|
I can never forget what that dog did for me. It was in the
freezing winter of 1988. I was serving in my National Army
Service that year. I was 18 years old and the duty I
pulled that freezing night was to patrol the border between
Macedonia and Albania. The temperature that night was
-30c. My uniform and freeze proof grease didn't seem to
help any at all. I was freezing and badly equipped for my
duty I had no radio, no map, and not even a light. As I
was walking through the woods I became lost, I had totally
lost my sense of direction. I soon noticed someone or
something was following me. I suddenly stopped walking and
loaded my rifle. I was scared and very cold. I kept
looking in the direction the sound was coming from and
pointed my rifle towards whatever it was. All of a sudden
I noticed it was a dog, my first thought was this is a
wolf. So I remained very still just in case it decided to
attack me that way I could shoot it. The animal stood
still just like me. All I could see was its shadow against
the snow and cold moonlit night. I started to make
friendly sounds toward the animal and said to it come on
doggy, come on. It moved slowly towards me and then there
it was. It was a very large Sarplaninac with a full winter
coat. He was wagging his tail happy to see me. I was very
tired and relieved; all I wanted to do was sleep. I gave
the dog a big hug, and felt his nice warm fur against me.
I knew somehow that I needed to find my army base as
quickly as possible, however I was tired, weak and a very
inexperienced soldier. As I walked the dog followed me it
felt good to have a companion by my side. My fear was much
diminished by his presence. As I walked I came up on a
house that had been abandoned. It was in ruins it did not
have any doors or windows on it. I was so tired that I
decided to go in and sleep there. I just couldn't carry
what little equipment I had anymore. I laid on the frozen
floor, and this big dog just laid down beside me, he curled
up very close and I put myself against him. His winter
coat kept me warm. I could feel his bones through his fur
and I knew he had not eaten in a long time, evidently he
had been abandoned by his owners but oh he kept me warm.
His eyes were sad and he never barked when we were together
alone. Soon I fell asleep beside him I don't know for how
long I was sleeping but it must have been hours. All of a
sudden I heard sounds and shouting. It was my patrol!
However I was so weak I couldn't move. I shouted weakly
and the dog began barking. As my patrol came upon me the
dog started growling to protect me from them. I asked if I
could take the dog with me and the answer was No! I asked
if I could give him food, again the answer was No! It was
to be the last I ever saw of that dog, my lonely hungry
friend. I was in the Yugoslav National Service for another
three weeks. I decided then to desert the military and
went to live in the United Kingdom. That dog saved my
life, and I never had the chance to thank him or hug him.
I didn't even get to give him a bone or take him home and
save him as he had saved me. It was my wish that he would
never be alone.
____________________________________________
|
