I will hide, you will seek

object narrative: from the perspective of my dog (story 2)

week 1 at home

I can hear her footsteps coming. Is she even going to notice that I am missing? What if she doesn’t? What if she thinks I left and calls the shelter to find another puppy to replace me? Let me stick my white paw out. A little help for her to find me.

“Datu! Where are you?” I heard her sing-song voice calling me with the name she gave me.

They used to call me Greg, you know. The shelter folks think it was cute to name our entire litter after “The Brady Bunch” but Mom was not having any of that. As soon as she picked me up, she had my new name ready. When they asked her what she would call me, she automatically said, “His new name is Datu. He is no longer a shelter puppy. He is now a member of the nobility.” Then she went on to explain that the word is similar to a rajah and it is a title reserved for the nobility in Southern Philippines where she came from.

I love my new name. I love it even more that my mom picked it for me. So, I only answer to that name since day one. As soon as my Mom said my new name, I decided that I am not Greg anymore. My name is Datu. I am a Datu now.

It is quite unique. Everybody remembers my name, especially at the Dog Country Club where I vacation whenever my parents go on vacation. They pronounce it differently from how my Mom says it though, but she says it is okay because it is a foreign word.

“Datu, where are you?” She calls me again. I put my paws out from under the bed just a little bit so she can find me. I do not want her to think I am gone. I am just playing a game and I actually want her to see me.

On some days, I choose to leave my tail out so she does not get tired of looking for me. Although I suspect that she just pretends not to know where I am anyway, I still try to help her out by sticking either my tail, rear paws, or my front paws out.

a few months old and he has tricks

“There you are!” She exclaimed cheerfully then picked me up to tickle my belly like she always does.

Hide and seek is the best game ever! I think I will play this even when I am bigger although let’s hope I would still fit under the chairs and beds when that time comes.

Read part 1 here.

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Datu still plays hide and seek up to this day. He barely fits under the beds and the chairs, but he still tries to help me find him by leaving his paws and his tail out.