my dear olive

dearest olive.

it has been a month and a day since you crossed the rainbow bridge. little things that remind me of you still hit me hard. i still expect for you to bound up to me or in most cases, sidle up to me and position yourself as my furry footstool. luka looks to feel the same. he still sleeps right at mom’s door, waiting for mom’s aircon to turn on. of late, he would go to your grave seemingly to check up on you.

you were my dream dog. and you were a dream.

while you were naughty as a puppy, you were quick to learn the basic tricks. sit, down, shake hands, high five, bang-bang. you nailed it so quickly. we got stuck at rollover simply because you thought i just wanted to give you your belly rub. you were very quick to get your treat, even if it was iaree who did the trick.

you were very smart. you learned how to blackmail me into giving you treats. our slippers for your
treat. sometimes, our game of fetch would have you not giving up your toy unless i replace it with a
biscuit or two. you ate what i ate. meat, biscuits, chips, veggies, fruits. i would like to think you trusted me too much that you know whatever i gave you will not harm you.

no matter how big you have become, you still saw yourself as a puppy. when i am driving and you are made to sit at the passenger side, you will do everything to cross over and try to sit on my lap. i think your 1st drive with you on my lap was so memorable that you always wanted to relive it.

you were dad’s fave. i remember how you used your puppy eyes and just licked your way through dad’s anger when you played and destroyed his new progressive glasses. how dad would often just cuddle you out of the blue as you sit beside him wherever in our yard.

i think you knew you were everyone’s favorite. luka learned earlv on. when we start having dinner and you don’t approach the dining table, luka will bark at you like crazy and try to drag
you by biting your ears. he knows that with you around, he will have some morsel … after you of
course.

you had welcomed a number of our puppies to our home. i never had to worry about you being
hostile as you are one of the calmest and friendliest dogs i have been with. you tolerated rover’s
antics, iaree’s prima donna feels, niko’s blunders especially when he went blind, tikboy’s incessant
barking, snow and hoppy’s bouncing around. you knew fully well that at the end of the day, you will will always be the 1st dog we look for, the 1st dog who gets a treat, the favorite.

you had your own set of medical challenges. hip dysplasia at 6 months. gallbladder stones (all 14
of them) at 9ish but the more recent ailments were very hard to take. you were at one point
unable to walk on your own but you would drag yourself out of the house so you can pee and
poop outside of the house. your wheelchair remains unopened, having arrived after you have left.

no matter the pain, you seldom would whimper but that last dawn, you made me go down and
sleep with you as i felt your pain. i did say i will be always by your side so you took my word for it
and hollered for me. but i wouldn’t have it any other way.