Tuesday, August 21, 2012

14 Injections!

Those were the days when rumors were rampant that if a dog bites, you got to take 14 injections and that too in the stomach.

A bitch had just littered and like all school kids in my building I too was very keen to play with the pups. 

However the bitch was unpredictable and on one occasion, just out of the blue came over real closed and barked in a threatening manner. 

Everyone ran and so did I.

A little later someone saw that my elbow had a little scratch. Since there was no way I could inspect it, I had to rely on the opinion of my companions. And these brats did not stop there... The ran up to my Mum and told her that a dog had bitten me. They also filled her in with details on how rabies was around and I needed to be taken to the doctor.

My chicken hearted Mum rushed me to the Doc who rightly dismissed it as a small scratch and even said to my Mum that it did not look like I was bitten by a dog. However as a precaution advised an anti tetanus shot. I hated injections and like any kid my age protested but soon I had to give in.

Still in pain and even afraid to touch my bum, I got out of the dispensary to go home with my Mum when the Doc said... "Keep an eye on the dog... If it dies in the next 10 days I will have to give you those 14 injections in the tummy."

I think he was joking but this parting shot took my breath away. Just one bloody prick had taken life out of me and now this guy had told me about the 14 injections in the stomach...

From that day I would be extra nice to the bitch. I just wanted her to live forever if it were possible. I was so frighten about the bitch dying in the next ten days that I would fight with people who would throw stones at her. I even saved up stuff from my school tiffin box by not eating anything to feed the bitch.

I was very small and could hardly count so had lost count of days but thanks to the way I was treating the bitch, she had become very friendly with me.

As soon as she would see me she would come running to me expecting me to either give her biscuits or at least show some affection. 

One day when my Mum noticed this she asked me in a very stern tone why I was still playing with the bitch even after the bite. Innocently, I explained that I was only ensuring that the bitch lived so that I don't have to take the 14 injections in the stomach.   

My Mum laughed and told me that it had been more than a month and I was out of danger now...

That day when I went to play in the evening as usual the bitch and her 3 pups who by now seem to have grown up came to me runing the moment they saw me. 

I had revenge on my mind and picked up stones from near by and started throwing at the bitch. Thankfully my aim was bad and and her dodging skills were good. She and her pups escaped unhurt but ran away not understanding what had happened.