The Dogs Save the Day – Fagbamiye Wuraola

A short story about a girl, her dogs and her family.

Mummy was crying and holding daddy’s photograph. Her face was red and blotchy, and her nose was dripping. She wiped it, but it just kept on leaking. I wanted to say something comforting but I didn’t want her to shout at me.

Daddy had been fine just some hours before when suddenly he complained about something in his chest. He said his heart was fluttering. His head hurt and he was dizzy. Soon, he started vomiting and then he started pooping. The last straw was when he fell to the ground, twitching, as his eyes rolled back into his head. Mummy had told me to stay away as she cleaned him. The doctors hadn’t figured out what was wrong with daddy yet because a lot of people had been admitted in the hospital with similar symptoms. The labs were working overtime trying to test everyone but there wasn’t enough space or equipment for the number of sick people.  They had taken his stool sample and told us to wait at home while he was admitted as they hoped to figure it out soon.

My hands were shaking, and I sat on them so mummy wouldn’t see them and worry, but she must have seen on my face, how I was really feeling, so she asked me to wait outside. As I went outside, a pastor came in and my heart sank. This was the same pastor they had taken me to for deliverance. Well, one of the pastors. I rubbed my arms, the memory of the stinging whips to drive out the demons from me still fresh. No matter how much he whipped me though, I could still understand Lulu, our lovable Labrador dog. My parents had rescued her when she was just a little puppy, and I was just a tiny three-year-old. Her little paws had grown over the years and her tiny wagging tail had become a long heavy rope that she swung back and forth anytime she saw me. I loved her so much. I loved her even more when I found out I could understand her barks, but it had been the beginning of trouble for me and Lulu.

It had happened suddenly. One day, I was playing with Lulu. We raced across the garden chasing the butterflies as she yapped at my feet. Our house was a corner spot, so the compound was big, and I had no problems staying in. However, the gate was open that day and as I got closer to the street, Lulu shouted very distinctly, “STOP! NO! DANGER OUTSIDE!” I stopped abruptly and turned to stare at her. My heart was beating rapidly as I asked weakly, “Lulu?” She ran to my feet, bit my dress and pulled me back inside, safe from the street. With her little nose, she nudged the gate closed and then she playfully shoved me to the ground and plopped her body on top of mine to prevent me from escaping. I thought it was all fun and mentioned it to mummy at dinner.

I was telling her all about my day and how fun it had been and then I said, “Lulu shouted very loudly, and pulled me back inside. Thank goodness she saved me.”

Mummy’s hand froze over the dishes she was washing. She chuckled. “You mean Lulu barked, baby. Lulu is a dog. She doesn’t speak.”

Foolishly I continued. “No mummy. She spoke. She said very loudly not to go outside and then she pulled me back inside.”

Mummy turned to me all stern faced then. “You understand Lulu?” I nodded. “Does she understand you?” I nodded again.

“Call Lulu here now.” So, I did.

Then, mummy continued, “Now, Titi, I want Lulu to go and drink some water from her water bowl. Tell her to do this.” I heaved a big sigh and waved my hand dramatically, already annoyed that my mum was choosing not to believe this wonderful story I had told her. I said very sweetly, “Lulu, are you thirsty now?” Lulu barked loudly. I turned back to mummy. “She says she isn’t very thirsty and what’s this about.” I turned to Lulu once more, “Mummy is being silly, and she doesn’t believe you can talk. So, she wants you to go drink some water from the water bowl. Go on Lulu.” Mummy’s hand flew to her mouth when Lulu obeyed me. I smiled triumphantly, happy that now she would believe me.

That night, mummy and daddy had many serious conversations about me, and they made me demonstrate a couple more times with Lulu. Over time, they discovered I could understand other dogs too. I befriended the strays around the house and then even more dogs came to visit us. This worried them so much that they decided they needed to fix me.

They had started with prayers at first. Every time I went for the prayers, I was afraid they would really take my ability to understand Lulu away, but it never worked. Every time, I was tested but I never lost the ability. So, they decided to do even more extreme things and I was taken for deliverance services. I was beaten, kicked and flung around wildly. I always returned home with bruises and welts all over my body, but the ability never left. The pastors would spend thirty minutes to an hour beating me to send out the demon that had given me the ability, but evidently, it never left.

When the whippings had failed to cure me, the pastors turned on Lulu, claiming she was the one possessed. Poor Lulu! She couldn’t defend herself against the accusations and try as I might, no one listened to my explanations either. Now, the pastor was taking her away to one of the churches for more deliverance. I was sick to my stomach. If they had whipped me so much, I could only imagine what they would do to Lulu. My poor dog would be subjected to all manner of beatings. I had even heard that some people eat dogs. I didn’t want to imagine Lulu in a pot of soup.

I was all alone. My mum was sobbing as if daddy was already gone, and I didn’t even have Lulu’s warm body to hug. I had to do something! I could not lose both my dad and my dog on the same day. I ran out of the house to the abandoned alleyway behind us, where the strays loved to stay.

The neighbourhood strays saw me but this time, they turned their snoots away from my eager hands. The neighbourhood strays were a pack of mutts that I and Lulu loved to play with. They were always so friendly and playful with us; but not this time.

