Where Is Lucy?

Bibi and her little sister Tini were fast asleep one chilly December morning. It was winter vacation. There was no rush to catch the school bus, and they could enjoy a few extra hours of sleep.

Suddenly, Bibi woke up to a sound from the next room. At first, she thought that she was dreaming. But – "Woof, woof" – there it was again! Bibi peeped out of her blanket and poked Tini. "Tini, Tini, did you hear something?"   

Tini was only five years old and loved her sleep. "Don't disturb me. Let me sleep," she grumbled and went back to sleep. However, Bibi's curiosity overcame her. She jumped out of the bed and ran to the next room to check out.

"There you are, Bibi! Where is Tini? I have been waiting for you lazybones to wake up."

"Uncle Shiv," Bibi jumped with joy seeing her favourite uncle. Uncle Shiv was a professor in Bhutan. Above all, he was an adventurer who loved forests and animals. Bibi and Tini looked forward to his annual visit for all the thrilling stories that he had to share.

As Bibi gave her uncle the biggest hug, she spotted a white bundle of fur on the sofa next to him. In an instant, the bundle jumped down from the sofa, peeped at her with its small black eyes and barked, "Woof, woof."

Well, it was not just an ordinary bundle – it was a living, barking, white puppy. Bibi was too stunned to speak and looked up to see her parents and uncle smiling indulgently.

By this time, Tini was also awake and came to see what the hullaballoo was all about. "Ma, look a puppy!" she cried and ran towards it.

"How did you like my surprise?" asked Uncle Shiv. "I found her from the farm behind my house. " I immediately thought that she would make a nice gift for my dear nieces.

"We loved the surprise, Uncle!", Bibi and Tini shouted together. They were already cuddling the puppy. The puppy was also enjoying all the attention and licking them clean. "Look at how she is wagging her tail," said their father. "She must be very happy to meet you both."

"Do you want to hear one funny thing about her?" asked Uncle Shiv. "Yes, do tell us," exclaimed the sisters. 

"She was born in a cow barn. So don't be surprised if you sometimes hear her moo," said Uncle Shiv and everyone burst out laughing. 

"What is her breed? Is she a Bhutia?" asked mother. "Quite close. She is also a Himalayan dog, but from Tibet. She is a Lhasa Apso," clarified Uncle Shiv.

"What shall we name her?" asked father. "Let's name her Lucy," Tini proposed, and Bibi immediately agreed. And from that day, Lucy became a very important member of their family.

Lucy was a very friendly and timid dog. She rarely barked - not even at strangers.

She was a good companion for Bibi and Tini. She loved playing with their friends too. Some of the naughtier ones playfully tugged her tail, poked her tummy, and pulled her ears; but Lucy never complained. Looking at her patience, father often said, "It shows that Lucy is from Tibet. She has all the qualities of a monk."

The most exciting time of the day for Lucy was when the children came back from school. She could sense the arrival of their school bus from a mile away and rushed out to meet them. Her tail never stopped wagging.

All was fine until one Sunday morning when Lucy was nowhere to be found.

At first, everyone thought that she must have stepped out to answer nature's call and will be back soon. However, morning turned to noon but there was still no sign of her. The children turned the house upside down looking for her. "Open every cupboard and check. She is so tiny that she can be trapped inside one of them," said Bibi. "I have already checked under the beds and sofas, but she's not there," Tini started crying.

"Why don't we ask the neighbours?" said mother. "We know that Lucy often pays them a friendly visit." "Good idea," said Bibi. They started knocking on every door, asking, "Is Lucy here?" 

Alas! Lucy was nowhere to be found.

"Do you have her photo somewhere? We should print posters and put them all over the neighbourhood. I have seen this in a movie, and it worked," suggested their friend Somu.

The clock kept ticking and two days passed. There was still no sign of Lucy. "We have lost her forever," Bibi and Tini despaired.

The children had already missed school for two days. They did not want to leave the house in case Lucy turned up. On the third day, their father said, "You must move on, girls. You can't miss school and keep waiting here for Lucy. We can only pray for a miracle now."

"Yes," agreed their mother. "Go to school. Your mood will lift up when you meet your friends." Bibi and Tini reluctantly agreed and got ready for school.

The bus stop was buzzing with chatty kids as usual. Bibi and Tini said a quick hello to their friends and stood quietly in a corner. A few minutes later they heard Jyoti yelling, "Bibi, Tini, look."

The sisters looked at Jyoti. They saw that all the other children were staring at the road that led to the big park and excitedly pointing at something. Pushing through the noisy group, they made their way to the front.

And what did they see? A mud splattered white coat of fur rushing towards them.

 "Looks, that's our Lucy!" Arya shouted. This time Bibi and Tini realized what had happened – the miracle that they had been praying for. Lucy was back. They dropped their school bags and rushed towards their dearest friend. Ignoring her muddy coat and paws, they picked her up.  

Lucy was excited too and started licking their faces. "Lucy, you are back! Where have you been?" squealed Bibi. Tini couldn't stop grinning and said, "Oh! This is the happiest day of my life."

No one ever knew how Lucy disappeared. The only clue was a dirty, torn cloth tied around her neck. I had once asked Bibi and Tini. "Well, some mischievous tramp stole her and planned to sell her off. But Lucy escaped. She found her way back home with her strong canine instincts," explained Bibi. "Isn't she a clever dog?" beamed Tini.

What do you think must have happened?