From Shail’s Diary

13/03/2019

Dear diary,
You are not going to guess what happened today. On second thoughts, may be you could at that, but definitely not what happened when what happened, had happened. You savvy?
The day began like any other this season, hot and humid with not a cloud in sight. Never mind that Google showed rain clouds and predicted ‘scattered’ thunderstorms. They, the clouds, must surely have scattered too far and wide to be of any use to cook up any sort of thunderstorm.
The Dog was stewing in the heat just like the rest of us. Taking pity on her, I decided to give her a nice, cool bath. The word ‘cool’ I use here is a relative term because the taps disgorge water that’s lukewarm at its coolest best.
Not surprisingly, the dog obliged with alacrity when asked to step into the bathroom. Shampooing of fur and washing away of accumulated dirt progressed without a hitch and she was duly toweled dry. By the time I finished, I was panting like a dog myself. You see I am not getting any younger, not that I know of anyone who has got any younger. What a strange turn of phrase. Anyway, it was worth the effort because the end result was a squeaky clean dog with fur as soft as….. well, soft fur, I guess.
So, then I had to have a bath too, to wash away dog shampoo and stray fur that the dog so generously gifted me. Next we had some lunch, watched some television. Soon afterwards I took her out on her customary pee run before the siesta. Our usual route once out through the front door, is to turn left, circle the house and then return via the opposite side.
Just before we round the corner back to the front of the house, there is a shady spot, the shade provided free of cost by the mango trees growing next-door, and in that shade stand a few flowerpots. Almost every single noon just as soon as I reach the shady spot, a Centaur Oakblue flies out of nowhere, flutters around a bit and then disappears into the foliage of the mango tree. Today though, it rested on the leaf of a marigold plant and I, without thought, and enchanted by the fluttering wings, paused to watch, instead of duly herding the Dog right back into the house, out of temptation’s way.
I must have stood there for about two seconds, or perhaps three, but that was all it took for IT to happen. What I saw when I lifted my dreamy gaze off the butterfly, was the Dog about to fling herself on to the dusty – dustiest – corner of the front yard. ‘LU..’ I yelled, too late, and hence finished it with a tame ‘..ci!’. The deed was done. The Dog was merrily rolling on the ground, kicking up dust that rose lazily in a haze.
That is precisely when it came to me with so much clarity, something about doing what you have to do and not caring about the result because apparently we have no control over it. Lord Krishna I believe, was the original champion who swore by the theory, advocating it to Arjuna in the battlefield. So yeah, I had performed my duty (bathed the dog), but I had no say in the fruits of my action (a clean dog). No use getting all worked up seeing the dust-coated dog. I nodded to myself in satisfaction. I was tested and had came out with flying colors, if I say so myself.
Yours in a philosophical mood,
Luci’s mom, Shail.

From Luci’s Diary

13/03/2019

Dear Diary,
Something really funny happened today. Mom turned to gaze at butterfly and lost track of me. I promptly threw myself on that dusty patch in the front yard, and kicked up some dust. That too a mere few hours after my bath! I expected mom to freak out. Surprise, surprise! She didn’t say a word. Whaddya know, mom’s a big girl now, all grown up and all. Haven’t I done a good job with her?
Yours contented at a job well done,
Luci the Dog.

© Shail Mohan 2019