Goodbye Macky

I never owned a dog. I learned to like dogs only in the past few years when I lived in Japan. I seldom like dogs in my home country because many of them are stray and bark a lot.

A few minutes ago, I received news from my apartment manager that his dog, Macky--a seven-year-old female canine--passed away. I like Macky the moment she was introduced to me exactly a year ago.

She has the third floor of this building all by herself to enjoy. I usually see her at least once a week when I go up there to hang my laundry.

I seldom heard her bark. She just stared at me whenever I do my chores there.

Last Friday, another laundry day for me, I noticed that there was a bright green liquid on the third floor. I asked the housekeeper who was then pouring some soil over the liquid what it was, she told me that it came from Macky.

Curious, I asked again if it were passed out as a vomitus or stool. She replied that it was vomited by the dog.

I cautioned that Macky could be ill. I was thinking of a problem in the gall bladder or liver or anything in the gastrointestinal tract.

So, I forgot everything after that. Macky seemed well. Ran around, wagged her tail particularly when she played with my 10-month-old boy neighbor.

Until a few minutes ago, I received a text message from the apartment manager that they will have to lock the third floor door at all times because Macky passed away.

I talked to him and knew that Macky intermittently passed out greenish vomitus several years ago. He did not bring Macky to a veterinarian because he did not notice anything unusual with the dog.

Late this afternoon, he noticed that Macky seemed a bit tired and just laid in one corner. She opened her eyes upon seeing him, and several ants began to swarm over her body--probably a tell tale sign that she was about to leave us.

Macky is now gone. I'll surely miss her.