“Please.” I pleaded as I wrung my fingers. “Please help me.”

The black mutt responded, “No way. We heard what happened to Lulu. We don’t want to risk getting shipped off too. Lulu was your family dog. We are just strays. We aren’t risking it.” The others nodded their agreement and my legs weakened. I dropped heavily to the floor, losing my last nerve. Without their help, I was afraid I could lose daddy.

My mind raced as I imagined what I could possibly say that would make them help me. I started talking quickly before they abandoned me. “Maybe there is a way to save Lulu. If you help me, I may be able to get her back.” Their ears perked up at this, but their backs still remained turned away from me. My mind raced. I wanted their help. I needed it. “I might also be able to get you off the streets as well. Just give me a chance. Can you help me find out what caused my dad’s sickness?” They were getting excited. Life off the street wasn’t for every single stray I had met but some of them longed to be pampered and cared for, just like Lulu. Lulu always got cleaned, fed and pet as often as she wanted and in the nastiest of weathers, Lulu had her very own bed she could always crawl back into. I had won them over. The dogs grouped together, and I stood apart with hopeful eyes. They broke apart and all, but the black mutt ran from the group and out into the streets. The black Mutt, the leader of the pack who I named Noir came to lick my face.

“We will help you. Just wait here.” As if in agreement, barks broke out from all over the neighbourhood as the dogs spoke to each other trying to figure out the truth.  I couldn’t help the burst of hope that flowed through me as I waited patiently. I sat waiting and patting Noir’s head.

In a few minutes, the dogs had returned, barking loudly. I could barely make out their sentences. Eating!

Excitement! Lulu is coming home! Daddy will get better! Treats!

I waved at them to stop. It was impossible to understand when they spoke at once.

Noir said, “It was the pawpaw your father ate.” She pointed her snoot at the dark brown mutt at her side. “Lucy said she smelled them yesterday and they reeked of something. Then she pointed her snoot at the light brown mutt, “Jan said she saw the seller in the market spraying some water on the fruit and the water smelled odd. It wasn’t a nice smell.” I gasped. The pawpaw seller was always spraying her fruits. Something must have been wrong with the water she used this time.

Noir continued. “Jan also said that she saw the seller getting some water from the broken pipe in the gutter just outside the market.”

I kissed Noir’s head and ran in to tell my mum what I knew.

“Mummy!  It was the pawpaw daddy ate! The seller sprayed dirty water on it! She was about to dismiss me, but she just stared and somehow, she knew I wasn’t lying. She mumbled “Cholera”. She grabbed her keys and took the remnant of the pawpaw from the fridge. We raced to the car and off to the hospital we went.

The doctors didn’t want to believe that we knew what it was.

“You can’t just drum up a diagnosis in your mind ma’am. That’s not how medicine works. Let’s wait for the stool sample to come in a few more hours. In the meantime, he is on IV fluids, being monitored and he isn’t getting worse.”

Mummy wasn’t having it though. “If we wait a few more hours then, he is going to be dead. It’s cholera. Trust me. The pawpaw was contaminated. If you refuse though, I’m suing the hospital if he dies here because you refused us service when I told you what was wrong already.”

The doctors didn’t have anything to say to that, but they collected the pawpaw and promised to test it immediately. I waited with mummy in the hall for any news on how he was doing, and we fell asleep cuddled together on the hospital chairs.

I woke up to my mum shaking me and calling my name softly. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. “How is daddy?” but I could already see the answer on her face. Her face was no longer red and blotchy. Her nose wasn’t dripping, and she had a smile. A small one but a smile still.

“The doctors said he is fine now. We can go and see him soon.” We sat together in comfortable silence until, “How did you know it was the pawpaw? I would never have thought about it.” I shook my head. I was afraid for Noir and her friends. What if they really got shipped off just like Lulu?

Mummy held my hand and pulled me close. “Don’t be afraid. Tell me the truth.” She wasn’t going to let it go. I gulped audibly. I had to tell her anyway. I couldn’t forget the promise I made to Noir.

“Fine. I’ll tell you how, but first, I made a promise before I got the information, and you have to promise to help me fulfil my promise or I’m never going to say it.” Mummy’s face was stern and I thought she wasn’t going to agree but she nodded.

I took a deep breath. “I spoke to the dogs. The street dogs. I also promised them that I would get Lulu back and we would adopt them. Please bring Lulu back and take the strays off the street. Without them, dad would be dead and probably everyone else who ate the pawpaw. So? What do you say?”

Mummy’s face broke out in a smile, and she said, “Let’s go get Lulu back.”

My heart could not contain the joy I felt as we raced across the city to rescue Lulu. We weaved through traffic and raced past streetlights to get to the church. It had already been a whole day since Lulu had been sent away.

When we got to the church, my hands were shaking from excitement. “Lulu!” I screamed. I ran in to see Lulu in a tiny and ugly cage. Her eyes were downcast but once she smelled me, she perked up and begged me to open the door, I was happy to do it and I hugged her tightly. “I’ll never let you go again Lulu. Never.”