speechless. I explained then this was my dog and that she had gotten lost. They inquired what kind of pet owner was I, she was underfed and terribly dirty. They said they had given her a bath too. I told them I had picked her up from the street the night before. Nikita would wad her tail and lick my hand while I was getting into a heated argument with these guys. I was ready to get into a fist fight if need be. But they noticed the dog's reaction. I unleashed her and she simply followed me. I thanked the guys, said I was teribly sorry but that she was mine, and that since I had found her first, I was the one to keep her, not them.

Now that I look back and think about it, I can see them become gloomy and speechless. After all, they were quite willing to look after her as well as I was. But clearly Nikita wanted to stay with me. She was the one who made that decision, her reaction was, when we saw eachother at that very moment in time, undisputable. So when we walked together back home, I told her: "From now on, your name will be Nikita. And you will never, ever be left abandoned again. That's a promise".

Life kept us together for almost 5 years. Over the years, for many reasons, I supported the theory she had been left abandoned. Her health was weak, to begin with. Everyone in the neighbourhood loved her and admired her good looks. She would often be referred to as "a princess". She was sweet, lovable, docile and a miracle to my own life. I kept her and looked after her to the best of my possibilities. But Nikita was not a young dog when I adopted her. The remaining two years with me she had undergone at least 4 surgical procedures to get rid of mammary tumors that became worse and worse over time. The last tumor developed rapidly and aggressively. On June 26 2009, I had to put her to sleep. She died in my arms, and while she was going I found some comfort in knowing that, not even during her last moments, she was left abandoned. I had kept my promise. Not one single day goes by without thinking about her. Goodbye my sweet, sweet princess.

20.07.2009. 15:48

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