When I stayed in a different house! – Part 1

Preethi Momma clicked this photo of mine (Oh, she would roam around with the camera on her neck to click my every move, but let's talk about that some other thime!) when I was relaxing in her balcony, taking in the fresh and cool breeze. She thought I was waiting for Sharanya Uncle, my then-foster-daddy and even named this pic that way. Little did she know that this is one my favorites places in her house, and I was just relaxing there. Sharanya Uncle had just left with huge bags after hugging Preethi Momma and telling me a Bye. I was a little miffed that he did not tell me where he was going, and just left leaving Preethi Momma with tears in her eyes. I tried to console her a bit by licking her face, but Preethi Momma being herself did not let me lick and show my love. This also miffed me a bit, but only after staying with her for a while I understood that she has a totally different way to show love towards me, and I adapted to it.

Okay, a little bit about Preethi Momma and why I had to stay with her then, in spite of me having a great set of parents -

When my Momma and Pappa had to get married, they were not sure where to leave me. Yeah, they had me much before they got married(I sometimes laugh and also feel bad that Pappa calls me a bastard, but then, that's true! *knowing smile*) and we were a very happy family - me, Momma and Pappa. Yes, I was growing up, and Momma was taking care of me because I was still a kid and Pappa was teaching me all good habits(No wonder, I am such a good boy now. I know how to behave in every place, and I can take care of myself! *proud look*), but Momma had to leave after a while to her parent's place. She wanted to spend sometime with them before she can come and stay with me and Pappa forever! Pappa handled me all along. He managed to teach me good habits, and take me for my regular walks and still play with me. I did miss Momma but me and Pappa did fine by ourselves.

After some blissful days of guy bonding, Pappa also had to leave to Assam, and he wanted someone nice to take care of me. He could not just leave me with some random person and least of all in a kennel. After all, he loved me. So he spent a great deal of time in figuring out just the right person to take care of me. And all this while, I was unaware of the fact that Pappa also would be leaving me for a while. I was being a kiddo, and I was having all the fun being by myself in the house, with Pappa's friends visiting, and partying with me.

One fine day, Pappa took me for a walk, and got onto the main road. I was clueless as to where we were going, but I was excited because it was an outing. We got into an auto, and I was in a very playful mood. We then entered this very strange place, and I had never been there before. We met a strange lady near a shop, who apparently was waiting for us, and we walked together - me, Pappa and this strange lady with specs. There was a man following us, from a distance on a very big bike. We all went into this strange lady's house. Pappa tied me in the balcony and sat down on the table near by. All of them started talking. I could gather that it was about me staying there, and I began to become restless. After all, I was just a 8 month old baby, and Pappa was already talking about leaving me there. I could not imagine what I would do without Pappa also, with Momma having gone. So I started telling him that I would not stay with the strange lady. Pappa knew what I was saying, but he covered up by telling her that I was probably hungry, and she immediately went and gave me milk. Now, who doesnt want some extra milk. So I had that milk and started telling Pappa that we should better get going. This strange lady looked like she had plans to keep me there, she was being nice to me, doing baby-talk to me and all. And I did not like the strange man in the corner of the room. He kept on looking at me as if I would pounce on him, and the strange lady had to convince him again and again that I am harmless. Hello... How can I harm anyone? Couldn't he see that I was a cute kid who was bothered that his Pappa was leaving him? Okay, he did mention to that strange lady that I was extremely handsome and Pappa gave a proud smile also, but I wasnt calmed down. I did not want Pappa to leave me with her. But he eventually did it. The strange lady diverted me into doing something and Pappa slipped off. I went around the house with her holding my leash sniffing for Pappa, but there was no trace of him.

I then understood that he probably went for a short while, and began to make myself comfortable in her house. After all, they did not leave me with another option, right? All the while, the strange man was in the bedroom.

Now, Pappa and Momma had taught me some really practical habits-

- I was not to enter anyone's bedrooms.

- I was not to pee or poop anywhere inside the house or in the building premises

- I was not to enter anyone's kitchen. If I loved what was being cooked there, I can stay by the door and make a cute puppy face.

Since these have been ingrained in my head, I did not enter the bedroom, but stood by the door and looked at him. He started speaking and told that strange lady that he was very comfortable if I stood by the door and looked at him, and also that he finds me all the more handsome this way. I had mixed emotions at this time. At the back of my head, I was looking for Pappa, I was trying to figure out if I would love this strange lady, and I did not like being called Handsome. I was a kid and kids dont look handsome. They look cute, that's all. Then, the strange lady got onto her knees in front me and started talking to me. She said - Boomerang, I am Preethi. And I am your foster momma! Do you like me?

And she smiled. Now, I might be a bit pissed at Pappa for leaving me there, and a bit defiant to consider any other lady as my Momma, but when I saw her smile, I realized that she really loved me already. I decided to give her a chance, though I knew she would never become my real Momma. After all, she decided to try. I had also resolved that I would give the strange man, some time to get used to me. I would not bother him with my kiddish antics, and I would stick to this lady who insisted on being called Momma. So I resolved to call her Preethi Momma.

She then introduced me to the strange man, and told that he was Sharanya, my foster pappa. Now, this man looked no way like my Pappa. My Pappa was soo friendly with everybody like me, and loved everyone of my species. This man looked so wary of my species and was also talking to me from the other side of the door. So I decided to call him Sharanya Uncle.

After the initial set of introductions, we all got on to the task of knowing each other. Since I had resigned to the fact that if this lady was nice to me, she might be really get to be my foster Momma, I decided to be good to her. Momma also had called and spoken to Preethi Momma and gave her a set of instructions. She and Pappa had apparently liked Preethi Momma and Sharanya Uncle and so decided to keep me with them when they would honeymoon!

Over the next two days, Preethi Momma played with me, took me for walks and attended to my every whim! I got to tear a couple of papers in her house and play with a couple of doormats too.. and I had begun to enjoy it all.

After a couple more days with Pappa where Pappa gave me a thorough bath, and told me repeatedly to behave myself in Preethi Momma's house, I finally came to stay with her, with all my belongings - my tie-leash, my walk-leash, my bowl, my favorite chewies of all flavors and a big bag of Pedigree(I wanted to yell and tell Pappa that I do not like Pedigree, but he wouldn't listen.) He told Preethi Momma about my eating and peeing habits and left after Preethi Momma distracted me again. When I finally realized that he had really gone, and would come back only after another 20 days, I decided to calm down, and enjoy my stay at Preethi Momma's house.

In my next post, I will tell you guys what all I did in Preethi Momma’s house! And how much we both had together! Of course, and how I bonded with Sharanya Uncle eventually, and even thought momentarily that I could call him Sharanya Pappa.