The Never Ending Home

All the dogs squealed and rattled in their cages. A new scent pervades the air. Beefy stares at the newcomers, his eyes lit up in anticipation. The family studied the now restless rescue dogs in their cages. Some bark and wag furiously. Some licked their feet and face. These were the hopeful ones expecting to be taken into a new home. The despondent ones barely raised their heads.

The owner accompanied the family, providing guidance. "Well, this is Grace. She is a very active one. Then, there is Milo. He is shedding like crazy this season. Anyways, take a look around and call me if you need any assistance."

A small boy stumbled around, his tiny hands gripping the iron cages. The parents studied each dog, murmuring among themselves. The boy hopped over to Beefy's cage. Beefy stares back at the boy, unsure of what to do. For some reason, the boy tilted his head in amusement. He placed his palm into the cage.

"Hey Banter," warned the mother. "Do not stick your hands into the cage."

Before he could withdraw his hand, he felt a rough paw graze him. Beefy pawed him and whined. Banter giggled and yelled, "Fr-iend, friend."

"Well," grinned the mother. "Who do we have here?"

The father read the sign next to the cage. "Beefy?"

Upon calling his name, an ecstatic Beefy spun around. Brown and black patches splattered his white fur. His pointed white tail remained raised. In the sunshine, his brown eyes gleamed, Over the years, Beefy had mastered the art of capturing an adopting family's attention. The next part proved to be tricky.

"Excuse me," hollered the mother to the owner. "We are interested in him."

"This is Beefy. Since he is a beagle, he is quite friendly and active."

"How old is he?" enquired the father.

"He turned three years old."

Their faces fell. Like it had for multiple previous families before.

"We'll need a moment to discuss."

"Yes, of course," responded the owner, proceeding towards the exit gate.

"Three years old," whispered- yelled the father, reiterating each word.

"I do not care about the age. Look at him, he is the most well-behaved dog in this shelter! Plus, is he not adorable?"

She cooed at him. In response, he licked her fingers.

"What about a puppy? They are easier to take care of than a...." he hesitated. "An old, feeble dog."

The mother scoffed. "Carlos, I did not know you are 'one of those people'."

"What do you mean by that?" he retorted

"No one will adopt this cutie because of his age. That is a poor excuse."

Carlos knelt before his son.

"Banter, let's go look at some puppies."

"Bantey like this doggy." he giggled.

"Come on," he ordered.

"No," Banter whined. His round eyes glistened with tears. "Only this one."

Throwing his hands in defeat, Carlos sighed. "Fine, we will take him. "

                                                                        * 

As the cage door flung open, Beefy barked and jumped. The family leashed him. As he took his departure, he barked at each of the dogs in their cages, thanking them for their companionship. He sniffed every nook and cranny for the final time. His tongue hung out, as he grinned.

Carlos fumbled with his wallet.

"Wait, here's for the dog food and bed. Yes, one dog bowl and some toys, please."

Banter ran his fingers through Beefy's velvet soft fur. He tugged the leash, anxious to explore an entirely new world.

"Stop it!" scolded Carlos.

Chia chuckled. "Looks like someone is waiting for a car ride."

Carlos tried to balance the food bags, toys and bed in his arms, as Chia, Banter and Beefy raced off toward the Hyundai. He settled down in the back seat with Banter. When the engine started, he began barking again.

"What now?" sighed Carlos, in indignation.

"Wait, I know."

Chia rolled down the window. Beefy stuck his head out As the car picked up speed, his long tongue and ears flapped in the wind. A fresher smell compared to the stale scent of feces, rotting dog food and iron bars. A fresh start

*

Their Hyundai pulled up in a spacious garage. Beefy's eye widened at the sight. A looming building. As he tried to look for the top of the building, he fell backward, making Banter snort. Glass windows pierced the gray glossy walls. "Phoenix Apartments" was written in golden letters at the top.

Before Chia could unlock the apartment door, Beefy kept scratching it. He dashed inside and lifted his leg. A warm puddle formed on the ground.

"No!" cried Carlos. "Get me the paper towels!"

"Whom are you laughing at?" chided Carlos. He left damp swirls on the floor, as he mopped. Beefy had finished his house tour. A thorough investigation of the two bedrooms, kitchen, three bathrooms, living room, two balconies and living room was completed. His stomach rumbled.

