Coco

“No, Coco!” – they shouted at the little dog that crossed the road chasing the slow old man’s bike. I slammed on the brakes, so as not to hurt little Coco who was looking at me with calm eyes. “Kein problem”, I said smiling at the lady, who was now holding Coco by the collar.

Nobody asked Coco if she wanted to get up early to go for a walk in the forest in the first place. Coco was quietly dreaming of that bird that visited her in the mornings when she was with her brothers. This time they were talking in the water as they swam in circles. Coco also had wings and the secrets of her old friend entered between her feathers, and with them, she felt strange new tastes that made her wiser. The bird took different shapes, all familiar to Coco, though she couldn’t remember exactly from where. Green, calypso, brown, red, cat’s eyes, water, feathered or furry tail. It seemed that with every passing second Coco lived a different life with this soul mate. She knew them all and liked to remember them all, like a bolt of lightning piercing her chest with endless memories. Coco continued the flight with her childhood friend, her friend of old age, her friend of life, as they caressed each other’s hearts with feelings experienced a thousand and one times.

The sounds of human footsteps shook the floor. It was impossible not to hear them, even from the magical place of sleep. Somehow these creatures had managed to penetrate even the most intimate places of the other species. “Time to eat” – they shouted to her from the kitchen, which caused her to leave immediately. She was tied to her human in terms of daily needs. She couldn’t even pee without her opening the door. I mean, she could, but she didn’t like the consequences. Besides, her nose was very sensitive, even to her own smells.

And that’s why she knew that her human had not been well for some time now. Not only was she breathing more noisily, but she also smelled different. The smell when she woke up was similar to that of crickets when they were missing a leg, half incomplete mixed with misfortune. She knew that the person her human meets on her daily walks changes her smell when they are together, and she wanted her to notice it too. She had to notice somehow that she needed help, and that this old man could give it to her. “After all” – thought Coco – “I have to start preparing her for when I’m gone. I don’t know if my human is aware of how little I have left”.

Coco’s life is more complicated than we think. She moves at a different pace. She has other urgencies. No wonder she often crosses the road without looking for bicycles.