WE HAVE four dogs. The biggest is Buchi. She is a big brave dog. She is the kind of dog that will rush you if you get in the way. When Buchi barks, the three get out of the way. On the other hand, Chewee is the other female dog. And the smallest one of all.
Chewee is not even half the size of Buchi. And Chewee is so scared of Buchi. Those two females cannot get along and they have to be constantly separated. The small dogs stay inside during most of the day while the big dogs are as we call them the upperclassmen have the whole garden.
One day Buchi somehow got in the house and you should have seen Chewee. When she saw Buchi she literally froze. She could not move, she just stood there. Good thing Buchi just stared at her. But poor Chewee, she was so terrified that not a muscle moved. Chewee is so afraid of Buchi. Well at least she was. But something changed. Chewee became a mother.
She gave birth to six pups, two died during birth. Suddenly this brown ball that we cuddle and chase around and who sleeps in our beds becomes a mother and the transformation is so astounding.
When the pups were born Chewee was so busy taking care of them. She gave them her milk, she licked them, she slept with them, she kept her pups warm. She is such a good mom that today a few weeks after, the pups are running about. One time she went into our room. I guess she wanted to rest awhile but when her pups started whimpering, she jumped out of the bed and stood at the door, her signal to let her out. And when the door was opened she rushed out went inside the cage and fed her babies.
But the most amazing thing happened one day when Buchi was in the house. When Buchi sensed the new pups she started barking. It just so happened that Chewee was nursing her pups. And when Chewee heard the barking of Buchi, she stood and started barking AT Buchi. Perhaps Buchi was so surprised that she just left Chewee alone. Chewee literally stood between Buchi and her pups. When we saw that, we were so astonished. The smallest dog standing up against the biggest dog. I have no idea if Chewee was scared, perhaps she was but in spite of her fear she stood up for her children. She put herself in harm's way knowing fully well that Buchi could have charged and attacked her. But she stood her ground. She was ready to protect all her children. That small dog of ours, the smallest of all the dogs was in fact the biggest dog that day. Why? Because she was a mother. She knew by instinct what it meant to be a mother.
Meanwhile Pong the father, who is also a small dog was just looking. He too is scared of Buchi. But to be fair I think Pong would have done something to protect his children too. The problem is Pong is the laziest dog I know. Yup, the laziest dog in the whole world. The cutest too. He holds the distinction of the only dog in the whole wide world who sleeps in my bed. Yup, this lazy dog does. I guess he likes the comforter and the fact the draft of the aircon hits him squarely. But again I digress.
Chewee taught us valuable lessons. No need to share them really. Real mothers, human or not would know. No one teaches you to be a mom. You just know it.
Mabuhay si Chewee. And si Pong.