As the light above the door turned off, my heartbeat quickened. It was only an hour ago since they started, I thought. Why have they finished so fast? As the man with white robes stepped out of the operation theatre, I strode towards him. It may have been the concerned look on my face that made him shake his head in disappointment. At that moment, nothing else mattered to me. No, it can’t be. Maya!!

That morning, I had woken up to her foul breath. “Eww! Maya, get off me!”. The dog jumped off the bed as I reached for my glasses. It was 6.30. 6.30 in the morning! Sometimes, I get the urge to throw something at her. But, I couldn’t. Because I loved her. I could still remember the first time I met her. She was abandoned. She was left in a box by the road with no food or water. From the moment I took her in my arms, there was a warm feeling in me. That feeling, lasted till this day. As I crept out of bed, she greeted me with a big yawn. “You’re sleepy too, yet you have to wake me up!” I said. I couldn’t help smiling. I scratched her ears and walked to the bathroom.

After changing, I made my bed and folded Maya’s blankets. The smell of bacon and eggs drifted into my room. Maya ran down the stairs and towards the kitchen. There was a crash and a scream. I ran downstairs to see a broken vase on the floor. “That’s the second time!” screamed my mother. Muttering to herself, she picked up a broom and swept the remains of the vase. I entered the kitchen to find Maya already gobbling down her food. “Silly girl” I said as I sat down at the table and helped myself to some bacon.

The grandfather clock chimed 8. As I stepped out the main door, I felt fur brush my legs. Maya was looking at me with that familiar look of hopefulness in her eyes. “No, Maya. You can’t come to school with me.” I tried to lure her back inside be she just wouldn’t move. The eagerness in her eyes were so strong it felt like a crime for me to say ‘no’. She is rather good in directions, I thought. If she comes with me, she’ll just find her way back home like how she always does. I peeped through the door and saw that my mother was nowhere in sight. I looked down at Maya and said, “Ok. But only for today.” She was ecstatic. She followed as I walked down the road.