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Trulalooo. 

Read: The Art Or Racing In The Rain

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I was listening to The Morning Rush one workday morning when I heard one of the DJs, Chico Garcia mention this book and how it brought him to tears the moment he finished the last page. I was then looking for a new book to start on and so I immediately searched a pdf copy in the net and yeheeey on to my new read!

To give you a gist, here's the synopsis from the ever reliable Wikipedia lol:

The novel follows the story of Denny Swift, a race car driver living in Seattle, and his dog Enzo, who believes in the Mongolian legend that a dog who is prepared will be reincarnated in his next life as a human.  Enzo sets out to prepare, with The Seattle Times calling his journey "a struggle to hone his humanness, to make sense of the good, the bad and the unthinkable."

Enzo spends his days watching and learning from television, gleaning what he can about his owner's greatest passion, race car driving — and relating it to life. Enzo eventually plays a key role in Denny's child-custody battle with his in-laws, and distills his observations of the human condition in the mantra "that which you manifest is before you".

This book is inspiring and heart warming. Taking the dog's perspective to narrate a truly wonderful story of a family and a father who stopped at nothing winning the custody of her daughter, this book is a refreshing way of looking into human experience. Enzo, the dog narrating the story of his race car driver master, Denny,  believes he's going to be human in his next life. So he did all his best learning how humans live by watching the television Denny leaves running for him when he gets to work everyday. If only he could talk, he would be the best confidante and friend Denny could ever have. He was, nonetheless. 

Have you ever wondered if our dogs, or should I say our pets, have the ability to talk, what would they tell us? And even if they didn't, have it ever crossed your mind what's running inside their heads? They do have their personalities and preferences. You can't always dictate them what you want them to do. I remember our Skipper, a golden retriever who died 2 years ago, gave us so much amusement by his antics and unique personality. He would be so playful and sweet, always wanting to sit on our laps (not to mention his gigantic size and weight) one time, and be so snob and lazy the next. He's also suplado, he won't respond to strangers calling his name, or even to me when I make lambing later on just because I didn't let him inside the house earlier that day. He would also make dabog when he doesn't get what he wants. He's so hilarious so it's hard to get mad at him even if he always destroy all our slippers at home. 

Let me tell you Skipper's story because Enzo really got me inspired on that book. Skipper has always been a sibling to me. My brother got us Skipper as a gift to my mom when he and our eldest brother started working and is always out of the house. Skipper became our constant companion and a consistent playmate and buddy to me. He is so adorable as a puppy. Playful and friendly. He's sooooo maloko! He has a lot of mischievous acts that's hard to have him punished. Definitely not a guard dog cause he's so senorito. He's a lazybutt and you can't shove him to stand no mater how hard you try. He's been with us for 5 years. He died when I was 4 months pregnant with Amber. He has always been with my mom when all of us are busy with our lives. I remember our last Christmas with him, when he was struggling with an aching leg. He would not move. He would not get up. Partly maybe because he doesn't wanna get pushed outside the house, and partly because he really can't stand in that weight with an aching leg. But when we were all getting ready for our annual Christmas family picture, he stood up and sit beside me, getting ready to be included in the picture as well. We were all laughing crazily because we all thought he couldn't get up. Despite the obvious struggle in walking, he would follow us around the house wherever we take pictures. Skipper really had something humanly in him. Always wanting to be part of the family.

He got better after that Christmas. After all the Vet said there's nothing wrong with him, just a sprain in his ankle. But one morning I got a phone call from my mom sobbing nonstop. I already had an idea but it's something I can't prepare myself to accept instantly. Skipper died that morning when my mom ran out of the house to get to the Vet because she couldn't contact his phone. Skipper couldn't get up anymore. And it's no joke. My mom told me that before she left, she told Skipper to hang on, she'll just call Doc Rafer. Before she got out of the gate, she glanced back at Skipper lying on the floor, staring sadly back at her. That's a memory that brings my mom to tears instantly even now.   When my mom got back with the Vet, he's already gone. Even the Vet couldn't tell what caused. 

I was crying on the phone with my mom when she told me Skip's gone. I was crying like I lost a family member. Like I lost a brother. I couldn't imagine going home, opening the gate without skipper jumping at me. Without Skipper eating my assignments. Without Skipper playfully biting my hands, asking me to play with him. Without Skipper, that simple. After a while, my mom told me to stop crying, it's not good for Amber and me. She told me to not think too much of what happened. When we got the chance to talk about it after some time, she told me maybe it's for the better after all. We're expecting for Amber and after college we'll be staying in Manila. No one's going to look after Skipper and Codie, his son when we move. That's actually what's bothering my mom for the last months before Skipper died. She thought Skipper's passing paved way for Amber's arrival. What happened made everything a lot easier for all of us. We only have Codie to have someone look after him while we're away. Maybe Skipper doesn't wanna cause additional burden, additional worry to over think about. It may sound absurd and nonsensical but that's what I wanted to believe as well.

Enzo fantasized of finding Denny when he becomes a man. He wanted to say hi and wink at Denny, making him wonder if he knew him. That makes me wonder too, what if skip is human now? Don't laugh at me in this absurdity but there are times I would see skipper in Amber. She has these characteristics closely similar of those of Skipper. She's suplada, she's pilya and she's got a unique personality of her own that reminds me of Skip when he's still with us. Maybe it's coincidence. But maybe it's like Enzo on that little boy. Or maybe it's just the book that pinched my heart too much I'm over analyzing. Hahaha. Whatever.

Try the book. It's a nice read. :))

Ciao,
xx Raine

#randomthought1.1

My eyes are tired. And so is my heart.