Boo, the golden retriever, belonged to Tom Uncle.
Technically.
In reality, he was the pet of the entire community of Misty Meadows.
He was pampered and loved by everyone.
The children adored him.
Every evening, Boo would stand by the playground, tongue hanging out, tail wagging enthusiastically, and barking at everything that happened around him. It seemed like he was a self-appointed commentator of the ongoings in the play area.
A cricket ball flew past? Woof.
A commotion happened between the children? Woof woof woof.
All the love and adoration made Boo the most spoilt brat in Misty Meadows, as it always resulted in a constant supply of toys for him.
Balls. Chew toys. Squeaky toys. Stuffed animals.
And they kept multiplying.
It was as if the residents simply needed an excuse to buy one more toy for Boo, adding to the already concerning tower that resulted in Tom Uncle’s house slowly running out of space.
But Boo did not really care about this.
In fact, he had a very important arrangement every night.
He did not let Tom Uncle sleep in peace until every single one of his toys had been piled on top of him. There was no scope to miss even a single one of them.
The children called it Boo’s Toy Tower.
He was also a regular at Tom Uncle’s evening storytelling sessions.
He would sit beside him and listen with rapt attention, as if he understood every single word.
Boo had a ritual.
Every evening, he would choose one child among the group. And that child was required to pet him throughout the entire story.
There was absolutely no possibility of the poor child daring to stop for even a moment, as it would result in Boo placing his paw on their hand and tapping it constantly as a reminder to focus on him.
You see, Boo was clearly an attention-seeker.
On the other hand, he was also quite accommodating.
Some residents called him Blue. Others called him Bro.
And our little man graciously and enthusiastically responded to all the names.
If someone happened to give him a particularly satisfying scratch behind the ears, they were done for.
Because Boo would permanently register this in his mental directory of “The Best Scratches.”
He would follow that person wherever they went, demanding more.
There was one particularly hilarious incident that the residents often reminisced and laughed about.
One afternoon, many months ago, Boo happened to see his reflection in the mirror.
He was stunned.
Another dog??? Woof woof woof.
The other dog barked too!
Wonders never ceased!
Boo tilted his head.
The other dog tilted his head too.
Boo moved closer to inspect.
So did the other dog.
Boo just gaped at this mysterious stranger, one of his own kind.
And then, he did something no one expected.
He became shy. He looked away. Slyly stole another glance.
Boo thought he had just met his potential girlfriend.
While the rest of the community watched this spectacle unfold, they were holding back their laughter.
And no one had the heart to tell him otherwise.
There was this strange little funny thing Boo did in his sleep.
His paws would suddenly begin tapping against the floor. Furiously.
Almost as though he was running. Or dancing.
In an alternate universe, Boo had already become an ace marathoner. Or maybe he was hosting the coolest parties in town.
But in this universe, Boo was quite happy being who he was. Tom Uncle’s Misty Meadows’ pet.
He had wagged his tail, and without even realising it, barked his way into the hearts of the people of Misty Meadows.
More stories from the little community:
People of Misty Meadows #1: The Woman with the Book
People of Misty Meadows #2: The Young Couple with the Laptop
People of Misty Meadows #3: The Girl with the Red Bicycle
People of Misty Meadows #4: The Cheerful Uncle and His Bag of Stories
People of Misty Meadows #5: The Woman with the Running Shoes
Before you go…
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Until next time,
The Soulful Nib
