Ruth's Universe.

Years passed by, nine, to be exact, and things became complicated and confusing. As time passed, the relationship between Mom and Dad became tense, I don't know exactly why, as there were several versions. What seemed to be a solid, stable love story, suddenly turned into darkness and sorrow, and at the end, we left alone with his mother. Her father and her siblings are now part of the past, they stayed in their hometown in England. We have moved to a new city which we don't know in absolute, although we know it is a beautiful city.

Ruth is already 8 years and few months old. She has long wavy brown blonde hair, gray eyes and eyelashes that make me doubt that she will need fake lashes when she becomes adult.

Right now, we are in the north of Finland, in a city called Rovaniemi, it has 60,000 habitants and a lot of snow, perhaps because we have arrived in the middle of winter, shortly before Christmas. I don't know so much about the city, or the country, I've decided that Ruth and I will find out more of it in our time here, unless she asks me to look for more information. Our house is in the middle of the forest, in front of our house is an old elegant house abandoned, so we don't have any neighbours. Finland is the original country of Ruth's mother. It was normal that after her separation she sought out her family in order to don't feel alone. But now it would just be Ruth who might feel that way. The snow is covering everywhere, it seems that the sky itself would freeze and just when you don't think about it anymore, the northern lights appear, something that cheers Ruth up, at least...

We had been warned that our life would change here, we just didn't know it would change that much. Ruth has no friends, no cousins her age, since most of them are already teenagers, and her mother is working out her own problems giving her back a little. But one thing I like about Ruth is that she's looking to sort out her own business, although no one notices.

One day in winter, Ruth received an incredible gift from her aunt, nothing less than a sled. She took it and happily went out to play it in a small snow hill that had formed in a public park where she lived. She slipped funny... and then when she stopped moving the sled and noticed she was alone, her smile disappeared... and she turned that look back.

I didn't want Ruth to be sad, but I didn't know what she needed. I'm her Universe, I take care of her and I please her, the problem is that she... she doesn't talk to me anymore, I guess nobody taught her to do it and that's why she doesn't know how to speak to me anymore. She's such a quiet child and I can't even hear her thoughts anymore...

-I want to have a friend! -shouted Ruth with a lot of courage- I want someone to share these moments with, I want to feel loved, I want someone to look at me and think that I am special -concluded Ruth started to cry.

"Don't cry Ruth, you're special and I know it, more people will notice it too" I thought. And that day, I gave myself the task of finding her the most special friend in the whole world. I kept taking care of Ruth as she slid, and then I appeared a machine, much like what the humans call a tablet, in order to look for that special friend she needed. I am a Universe and I create what I believe, and if I believe such a machine exists, I will surely create it using my thoughts, never doubt how powerful I am.

How to find a good friend? No, it's more than that... I want to look for the best friend that can exist in the whole world. And then they appeared, the results of the best friends all over the world. They were all canines, adult canines and puppies at different distances. They included brief descriptions of what their friendships could offer. I didn't think it would be a big problem to convince his mother, the question was, how to choose one? I guess the closest one was the most obvious answer.

So, when we finished sliding (Well then, I joined the game, the Universes can also have fun, of course), we walked back home, and with all the power of attraction used and based on her desire I attracted it to us, he was the most tender and sweet dog ever. Their eyes crossed, and it looked like love at first sight. The puppy was totally frozen, skinny and alone What better way to start a friendship than sharing loneliness!

Ruth took it in her arms and went home, it was very heavy, and it wasn't that small, but it was a puppy and it seems that it would be a good friend, that's what she asked for, right? "Come on, let's go home guys..." I exclaimed to the wind.

-What are we going to do with a dog, Ruth? -Said her mother with anger.

-I t's just... if we keep it, I might have someone to play with while you go to work.

-And who is going to be responsible of it?

-Please mom, it's small...

- But it will grow, it will grow, and we won't know what to do with it -she said, holding it with her hands- No, this dog is not even a male dog, it's a female dog... and it's all dirty, it looks like it's out of mechanical workshop.

-Maybe she was living in one, I found it on the street...

-I don't want her at home, get rid of it...

- I don't want to, -she said- She's my friend and she's staying here because she has no one, just like I don't! -She shouted and ran to her room, locked herself in with the puppy.

It's not that I wanted to cause her any trouble, I didn't really know what I'd done wrong, I brought her the best friend a seeker she could have, her mom should be happy, now she won't be at home alone anymore, the dog could take care of her. Besides, I'm really sorry to see Ruth rolling from hand to hand seeing who picks her up from extra classes, takes her to those classes and all because no one has time for her, no one doesn't even sit to talk to her... maybe that dog won't answer, but it will give her affection...

Ruth was still locked up and her mom didn't look for her, I decided to stay by her side and hold on to her idea of staying with that dog no matter what...

- Don't worry, you'll be safe here, as I was saying, I'll bring you down a warm blanket. This is my room, and no one can get in here if I don't want to. Now it'll be yours too... you'll live here and my mom won't be able to complain about you ever... -she'd say hugging it- and soon I'll bathe you and you'll look prettier than dogs in the shops. Since I have no money to buy you food, I'll give you mine, my mom won't notice, she's going to work every day...