"He is hungry," declared Carlos.

"Hungry?" Chia frowned in confusion. "I thought that they would have fed him in the shelter."

"Just give him something" he ordered.

The thump of his food bowl was sufficient to catch Beefy's attention. He watched and drooled as Chia poured the kibbles along with some chopped vegetables into his dog bowl. He devoured the meal voraciously.

During the night, they locked him inside a room. His whining and whimpering did not allow them to sleep. Banter snuck to the door and unlocked it. He carried Beefy in his arms and placed him on his bed. Beefy laid down on Banter's feet and snored off.

A tickling sensation on his face woke up Banter. Beefy licked, leaving a wad of spit on his face which temporarily blinded him. Extending his arms, he nuzzled and cuddled with him. Out of the blue, Carlos stormed into the room.

"No! No dogs on the bed!" he commanded. "Don't make me repeat myself, Banter!"

With a sharp shove, he pushed Beefy out of the bed. When he tried to leap again, he pushed him down.

"Stay down! Oh man, I am running late for office. Banter, get ready for school!"

The morning became packed with action. The masters of the house rushed from one corner to the other like animated characters. In between, they offered him an unattentive pat on the head. In a blink of an eye, all of them vanished from the house. Unsure of what to do, he grew restless. At the shelter, he used to have a morning walk and play with his fellow strays.

A discomfort spread from his stomach. A warm puddle formed on the floor. The discomfort persisted. Jumping to the sofa, he ripped the cushions and sofa, causing feathers to rain down. Shreds of linen cloth littered the floor. The agony remained in his stomach. His last meal had been last night's dinner.

                                                                       *

His ears stood up, at the sound of jingling keys. Carlos stepped in, extending his arms. "Come here, Beefy" he beamed. His eyebrows creased into a frown upon seeing the mess. The scattered feathers. Polyethylene foam particles danced in the air. As he surveyed the overturned room, a fetid smell hit him. A yellow puddle.

"You idiotic dog," he thundered, grabbing Beefy by his collar. Beefy evaded his glare, by keeping his eyes on the floor.

Dragging by his collar, he flung him into a room and slammed the door shut. Beefy pawed at the door aggressively. After scratching did not work, he lay on the floor, dejected. Pressing his ear against the floor, he sat up at the faintest footstep. His stomach grumbled. Curling up into a ball, he suppressed the pain.

After an eternity, the door creaked open. A petite figure stood at the doorway.

"Come here, Beefy," giggled Banter.

Beefy pounced into his arms, knocking him over in the process. Banter giggled, as Beefy licked his face and neck. In the background, muffled yelling voices could e heard.

"Why did you lock him? How could you?" questioned Chia.

"Look what he has done! The living room is a disaster. He has to be disciplined." retorted Carlos.

"Well, locking him up in a room for six hours is not the solution," she argued. Her stern gaze softened upon seeing Beefy. His tail wagged like a helicopter.

"Come here, my boy. It is dinner time."

Beefy licked Carlos's feet, as an apology. When he looked up, Carlos pushed him aside and ignored him. In dejection, he strolled off to the kitchen.

"Oh man," cursed Chiaa, glancing at her watch. "I am late for a meeting."

She dumped a handful of kibbles into his bowl. She vanished, after placing his bowl on the floor. Munching on the dry kibbles, his empty stomach remained unfulfilled. His mouth grew dry. A bowl of water rested at the edge of the counter. Trying his luck, he jumped onto and supported himself with his two paws. He started lapping the delicious water, but alas!

"Beefy!" threatened Carlos. "Get down now!"

He stole another lick or two before obeying. To soften the punishment, he flashed his puppy eyes. The classic trick in the book failed. He spent the night in the congested cage.

*

After four months, Beefy grew accustomed to his humans' schedules. He loathed morning time the most. During that time, they abandoned him in the ghost-quiet apartment. Every two or three days, he cherished the only outdoor walk he got. During these walks, he pounced and barked at other dogs resulting in punishment. Trapped inside the apartment, he took out his boredom on the furniture. Tinted stains of disinfectant covered the floors. Due to the crimes committed during the day, he spent the nights in the cage. His prison.

