26 Aug 2019 (International Dog Day)
For a 200 word composition practice the 14 year old boy had chosen to write about a pet he would like to keep.
After explaining that he liked corgis for their stumpy legs and chubby built, he didn’t know how to continue.
Me: Does your corgi have a name?
Boy: Terminator.
Me: Is Terminator a boy or a girl?
Boy: It’s a boy.
He then went on to write about how he would care for Terminator, including cooking steak with butter and steamed vegetables to feed him.
Details on where Terminator would sleep & play came pouring forth effortlessly. He would walk him daily and pick up his dog’s poo like a good owner.
And he would take Terminator to see his mom and let her play “fetch” with him.
Before he knew it, the boy was writing beyond 200 words. He looked very pleased when he asked me for an extra sheet of writing paper.
Me: What will you do when Terminator grows old or gets sick with an incurable illness?
I added that Queen Elizabeth’s last Corgi, had passed on and she would not be keeping anymore pets as she was getting old herself.
The boy wrote that he would take his corgi to the vet for treatment but he wouldn’t want Terminator to suffer.
As he came to the part where he would want his pet dog to be sedated first before being put to sleep, the boy started to wipe his eyes and his nose surreptitiously with the back of his hand.
I offered him a piece of tissue paper for his “runny nose,” which he took gratefully.
This is the first time in my life that I’ve seen a boy shedding real tears over an imaginary dog. ♥️
Lisa Ong 