By Kazi Enayet Ullah, northwest Spain

Spending a traditional Christmas in northwest Spain has now become a normal thing for us. We take just a few days off at the end of the year, but the warmth of family makes them all the more joyful. It is a mountainous region, so the air is pure; you sleep well, and your appetite becomes fierce. It is as if we were people from another planet. Altogether the time is wonderful, and it passes very quickly.

Riman came back from Canada and Raihan from Singapore in good time for the Christmas holiday. The five of us flew from Paris to Madrid, following Covid rules, and then drove 400 km to reach our destination.

As soon as we got out of the car, Roman and Riman cried out: "Abba, here's Tony!" The dog seemed to have been waiting for us, and I enjoyed the moment too. Surprises often do not come alone: I noticed that the cat we saw every year had now also started living in this house full time.

My sons' only maternal uncle has built a small, safe shelter fit for cats to live in. Four cats in all, including his beloved one, have made their home at the house.

On the very first night I noticed that Tony did not leave after dinner, as he had done last time, when he would spend the whole day at his master's home and then go off elsewhere. I do not know what caused this change over these few months. But if his relationship with his sweetheart has ended, perhaps it is out of gratitude for his master's love and care that Tony has returned to his old self.

I also saw that a special comfortable bed had been arranged for Tony, and no fewer than three blankets had been set aside for him. One small incident upset us. At mealtimes Tony enjoys a special privilege: he has a habit of wandering around under the dining table.

Somewhat against the rules, and hidden from the eyes of everyone in the house, we would toss bits of fish, meat and other food to Tony, and he ate them with great satisfaction. But we did not think about how well he could digest them. On waking in the morning we understood: unable to digest the various foods, Tony had vomited all over the house. So there was a strict order that Tony was to be given nothing but the special croquettes bought for him. We did not like it, but there was nothing we could do. Still, I dared to break the rule and tossed a few pieces of meat under the table for Tony. Even if someone had seen me, nobody would dare say much to me. That worked only for me, though; the boys did not dare do it.

As usual, when we went out walking towards the hills after lunch, Tony would act as our guide, sometimes running far ahead and then racing back past us to fall far behind. There seemed no end to his joy.

This four-legged creature's remarkable understanding of us no longer surprises us. The place Tony has made with his strong love among me and my three children is today beyond compare. Tony is now the companion of all our joys and sorrows. I do not know whether he can understand that.

Sorbeda del Sil, northwest Spain.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.