And then her mother knocked. Back then, a dog living in our room didn't sound like a crazy idea, but the reality is that the whole house was her mother's... and if the only way was persuasion then, that way we'd stay with her.

- Hey, -I said annoyed to the Universe of her mother -you tell your human that my little girl is very lonely, that she needs and has asked me for a friend, and this has been the best friend I have found for her.

-I hesitate she asked for a dog when she asked you for a friend...

-She asked me for a friend that makes her feel special and loved... she never said she wanted it to be a human.

-My human's thoughts are not able hold an animal at home, even less if we are talking about a stinking puppy...

-Ok then, tell her to look after her daughter then...

-We can't work less than what we do right now, we have to keep the house's expenses, that's another reason why we don't want the dog to stay...

I felt very bad, between Universes we can discuss, and persuade, but sometimes things just don't fit the plan or we can't just do it. It's then when we only have to entrust ourselves to the greater Universe, which we commonly call it as God and wait for him to hear us and see us... I always trust him, I know he's the best.

-It's going to stay... -said her mother with a small smile.

I and her mother's Universe looked each other full of surprise. A vibration of happiness entered through the air, and then the cold weather of Finland, began to have a warmer touch. On Ruth's face a huge smile was drawn. She ran to hug her mother, even though it was actually me who deserved the hug, but that's the work of a Universe, all claims and no congratulations...

-Thanks mom, you're the best! -she said, hugging her tightly- I swear I'll educate it, every afternoon we'll be together working on its behavior and I'll take it out for walks.

-First you have to bathe it, because it looks very ugly all full of oil, or whatever it has in her coat, I'm going to heat some water to do it. We'll have to get her some clothes and something to sleep in... because she's not going to sleep in there... -she said looking at the blanket she had already put.

-Why not?

-That blanket is yours, it's for you to keep warm because you're a cold girl. It's not for the dog. And, you can hang out wherever you want, here's very safe... but, you have to get it a collar and a leash.

-Maybe it'll learn to follow me...

-Maybe, but it could get aggressive as she grows up... and bite people.

That same afternoon they bathed the dog, it was quite nice to see the dog totally full of foam being rubbed by ruth's mother again and again. But, at the end, it was worth it. She really was a very beautiful dog; her eyes were lined in black giving them a look of tenderness and pride at the same time. They put a piece of black sweater for humans that they adapted as a dog sweater and an old pillow became its bed.

Every evening Ruth went out with the little dog that was still unnamed. They had not thought of a name until then. They went out to the lake near the park, which was completely frozen, where around it they chased each other. Their friendship was just beginning and it seemed to be very good. Ruth always smiled when it was with her and the little dog was happy too, I think the best thing that can happen to a dog, is to have a child owner, nobody knows more about fun than dogs and children.

Sometimes, Ruth stopped playing to form snowmen around the lake, on one occasion more children started arriving and a red ball went through a strong impact to her snowman, destroying it completely.

Ruth was such a vulnerable and sensitive child because of her entire family situation so, she began to cry. The children around her began to laugh at such behavior and kept on doing their business. And then, the owner of the ball came over. A white boy with dark brown hair, green eyes, and a little tall, took his ball in his hands and looked at Ruth, who could not stop crying, in astonishment.

-It's not fair, Ruth is suffering so much and on top of that, your human has destroyed her snowman.

-You're overdramatizing, don't you think? But it's okay, I'll get my boy to help you.

The kid didn't say a thing. He put his ball on the floor and while Ruth cried inconsolably carving her eyes, he began to put her snowman together again. At this action, Ruth was speechless, watching him. Her little nameless dog barked at him as he tried to make amends, and I, of course, was glad that someone had told that rude boy what he deserved, even if it was through the canine language.

The boy turned around once he had finished his sculpting work, Ruth also turned around with her eyes still watering, I thought her tears would freeze, neither of them said a word to the other.

When he finished, the boy just picked up his ball and walked away. And Ruth, turned to look at that snowman, putting a carrot she had stolen from her fridge as if it were its nose, and went home thoughtful...

Perhaps, she had realized that she was not as invisible as she thought. Her little dog of course accompanied her and then their excitement increased so they ran home together just as the snow started to fall lightly, it seemed that the winter would never end... her nose turned red and her cheeks matched. Both, Ruth and her dog began to cough as they ran home.

Ruth poured herselfin a cup some of the tea her mother had made in the morning, although it wasalready cold, and served some to her little dog...

-Do you know doggie? When I enter to school, I'll have many friends, and I'll never cry again... although, maybe not, I still can't speak Finnish well, and it's just that nobody seems to be interested on teaching me. My granny or aunt doesn't even come to visit us anymore, but maybe they're busy... Tomorrow we'll go and see them. What do you think?

The dog barked at her as if she knew what she was asking, no doubt I got her a very special friend, even if it didn't have a name yet. My job is not easy at all, nobody said it would be, but I have to see for her happiness, I hope she knows how to ask me well for what she wants, otherwise my job gets complicated. Tomorrow will surely be a great day.