JUNO

Juno came to us at a very tender age. He was my birthday present from my father. His innocent eyes, soft coat, floppy ears and the black snuby nose were enough to melt every soul. His little tail used to wag every time he used to greet us or play with us. He had a monkey named Mowgli which used to be his favourite toy. He used to spend hours playing with it and used to sleep with it beside him just like every human infant. He lit our dull house up. Two years passed in bliss and then came the hardest part that all pet owners fear of having to face. Our black day arrived too soon apparently. Juno passed away. His remains were buried under the huge cherry tree in front of our house. I refused to give Mowgli up. It was as though Juno's soul resided in the toy. There was not a single day when we did not miss his presence. Yet I had always had this inexplicable feeling that Juno was still present in the house. I could not explain my parents that feeling since there was nothing paranormal in the house to support the fact.
Every night I used to take Mowgli to sleep with me.That night I forgot to take Mowgli to bed. In the middle of the night, I was awakened by a sharp barking sound. I sat straight upright but did not see anyone. It was pitch dark and my mother was still sleeping beside me soundly. I went back to sleep dismissing the noise as my hallucination. But there it was again. The barking noise. This time the intensity seemed greater. It was as though the sound was coming from right beside me. A chill ran down my spine. There were moments of silence. Then the most shocking incident happened. My side of the bed suddenly got depressed with a creaking sound as if someone got into the bed. I was numb. My hands and feet did not move and I closed my eyes tight shut. After sometime I gathered courage and sat up straight on my bed. The barking noise was there again but this time it came from the kitchen. I followed the noise. It was as though the barking was specific to a spot and trying to point out to something. On switching the lights on I discovered a gas leakage and there was a terrible smell which filled the kitchen. I woke my parents up and the problem was fixed. I was now absolutely sure it was Juno who had saved us from an accident. I went into my room, switched the light on and found Mowgli sitting there staring right at me. Suddenly it fell down from the rack. There was no air or breeze coming in from anywhere. I smiled, switched the lights off and went back to bed. Yes Juno had saved the day and he continued to do so throughout our life.