DO you believe in miracles? I do because I have experienced a few in my life.
The latest miracle happened to me just four days ago — on April 12. Bailey, my one-year-old female brown dog, returned home 12 days after it disappeared.
It went missing on April 1 after sprinting off to the main road just as my son opened our front gate. He had come to my house to repair a leaking pipe in the kitchen.
He later told me what happened over the phone. I was working that afternoon.
“Did you chase it?”
“Yes.”
“So what happened?”
“It refused to come near me when I called it repeatedly. It was playing with a black and white dog. I had to leave it behind when it was time to pick up my son from his playschool and my wife from work.”
“I have done my best. Do you want to come back and chase after Bailey yourself?”
Asked to choose between my dog and my job, of course I chose my job.
But anyway, my son promised to help me look for Bailey after I came home from work that night. He kept his promise.
I sat beside him as he cruised around our neighbourhood just before midnight. We searched every lane and peeked into every nook and corner but there was no sign of Bailey.
We continued to search for the dog a few more days after that. Still there was no sign of Bailey. It was as if it had simply vanished into thin air.
My niece, Ah Hong, who came back for a short holiday on April 5 with her mother, also studiously checked all the lanes for Bailey.
I could not sleep or eat for a few days after Bailey disappeared. Knowing how much I loved the dog, my family members and friends did their best to console me.
My other dog, Cookie, a 10-year-old male mongrel, also missed Bailey. It showed a distinct lack of interest in activities and lost its appetite, especially in the first few days.
My house was unusually quiet and neat after the playful, energetic and inquisitive Bailey was gone. There were no bits and pieces of paper to sweep and no dirt to wash away.
The short visit of Ah Hong and her mother as well as my elder sister, Ah Moi from Bintulu, helped to alleviate the pain of losing Bailey.
Where did Bailey go? Where is it now? Is it eating well? Does it miss us like we miss it? Why hasn’t it come home? Was it taken away by someone to be killed as food or taken away to a remote farm for hunting purposes?
These were the questions my sisters, niece, son and I asked each other.
Some of my friends were optimistic Bailey would be home in no time. Frankly speaking, I stopped hoping after the fifth day. I told myself to forget about Bailey and to get on with life.
Since Bailey was last seen in a lane not far from where I lived, how can my house be so near and yet so far for it?
On the eve of my niece and her mother’s return to Johor Bahru, my nephew, Ah Kiong, invited us to his house for a steamboat dinner.
There, he told me he was looking for a puppy to replace Bailey. I told him I wasn’t interested in adopting another puppy.
“I cannot stand the pain of losing another dog,” I told him.
Ah Kiong, however, advised me to get another dog as a friend for Cookie. Reluctantly, I agreed to his proposal.
“Don’t look for an expensive breed. Just a mongrel will do,” I told him.
We left Ah Kiong’s house around 10 pm on April 11. Never in my wildest dream would I imagine that Bailey would find its way home and be at our front gate 5 ½ hours later.
I heard a dog shaking the gate at 4.30 am on April 12. At first, I thought Cookie wanted to go out to pee.
Suddenly, all the lights in the front portion of the house were on. “It is Bailey! It is Bailey!. Please open the gate quickly,” my sisters and niece shouted in unison.
When I looked outside, I discovered that it was indeed Bailey. It was making a lot of noises and jumping up and down with joy in front of the gate.
By now, Cookie had also rushed to the gate. As soon as I opened the gate, Bailey rushed in. It wriggled its body, wagged its tail, jumped at me and licked me again and again on the face.
Tears rolled down my cheek as I held Bailey tightly.
Immediately after that, I sent the following message to my family members and friends: “God is great! Bailey just came back. 4.30 am today.”
Later that day, I went to burn candles at a church.
Yes, my friends, miracles do happen. Bailey’s return after being lost for 12 days is a miracle. And I thank God for it.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
