Lydia- The Pet Communicator

Chapter 21

While we were waiting for Lucky to get his tests done, my father popped up a question which I knew was ready to be asked. “So what’s up?” My father asked, looking at us quizzically.

“Umm, it’s the ceiling, of course!” I answered quickly and Drake chuckled.

“Lydia, this is not the way you talk to your father. You very well know what I am asking about.”

“Sir, I love your daughter and she loves me too. So, we are in a committed relationship.” Drake beamed  with a huge smile on his face.

My father gnashed his teeth and spoke wrathfully, as he glared at Drake with anger “I thought you both were good friends and nothing more. Besides, you are her educator. It’s illegal to have a relationship, and I don’t want her to lose concentration in her studies. Do you understand? If she fails, I am going to blame you!.”

I looked at my dad in concern, I didn’t understand since when he started losing his temper so easily. He just comes up, starts fighting and insulting others. “Dad, please be polite. I am happy with Drake. He is the reason I am standing here with my heads up. You want my happiness, right?”

My father nodded, with a smile and answered “I don’t mind if you’re happy. Now, come here, you boy! Give me a manly hug.”  When Drake walked over to give him a hug, my father stopped him and warned, “Don’t hurt my daughter or I will have to kill you! Make sure you keep this relationship a secret, okay?” Drake agreed and pulled my father into a tight hug, my father hugged him back and patted his back.

Then, all of us sat on the bench outside and prayed together for Lucky.

Shortly, the doctor and the nurse came out with Lucky on a stretcher. We all dashed towards them and waiting for them to say the results, but they were numb. “How is Lucky?” My father asked hastily. Lucky looked like he was fast asleep, or unconscious.

“I am sorry, we couldn’t save him. He passed away while we were doing the check up, and we found out that he got bitten by a poisonous spider. Such spiders are not easily available in Britain.” The doctor spoke while lowering his gaze.

“Why didn’t Lucky tell us about the spider bite? And why did you find out so late? I lost Lucky!” I yelled at the doctor.

The nurse replied immediately, “We don’t have such cases usually, so it was hard for us to find out. That’s why we ran some special tests on him. We did our best.”

I looked at my father gloomily, he was even very shocked to hear the news. I could see the hurt on his face when a tear escaped his eye. Drake kept a hand on his shoulder and pulled me into a hug at the same time. I was speechless, and I didn’t believe this. Lucky can’t leave me. Lucky couldn’t die. I felt the warm tears flooding down my cheek.

Tears were my new best friends in life, every split second they were ready to fall out. I pushed Drake’s hand off my shoulder and walked towards Lucky. Lucky was stiff and lifeless. I took him in my arms and hugged him tight. There was no breathing sound or anything. He was gone, gone forever.

“Lucky! It’s time to play. Wake up.” I slapped him on his face, while stammering in distress. I shook his body, but there was no movement. I felt a hand of my father on me. He was standing behind me with his eyes all red because of the crying.

“Dad, Lucky is sleeping. He can’t leave us.”

I looked at Drake, he was sitting on the bench with his face covered with both of his hands. “Dad, tell Drake to bring some food. Lucky loves eating.”

My father pulled me into a hug, but I pushed him away. “Dad, trust me. Lucky is alive.”

My father raised his hand and slapped me hard on my face for the first time ever, while yelling at me angrily, “He is dead!” 

I sat on the floor and started sobbing out loud, “No, Lucky, he is not, dead.” My father sat on his knees and pulled me into a hug. I cried so much that I soaked his shirt in my tears. Lucky was a part of our family. I couldn’t think of spending a day without him. If God created affection and feelings, then why would he take our loved ones away? I couldn’t still believe Lucky was gone.

“Don’t take our dog anywhere. We will make his grave in our backyard.” My father insisted the doctor. The doctor nodded and left with the nurse.