He longed for his old home. The kind hands reached out to him.

One day, after dropping off Banter at a sleepover, Carlos returned home. Pouring crisps into a ceramic bowl, he settled down in front of the TV. Despite Beefy's drooling, Carlos ignored him. Beefy pawed Carlos's knee. Suddenly, he awed at the bowl and toppled it over. Crash! The bowl shattered into a million pieces.

Carlos's eyes bulged out and seething with rage, he sucked in his cheeks. He lifted his hand. Beefy braced himself for the sharp slap. The turning of a lock interrupted.

"I am home," declared Chia, in a sing-song voice.

"I can't," huffed Carlos, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Can't what?"

He gesticulated towards Beefy, who had his head down.

"He pees, barks, whines...It's too much to handle!" he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Look what he has done!"

Chia scoffed. "Wow. I did not know that you were like that."

"What is 'that' supposed to mean?"

"A person to give up so easily," she responded, wandering off into the bedroom.

He trailed behind her

"It is either me or the dog."

"What?" she sniggered.

"You heard me. If you choose to keep it, I will leave you."

After twenty-two years of marriage, Chia could determine if Carlos was bluffing. This was not one of those times.

"Don't do this," she pleaded. "You are being ridiculous. I think that you are not in the right state of mind-"

"You know, I am the only one who takes care of him. All the walks, cleaning pee, injections, that was me."

For the first time, Chia burst into hysterical laughter.

"What about the meals? For your information, that is me."

"I could take care of it, without you," he pointed out.

"Oh," she continued, raising her voice by a few notches. "That is what this is. A competition of who is a better dog parent. Well then, you win the goddamn trophy, Carlos."

"Shh!" he shushed. "The neighbors will hear you."

A wry chuckle escaped her throat. "Yes, the fact that I am being noisy is more concerning than giving up our dog, isn't t?"

"In that case," he gulped. 'I am packing."

He opened the cupboard doors and chucked out a suitcase. Crossing her arms, Chia scoffed. "Where are you going?"

"A hotel."

Feeling defeated, Chia gave up on dissuading Carlos.

                                                                         *

Carlos trudged towards the door with his battered, white suitcase. He looked back at Chia cuddling with snoring Beefy on the couch. Drool dripped from the sides of his mouth. Upon seeing Carlos, she feigned nonchalance. The moment he unlocked the door, she dashed toward him. With an iron grip, she refused to let him go.

"Don't do it," she begged. "Why are we even fighting?"

"It's me or the dog."

She stared at Caros's face in disbelief. Seeing her reluctance, he continued on his way.

"Wait," she hollered. "You-" "I mean we can give it up to the shelter."

He turned around.

"Let's go tomorrow morning, before picking up Banter from his friend's house."

"What about Banter?"

"We'll just say that it ran away from home."

She felt knocked out of breath. The words came out uncontrollably.

Carlos returned and unpacked. That night, Chia tossed and turned. Her snoring husband could not hear her muffled cries.

                                                                         *

Beefy panted in anticipation. Carlos had put on his collar and leash after three days. His tail danced around. He could not understand why Chia kept weeping. They put held a lot of intriguing stuff in their hands. Lots of toys, his bed, food bowl.

Chia helped Carlos to load the trunk. Beefy hopped into the backseat, ready for a new adventure. The car ride was silent, except for Beefy's occasional bark at stray dogs or cats. They parked in front of a dingy building.

"I do not want to come inside," sniffled Chia, dabbing her eyes.

"Okay," he nodded.

She squeezed Beefy tight and planted a kiss on his forehead. In between choking sobs, she managed some last words. Somehow, he managed to carry all the luggage along with Beefy's leash in one hand.

Usually, Beefy enjoyed the outdoors. However, this strange building would have to do. A lady with a friendly face arrived. Funny, She smelled familiar. The two conversed, as he absorbed the scents. The stale stench of dog food, feces and rusted iron. All too familiar. Out of the blue, Carlos strolled out. Without turning back. Beefy howled. He felt agony. Not in his stomach, but in his chest. He tugged at the leash, only to discover that the lady was restraining him.

His meals remained untouched. He spent his nights, barking and howling for his beloved master. Whenever a new family arrived, he no longer raised his head. He had become one of the despondent ones.