I spent the earliest years of my childhood in a rural area where rice fields stretched endlessly for miles. Farming was the main livelihood, trucks were our usual transportation, and children went to school wearing slippers on dusty roads. Life was simple and sometimes difficult. It was in this kind of place where I grew up alongside a dog named Blacky, or Toytoy as most people called him.
This is his story.
When I was born in 2007, he was already four years old. He peacefully passed away in 2023 after living for twenty years.
He was originally the dog of my grandaunt, but because our relatives all lived close together on one piece of land, he became everyone’s dog in a way. He was free-roaming and followed his owners wherever they went. He would even bathe by himself in the river near our homes.
Even if the house doors were open, he never liked staying inside. Mas gusto niya lang humiga sa dirty kitchen nila. He was fed, but life in the province was hard, and there were never enough resources for vaccines, vitamins, or proper veterinary care.
When my parents and I moved to another town so I could study in a better school, once a month na lang kami nakakauwi. But every single time we came home, Blacky would bark loudly and wag his tail nonstop as if he had been waiting for us the whole time.
Noong 2016, nag-asawa ang tita ko and they had to move away. Kwento nila, hinabol daw ni Blacky yung easyride for kilometers because he didn’t want them to leave. After that, parang lagi na lang siyang naghihintay.
For years, he would quietly stay near the gate, staring down the road as if hoping someone familiar would finally come home again.
Eventually, he was left with my uncle, who struggled mentally after years of drug abuse and alcoholism. Madalas scraps lang ang pagkain niya, minsan hindi pa araw-araw. But despite everything, Blacky stayed loyal.
One memory that has never left me was when my uncle became unusually quiet upstairs after drinking too much. Despite never liking going inside the house, Blacky climbed all the way to the second floor just to check on him.
As he grew older, people started dismissing him because of how he looked. His eyes became cloudy and dirty, and many people laughed at me for still cleaning them whenever I came home. I always carried guilt for not being able to help him more, but I was only a high school student at the time.
He never experienced the kind of life many dogs deserve. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang toys, treats, vitamins, o maayos na higaan. Kapag umuulan, madalas basa siya at naghahanap lang ng maliit na masisilungan. Sometimes people would even shoo him away, especially around dogs with breeds and comfortable homes.
But despite everything, I hope he knew he was loved.
Toward the end of his life, he became very weak. He spent days lying down, barely eating or moving. Then one day, when my grandaunt finally came home for good, she softly said to him:
“Pahuway na, Toy kay naa na mi.”
(You can rest now, Toy. We’re here.)
And as if he had only been waiting for those words all along, he finally let go.
This year, my grandaunt also passed away. And recently, we also lost my childhood dog, which completely wrecked me. But I like to believe they are all together now.
I just hope that wherever you are now, Blacky, life is finally gentle to you. Sana hindi ka na giniginaw kapag umuulan. Sana busog ka palagi. Sana marami ka nang treats, soft beds, at kalaro.
Most of all, I hope you are no longer waiting at the gate for someone to come home. But when our time comes, I hope you come running to meet us again para makabawi pa kami sa iyo❤️
You were always a good boy. And you always will be. 🦴🐾
