Dada, where’s Spike? I’ve not seen him around this evening,” I asked my brother. His looks appeared to be grave as he replied, “I don’t know how to say this. I just couldn’t get hold of Spike’s chain. He just rushed out and a car hit him.” His words were enough to work like a knife — piercing my heart slowly and gradually, making me bleed profusely. I felt as if I was going to die a painful death. I didn’t know if I was still breathing for I felt suffocated. I didn’t know if I was alive for I felt so numb and out of this world. It was when my brother shook me hard that I came back to my senses. Tears rolling down, my heart felt heavy, it ached so much that I felt as if it would explode any minute. The pain was terrible.

Sweet memories of Spike flashed before me. He was not just a dog but also my best friend. I shared with him every bit of my life — even those things that were beyond the reach of human beings because he understood me so perfectly well. This can’t be a coincidence because every time I felt down and out, he would be with me and I poured out my feelings as he stayed and listened to me patiently. I would shout at him, scold him for disturbing me

when I would be busy doing my homework but he always had time for me and never got annoyed.

One day I was feeling bored. I called Spike so that I could play with him. I knew he would be eating and was sure that he wouldn’t come. But to my utter surprise, after a minute or so, I saw Spike peep at me through the small opening of the door. I felt horrible and empty inside when I began to realise that from now onwards there will be no one waiting for me when I return home from school, no one will listen to me when I want to express my feelings, no one will cheer me up when I am feeling depressed. And I will have no one to shout at when I get irritated, no one will accompany me for my morning and evening walks, no one to accompany me during meals and no one to play with me. Feeling miserable, I went to have my dinner although I had no appetite. Quietly, I took out the best pieces of meat from my plate and put it into Spike’s bowl as usual. He was and still is the best dog. My best friend deserved nothing but only the best.