It is amusing, and also amazing, how observant Luci is about everything, especially things her humans are up to.

Over the years she has been unobtrusively keeping an eyes on us while we talk on phone. She has realized that it is followed by someone arriving on a motorbike or van to deliver stuff. Putting two and two together, she has arrived at four. ‘Hello’ followed by all the gibberish humanese means a fellow turns up outside the gate with stuff.

Next she started putting two and three together and arriving at five, or it could be three and three and six. She’s sharp, that one, though she acts like a duffer at other times.

There’s a bank building we frequently refer to as a landmark while guiding people to our place. From X bank building turn to the…. And then we mention the house number. Luci seems to have learnt it all by heart and stored it neatly in her doggy brain. Every time we mention X bank or our address, she barks and runs to either the window or balcony to see who is coming. Woof, she says. I know what THAT means. Someone is going to turn up with a parcel. WOOF WOOF WOOF.

In fact, she is so predictable, I only have to pretend to talk on phone mentioning our address (and sometimes just ‘X bank’!), she is ready with her bark-and-run-to-the-window routine. You bet I have some innocent fun at her expense. What are mothers for, anyway?

Today is Luci’s birthday. She is all of eight. Though she started off much later than me, she has caught up with me so fast that we are now the same age in terms of human years. Imagine that. But to me she is my baby.

© Shail Mohan 2019