“The Light of His World”

The man with the cap showed up in the park without his dog one day. My friend thought that was simply curious, but I knew something horrible had happened. The light of his world, his dog, was dead.

We met the man everyday after that. He was always happy to see me and my friend, but the sadness crept back into his mind as soon as we parted. Meeting us was probably the bright spot of his day.

I asked my friend why he didn’t help the man. My friend acted confused, like he didn’t understand what he had to do, but deep inside he knew. And I can be very persistent.

The next time I met the man I could barely sense his grief. It was practically invisible in the brilliant light that now shone inside him. The reason was stumbling along in front of him, the small, wobbly ball of fluff, infinitely curious about the world as only a puppy can be.

Surely no mother has ever felt more pride than I.

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Author’s note: Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make the story crystal-clear within the allotted word-limit (175 words), so here’s the long-winded exposition.

The narrator (“I”, “me”) is a female dog who recently had puppies. She and her owner (who she thinks of as her friend) regularly go for walks in the park, where they often encounter the man with the cap and his dog. Today, the man is alone, and she can immediately tell by the way the man is feeling that his dog is gone. His light is gone. The man’s sorrow doesn’t go away, but he always seem to perk up when he mets her and her owner/friend. For her, a truly altruistic dog who only wants what’s best for everyone, the solution is clear. Her owner/friend should give the man one of her puppies. She knows the puppy will get a good home there, and she hopes the man will find his light again. Her owner/friend gradually realises the same thing. The next time she sees the man, he’s practically glowing with light, all thanks to her puppy, hence her final remark, “Surely no mother has ever felt more pride than I.”

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Thanks for reading!

Written for the FFfAW Challenge – Week of October 18, 2016

This week’s photo prompt is provided by Louise with The Storyteller’s Abode. Thank you Louise!

174 words.

• Flash Fiction