Gin — The Djinn of my Life
On a rainy March morning, I left behind my home of two years and moved to a brand new city. A city that was bustling and unlike what I was used to. My partner had a job that he dove into, almost immediately. I, however, had nowhere to be and went about exploring the city and spending most of my time in the library. One thing that became apparent to us in the first few weeks was that making friends in this place would be a hard ask. Once we settled into a routine, we felt like we were missing something essential. Something that would complete us. Two months later we were on our way to meet our third musketeer. Our Gin.
Gin, he was known as Prince Apollo then, was this tiny warm little pup who could barely keep his eyes open. He fit into the crook of our arms perfectly. He nestled on our chest and went back to sleep. Since it was only a meet and greet we had to leave him with the promise that we would pick him up two weeks later. On the way back, we were discussing what we would call our pup and settled on Gin. The two weeks leading up to the D-day was filled with apprehensions and arguments about whether we were getting into this prematurely. But on May 22nd, 2018, as we brought him home, we knew it was going to be alright. The scrawny pup sleeping in the car was assurance enough that it was the right decision.
Gin’s first morning with us was a reality check for both my partner and me. We were first time pet owners with absolutely no idea what to do. We made a few frantic phone calls to friends who had dogs and got pointers from them. We tried to implement all that we knew but Gin had his own plans. He taught us and trained us to do things as he wished. That beady eyed little pup became the centre of our world. Everyday with him was a new adventure we embarked upon. He kept us on our toes. Taking care of him, training him and hanging out with him kept us occupied and drowned out all the other unwanted chatter that was happening in our life. His antics kept us entertained. The first time he raised his right paw and kept it on our hand when we said “hi” was a personal achievement and we basked in that glory for a really long time. Gin was a smart pup and every time we walked him, people would stop and chat with us. He was our key to human interactions. We’ve received some really good advice from folks who felt kinship as dog owners.
Gin and I spent a lot of time together at home as I had no other place to be. He’s seen me through some really dark times. When he sensed sadness in me, he would quietly position himself by my side letting me pet him. That simple act was therapeutic and eased my mind. There have been times when I have had conversations with Gin about things I have not shared with another human. He listened to me patiently and looked at me like he understood every word that came out of my mouth. He was a vault (ha ha!). I have never had to walk alone after he came into my life. His resilience and goofiness was one for the books.
Gin was never destructive. We could leave him around the house and he never scratched the furniture or destroyed shoes. He was only crazy about tennis balls. He loved them so much that he would swallow it (his way of keeping it close). He loved human beings. He was a dog with a mild temperament. He never snarled baring his teeth at humans or even dogs. He was a healthy little pup who loved the outdoors. He was very independent. The only time he wanted constant attention was when we was sick. He gave us 3 wonderful years. 3 years worth of memories. His antics won him admiration from people who had never met him. The people who were lucky enough to meet him and interact with him, were always left wanting more of him.
On April 16th, 2021 at 8:30PM, he left us to his heavenly abode. Even in his painful last moments he didn’t trouble us. He left us with a Gin shaped hole in our heart. He was an angel who came into our life with a specific purpose. Once his work was done, he saw no reason to stay on. He lived a very short and sweet life. We were left wanting more of him. The void he left in our life and heart can never be filled. He lives on in every heartbeat of ours. Until we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge, we will cherish every moment with our darling Gin. He was the Djinn that saved me from the demons in my mind. I owe him so much and yet he never asked for anything in return. That to me is unconditional love. I miss you my darling wolf and forever will.
