"Peco-chan"

How many times I visited her I am not quite sure. It was when I was in the third year of kindergarten that I met her for the first time. I visited her till the end of the first semester of elementary school, meaning I was on good terms with her for almost a year. In retrospect, it was not a long term. But I must have called her Peco-chan thousands of times. 

Returning from school, I would always drop in at Ito-san's house on my way home. 
" Obasaaan. Where is Peco-chan ? "

Peco-chan was the name of Ito-san's dachshund. She was very little, very fat and very lovely. 
As her legs were short and she was fat, she was always walking with her belly on the ground. She often abraded her skin of her stomoch and her belly was often bandaged. 

"Obasan, what did Peci-chan eat today?"
"She ate eel today." 
"Wow ! I have not recently eaten eel."
"Ha, ha. Regrettably there was no eel left. She had eaten all. I wish I could give you any. Sorry." 

"Peco-chan eats something better than I do."

"Ito-san is a bit odd."

"I don't think so. She is very kind to me."

"You are right. To be sure, she is kind, however, she is a sad person. I've heard she has no one to rely upon."

After a while, my family had to move to a new town in a month because of my father's business. Before moving to a new town, I went to Ito-san's house in order to tell "them" my new address.

"I won't be able to see you from now on, Akira-kun. I miss you," said Ito-san. 
"I want you to hold Peco-chan if you like." 

On the last day when I met Obasan, I held Peco-chan for the first time. I had wanted to hold her several times, however, I hesitated to do so because I didn't hurt her feelings without knowing the reason why.

"Can I really hold Peco-chan ?"

"Of course you can, Akira-kun. Peco-chan will be glad if you hold her."

Then I held her for the first time. She was by no means big, but I felt that she was heavy as I was an elemetary school pupil. 
All of a sudden, she began licking my face. 

"Wow. I was surprised !!" 
I uttered such words in spite of myself. 

"Ah, I have never seen Peco-chan do such a thing like this. She really loves you, I suppose."

I was embarrassed a bit, and felt sorry for her.

Some months after our family began to live in another place, I received a letter.

As I couldn't read the letter, I had my mother read it. 

"Ito-san hopes that you will not send her a new year's card."

"Why 'not' ?"

"Because Peco-chan died. I think she is a bit crazy. She is a sad person after all."

What made my mother think so, I didn't understand. I think Ito-san is really kind and that she is a good person. 

Peco-chan's death made me sad. I've wanted to see her again some day. But I can't realize the dream, though.

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