CHAPTER 3: FINDING BOBBY……..and MARIA (The Case Of The Missing Mother & Daughter Tag Team)

Sounded like something for the Secret 7? Or the Famous 5. Ah! I was into Enid Blyton in those days half a century ago………

So the first litter came and went. And now we have two dogs tagging along especially for my personal adventures – long hikes deep into the hills – gave me courage. And when it became a bit too quiet and eerie, I would start talking to mum and daughter.

Bobby was an excellent mum, never fought with Maria and when she did, it was probably, looking back, just motherly admonishments. But Maria (was  reminded that my mother called her Mariam and yes, that actually was the case) was lazier, sometimes not wishing to go out. But Bobby never turn down any opportunity especially when I go fishing. She gets to eat some of my catch which I sometimes cook right at the riverside!

About two years later, during the school holidays most of which I spent at 9, HK Street (a kind of tacit arrangements between the two families) my father visited. I didn’t think much of it because he goes to #9 all the time. Each time I see him, I would ask him to remind either  Chrissy, and in later years after she went to Singapore to study, Pam, to look after Bobby and Maria and to make sure they were fed. This time it was no different. But my father didn’t reply. I got scared. Something was wrong. I sensed it. Then he broke the news – both mother and daughter had gone missing for three days. I went crazy, started bawling and started packing at the same time. My #2 sister-in-law of my family at #9 (Amy Lee’s great grandmother) helped me and kept telling me to stop crying but the more she coaxed, the harder I cried.

THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME EVER I RETURNED HOME WITH MY FATHER WILLINGLY, WITHOUT SCREAMING MURDER.

So on the long bus ride home, a lot of thoughts went through my mind. What happened? What if I don’t get to see either of them again? Why was I so selfish and didn’t spend more of my school holidays with them? Did some sick dogs hater, like it was done once before, done it again? What if, what if!

Yes, Bobby survived a bad ordeal just weeks after moving to my family home. She was caught by a sick dog abuser (it had to be) – and was badly injured, but limped back and found us nevertheless. No, it just cannot happen again.

So I was sitting by myself on arrival at home, in the living room (we lived in a two story house in a valley, and the 2^nd floor opened up into the vast hillside – a heavenly place to grow up!) Then I started crying again and in just a minute flat, I was screaming “Bobby! Maria! Bobby! Maria!” My worried parents, thinking I must have gone bonkers, came running. Yes, Bobby and Maria heard me crying, and came rushing down the hill for me. Just for me.

Then as fast as they returned, they were impatiently trying to get out of the house again. But both nudged me along. When I stopped, they looked back and started whining. I followed and went up the hill in record time – they led me to two litters of pups – five each – not sure which was whose – but it doesn’t matter.

6 males, 4 females. Bobby was mum to which of them? Was it really 5 a piece? Which were Maria’s. That was the question after we had moved the pups back – in a basket over several trips – with both new mothers trying to help, taking a pup each in their mouth. But I took the pup from them and they didn’t argue. They trusted me 100%. Absolute trust.

Strangely, you can mix all 10 up, and they go back to their respect siblings and mother. Instinct? Smell? Not that the two mothers minded. There were times when they nursed each other’s pups too! 

I was busy again. I did lament the timing -  cutting short my stay at #9, but it was a responsibility I took seriously. Caring for two mothers “in confinement”, 10 pups. It was no easy task but I did just that. I had Chrissy’s help and in later years, with other litters, I had Pam’s.

We had a whale of a time.  Until another parting. Another round of many trips to see the “puppy dealer”, the uncle old man. This time, of course, as had been the case after Bobby’s first litter, I was not allowed to keep any.

NO, NO! There was one addition to my pets in the family – next story!