Missing Bryan

This is the first full day I've spent without our beloved dog, Bryan. It was quite sad especially when I discovered and realized how much of a presence Bryan was here at home, mainly because Bryan stayed here inside the house with us and shared our space.

This morning when we all left for church, there was no Bryan to put into the guest terrace and to instruct to go "up the chair" (to sit on his blue cheh) to await our arrival. Then on coming back, there was no Bryan to greet us with his eager wagga-wagga running backwards and nearly running into chairs and table legs. (Nor will he be around to greet me in the kitchen or out in the driveway when I get back from work tomorrow.)

And throughout the day, I simply missed hearing the usual noises that he would make: scratching himself, scratching his cushionee or ruggie, snoring loudly while sleeping, his "mmmmph" at doorways demanding to be let in, the clicking of his nails on the floor as he trotted around the house ...

Then later this afternoon, I automatically checked the clock to see if it was time to prepare his dinner. But there was no dog to come barking before 5pm (always on time!) to demand that his dinner be prepared or that we keep constant watch over his food whether it was being heated up in the microwave or cooling off near the electric fan. Now I miss preparing his dinner, spooning it into his special bowl, bringing it outside telling him to sit down, setting the bowl down on a pail (to serve as a table) then telling him "Okie!" to give him the signal to start eating, rewarding him with a pat on the head. No woggie to instruct to "mamam water" before coming back inside the house to help wash away all that rice sticking to his mouth.

During dinnertime (our dinner time), there was no dog lying down under the table on mama's "quarter" or against the glass cabinet. No dog accompanying us to the kitchen afterwards to scratch on and sequester one of the kitchen rugs, particularly the one placed in front of the fridge. Nor was there a dog going to lie down in the rear terrace, his chin over the ledge, watching us have dinner/lunchie.

And now tonight there's no dog poking his head through my doorway (barging in perhaps) to demand attention or playtime (with the tuks, bola-bola or boney-boney) or some other special request (like a cushionee twansfah soivice or that the aircon be turned on during the hot summer months) or simply to be let outside for him to do his "jobs". Nor was there a dog to wipe his nose along the side of my bed's mattress or to "crash land" his nose on my knee or bed's mattress or to knock over one of my bags or mess up with the cables of my laptop in order to annoy me and in the process get my attention (usually for a wubby). There was no dog sleeping near my cabinet, switching from "stage 0 ("thinking")" to "stage 1 (lying on his tummy)" to "stage 2 (lying on his side)" to "stage 3 (lying on his side and snoring away, paws, mouth and ears twitching while dreaming)". Nor was there a dog awaking from his sleep and stretching on his back, paws waving in the air and the sides of his mouth flopping over for a weird upside-down view of his jaw.

And I especially miss giving him a wubby, a pat-pat and a hug, smelling that woggie smell about him, not minding the smell even if he hadn't had a bath for weeks.

I miss Bryan.