SIMBA IS SUCH A CLOWN!

Simba is my baby. He is 22 months old and is such a clown! He is a big golden Labrador who has gorgeous kohl lined eyes and an exceptionally keen eye sight. He has small ears but a sharp sense of hearing and has a long dark snout but is quite useless at sniffing. Now, can you believe that? Labradors are supposed to be sniffers, but no, not our dear junglee Simba!

I was petrified of him when he first came into the family. Pradipta held him in the crook of his arm and brought him in. Diya and Pradipta, being dog lovers were mesmerized by him. Tisham and I were far from it. The same evening the little fellow was unwell and needed to be rushed to the vet. We were told that he had chest congestion and unless well cared for, would not survive. Pradipta and Diya took care of him. That was when Tisham named him Simba, the Lion King.

It was one winter morning that the little fellow crept between Tisham’s feet as he sat at the table, that Tisham gave his heart to him. I took the longest, insisting that I did not want to have anything to do with the tiny pup.

One day Tisham took me to task and told me that little Simba had left his mum and family to be with us, and there I was not taking care of him, not caressing him!! I felt guilty and decided that come what may, I would learn to look after Simba. I started feeding him, and training him to go the toilet just as I had done for Diya and Tisham. The tiny fellow began to learn and would come and tell me when he wanted to pee or potty.

You do understand that all this bonding was strictly out of a feeling of guilt? As he grew, he was up to the most annoying things! My perfect home would be in a clutter when I returned from school. As he was teething, he gnawed a door post and chewed up a considerable bit. Much of the furniture was also chewed up. Once a TV remote was broken in bits and some portions of it showed up in his poop. Not much was spared; from plants to garments, to shoes, to fish food to pigeon droppings and even his own poop!! :) That was our Simba growing up!

While all these catastrophic events were raging in the house, quite unknowingly, I fell in love with this menace!

Today, this huge little fellow hates to see anything out of place at home. It upsets him to see anybody pluck a flower and he growls. He runs around the apartment playing “catching” or ‘fetching the ball” while wriggling and dodging furniture. He does not drop a single object! His entire hide wags when he wags his tail in utmost glee!

Every time that I return home after my chemo therapy, Simba knows that I am unwell. He does not disturb me in the least and does not lick me. He keeps sleeping next to my bed. I marvel at his sensitivity. Who taught him, I wonder.

Simba’s command over the English language extends to 10 words: apart from the usual “stay”, “sit”, “go”, “fetch” and “salute”, he is beside himself with excitement when he hears “doggie”, ”squirrel”, “pigeon”, “plane” and “bye”! He communicates with me in chaste Bengali while I have become quite a master in dog language!

The big brat, Simba Sen is the master of the family. His unconditional love overwhelms us. He makes us laugh. We adore the menace! :)