“No dad, he will stay with us in our house.” My father wiped my tears and carried me in his arms, taking me outside to the car. He didn’t say a single word to me. Drake was walking ahead of us with Lucky in his arms. He put Lucky at the back of the car and drove off without prior notice.

We sat in our car and took off after Drake. “Lydia, I am sorry. It’s all my fault and carelessness.” My father asked for forgiveness as he was driving. I was numb. My heart was broken into pieces and my voice was stuck in my throat, so I didn’t even reply back.

When we reached home, Drake’s car was parked outside and he was nowhere to be seen. So, I went looking for him everywhere and he was found in the backyard, digging Lucky.

“Drake, you should wait for us.” I yelled in annoyance. Drake shook his head in refusal. Drake kept on digging and digging. It was already too late, almost evening and he was sweating badly. If everyone in this world would be like Drake, then it surely would be heaven.

I took a glance at all the pets in the shelter. They were all upset and totally mute, they understood that their fellow has left them for good. The dogs had their heads bowed down, Marwa was crying, the rabbits had their eyes closed and the talkative cats were extremely silent.

I thought to ask my father to look after the pets, to cheer them up or to offer them food. So I went to look for him in the house and I was taken aback by the sight of him. I couldn’t believe it, my father started drinking alcohol. He was laying on the couch and gulping down a bottle in one go. Two more empty bottles were on the floor. He must be hurt so bad, I thought. I took the bottle from his hand and threw it away. “What are you doing dad? Was this the only thing left? I need you so much and you are drinking?” I yelled right in his face.

“I am so sorry Lydia, Lucky died because of me.” He cried out.

Just then, Drake walked in the house. He was shocked to see my father’s condition. He requested me to take him upstairs to his bedroom, since he required some sleep.

I nodded in agreement. Drake placed a hand of my father around his shoulders and dragged him up to his bedroom. I was behind them, giving support. We put my father on his bed and then, heard him carping, “Grace, Grace please come back. I am sorry. I will love you more. I killed Lucky, It’s entirely my fault. I will earn more too.”

Drake kept his index finger on his lips to silence me, and gave me a sign to move out. After that, we went to the kitchen to take the food for the animals in our shelter. Drake brought out an apple from the refrigerator and forced me to eat it. I totally refused, as it was hard for me to swallow it. “Just one bite please? If you will get weak, who will take care of your father and the animals?”

A tear escaped my eye. There was so much pain filled inside me, why was everything turning upside down? I needed to take care of my health, but there was so much uninvited stress to make me sicker. Even the food wouldn’t help me. Why wouldn’t I just die?

I ate some apple, just to act upon what Drake said, even though I had no taste. My whole mouth was turning bitter and I felt feverish. I threw the half eaten apple in the dustbin and carried the food of the animals to their shelter. We kept the food of every animal in front of them, on the ground. All had different varieties of foods to eat, but no animal even touched it. “Eat your food guys. You are hungry all day now, please.” I demanded. No animal spoke a word. They turned their faces away.

“What is the problem? Why are they not having their food?” Drake asked curiously.

“We can’t eat after Lucky died. We do not like it without him.” One of the dogs barked.

“Yes, we always made fun of him while eating, because he used to fart and do stupid things.”  One of the cats purred.

“We don’t like it without him, please give us some time.” The rabbits grunted.

“Yes Lydia, we loved him so much. We will eat whenever we feel like.” Marwa neighed.

I had to agree with them. I understand how they must be feeling, since I felt the same too. I asked Drake to leave them for a while and accompany me to the grave of Lucky. I put a handful of sand on his grave and mumbled in sorrow, “We will miss you Lucky.”

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Sorry, I had to do this. I am a God of this story, I can do anyting Muahahaha! Anyway, we all will miss Lucky. Wasn't he cute? Read on to find out how Lydia will do in her exams, as Lucky is gone will she be able to concentrate? And Lydia' father? I just want to show you all that life goes on. Some loved ones have to leave us forever.