Through A Stray's Eyes

Prologue

How much can a stray dog do? As it turns out, quite a lot.

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Rusty was a familiar sight at the void deck of the housing block in Singapore’s bustling heartland of Ang Mo Kio. Years of roaming had dulled and matted his once rich, chocolate-coloured double coat. The stray had learned to survive by scouring trash cans and sleeping, unnoticed, under park benches.

His hardships had brought him an unexpected gift - heart-sensing.

Yes, he could read the human heart.

He made his rounds each morning as the sun rose. He would make his way to a little park in the relatively older neighbourhood, a path he had committed to memory, and observe the neighborhood from the excellent vantage point it had given him. His hearing, six times better than a humans, allowed him to listen to conversations. He noticed little things. Little things that were, perhaps, better left unseen.

On a typical Monday morning, he spotted Mrs. Lim Ah Mei, infamous because of her perpetual scowls and edginess. A young boy, his laughter rippling through the air, coursed along the pavement. “Don’t you have ears? The block can hear you.” The boy skidded to a halt, now completely silent. Rusty’s heart sank; he could feel the boy’s awkwardness wash over him like a rogue wave.

As the day wore on, he spotted a group of teenage soccer fanatics playing a game of Futsol (soccer within the confines of a court). Their enjoyment was contagious, drawing in more players. Until one of them, Alex, took a tumble. His ‘friends’ continued laughing, their cheers echoing through the Futsol court. “What a klutz!” one of them jeered, their giggles coursing through the open space. As Alex did his best to laugh along, Rusty felt his humiliation seep into his fur, turning it into a dense coat that burdened his heart.

In the evenings, when families gathered around dinner tables, Rusty found solace in the leftover food people discarded in trash cans. One night, he spotted the Lee family, people famed for their warm-heartedness. That day was a little different - Rusty noticed Mr. Lee arguing with a neighbor over items left in the common corridor. Their voices grew louder, and Rusty felt palpable tension—like a storm brewing where no one could witness it. Coldness replaced the warmth that usually surrounded these amicable neighbors, and Rusty watched as the neighbor walked away, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

As days turned into months, Rusty’s awareness of the pain beneath the surface of everyday life grew. He wondered if a mere dog like himself could become the bearer of kindness. He could help, but there was no way to communicate his thoughts. He was just a stray dog, a mere observer.

He sought refuge under a few dense bushes one afternoon. With the rain pelting the pavement like a morose lullaby, he pinned himself against the wall. Suddenly, he noticed a tiny movement. A little boy, no older than six, stood in the rain, his jacket barely protecting him from the cold. Feeling his loneliness and fear, Rusty’s heart urged him to act.

Rusty’s raw courage nudged him from his hiding place. He approached the boy and nudged him with his nose. Startled, the boy looked down, then smiled through his tears. “Hi there, doggy,” he barely whispered, bending to stroke Rusty’s muddy coat. Rusty realised that all it took to bring someone a little kindness was his presence.

Rusty started to seek out moments where he could offer a little glimmer of kindness. He would follow the boy on the bicycle, nudging him whenever he sensed the little boy’s sadness. He’d lay beside Alex during soccer games, offering silent support when his teammates didn’t. Rusty even lay near Mrs. Lim’s mailbox, hoping his presence would turn her scowl into a smile someday.

As time wore on, the atmosphere in the neighbourhood took a turn. Rusty could hear the laughter of children, arguments deflated to quiet discussions, and Mrs. Lim smiled—she even greeted the bicycle boy with a wave. A little stray dog’s kindness spread like little ripples on a pond.

On a rainy morning, Rusty found himself in front of the Lee’ apartment. To his surprise, he found the family chortling over a funny incident during a family dinner, a sight Rusty had longed to witness. As shared giggles, Mr. Lee looked up and spotted Rusty. He knelt, his eyes offering a warm invitation.

“Come here, boy!” he called. Rusty’s heart raced. Was this a welcome? His confidence grew as he approached; Mr Lee allowed him to sniff his hands. The family embraced him with unbridled peals of laughter.

That fleeting moment taught the little stray the value of a warm heart. A heart that beat in places that desperately needed it. And perhaps, he thought, that was the best reason to have one.