They know this better… Quite a few weeks had already passed since the new neighbours moved in. It’s not like it would be a big deal. We don’t keep in touch with any of them anyway and it seems they are trying to do the same. The only thing that caught the people’s attention – and many had noticed this – that the couple’s child is disabled. Sometimes we can see that they take him out on his wheelchair into their car and take him somewhere. The other neighbours don’t care about them because of this. Sometimes I can even see that they try to avoid them. We’re not judgmental people but as I said, we didn’t really have any good neighbourliness with anyone around here… but we’re still trying to be nice with them. The family has a dog. We can always hear its barking. I don’t know what it could be barking at, as no window faces the neighbours’ garden and it’s not that annoying to take a look what it’s all about. Except when the dog starts barking in the middle of the night because that’s unbearable. Two weeks had passed after their moving in. We were already getting used to them. One afternoon, their dog started to bark again. It was really loud, but I didn’t pay attention to it, I was trying to mind my own business. Then the barking changed to whining. Besides the whining came a child’s crying. I knew that the parents weren’t at home at the time, because I had heard their car leave before. I was alone at home, too. I was listening to the sounds for about a half minute then I went to the garden where I could see the neighbours’ lawn. It didn’t take long until I finally saw their dog. It wasn’t very young. It was trying to dig something at the bottom of the fence. I went closer to see what it was. Although I was sure that nobody was in danger, I was still anxious, since the neighbour’s child was still crying. When I got to the fence, I saw something on our side: a well-worn little ball. It was probably what the dog wanted. I picked it up and looked up. That was the moment when I saw the child in the wheelchair, sitting on the terrace. I couldn’t even write down what I saw at that moment, but it was something what would tug at any good-hearted person’s heartstrings. I didn’t even hesitate, I gave the ball to the dog through the fence, and it took it back immediately to his owner with happiness. I don’t know how long I was watching them play. He threw the ball and the dog took it back to him every single time. Dogs are truly loyal animals. Their hearts are made out of gold. In their eyes there are no healthy or handicapped people. They only have their owner, who they give all their love to. In this sense, I wish people were more like dogs. Dogs don’t judge anyone after all.
N.J.