“Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog” :Reggie’s Painful Start to the New Year ( A Children’s Story)

These people in Toronto seem to like to celebrate as New Year’s Eve is coming soon and Toronto people like to party. I am not sure if they are happy to end the year or begin a new year. These humans can be puzzling!

I am happy with the past year as I arrived safely in Canada and luckily landed with Bob, Fay and Dillie. Even Karim has joined us. I have much to be thankful for.

Karim and I are so excited as we feel there is something electric in the air. Dillie is a bit more chilled as he has been through it many times. I hear Bob and Fay talking and they say Paul and Patricia are coming over for a special dinner called the dinner of the Seven Fishes. Bob and Fay have been working for days on it. The smells are incredible.

Paul and Patricia come over and they have brought peanut butter cupcakes for doggies as a special present for us dogs. If you want to know how to win over a dog’s heart peanut butter is a good start. We all split one and what a delicious treat. A good way to end the year!

The Christmas tree lights are turned on and the fireplace crackles and we dogs sit by it until its too warm to stay in front of the fire. The humans are drinking some special liquid called wine and talking. Then dinner is served and it lasts for several hours. Us dogs get a treat of some fish called tuna with some rice after we eat our chicken kibble. We are so full and tired all three of us go for a nap and are woken up by Fay so we can “see the ball drop”. The ball drops and everyone shouts, “Happy New Year”! Something in a bottle goes pop and the humans clink their glasses full of the liquid. Paul and Patricia leave shortly after and Bob and Fay work to clean up all the dishes.

Bob then takes us for a walk. It is the first one for us in this new year and it is cold and we can see our breath. We joke about us being the Rat Pack. I notice Karim is a bit unsteady on his feet and I ask him if he is feeling fine and he responds he is just so tired he wants to sleep. So that’s where we go and we are dreaming of beef as tomorrow there will be a special New Years dinner of roast beef and we dogs know we will get a piece as a treat.

I have a special dream that I am back with Karim in the pack and we find a door to slip through and we are in a butcher’s shop in the main market at Cairo with all sorts of meat in the open for us to eat and there are no humans about.

In the early morning I am woken up half asleep by Dillie howling. I am very confused about why Dillie is acting so out of character. I see Dillie trying to nudge Karim to wake him up. But there is blood on Dillie’s snout. Has he hurt himself and is howling in pain? Then I see Karim is not moving and there is a pool of blood oozing out of his mouth. He is cold. Karim has left us to the world beyond. I say a quick prayer to Allah and pray he will guide Karim to the world beyond. Bob is with us and he knows instantly that our dearest Karim has gone to the world beyond. He picks up Karim and wraps him in a blanket. Then I see Bob and Fay putting their heads down and crying. Bob says a prayer wishing Karim a safe journey. I go outside with Dillie and we howl like wolves. We are so sad. We are hurting. Why did this happen to Karim? What did he do wrong? One moment happy the next dead. Why is life so unfair? Karim my dear friend Dillie and will miss you terribly. Our little Rat Pack is down to two now. Safe travels dear brother.