Thawta Swe - Golden Dog

Chapter (1)

We call him "Olya".

This name has two meanings in English. One is because his fur is short and yellow, and the other is because he barks, not like other dogs, but like a whining, whining, and barking sound, like someone is beating him.

It was a beautiful spring day when he came to our house by the “Bird Song” stream. That day is still vivid in my mind, just like yesterday. The way he and I met was filled with hatred and anger at first sight.

I was so angry with him that I thought I would kill Dean, but my brother didn't kill me while I was still looking for a weapon.

But when I remembered that if I didn't kill him at some point in the future, I would not be able to do it, and I felt heartbroken, as if I had to judge myself for not doing it like my own blood. Every time I think about it, I feel sad and helpless.

I remember it clearly. It's from around 1860.

At that time, a group of explorers, including my family, moved to a new place called "Salt Lake," a freshwater marshland in the Texas border region of the United States.

Our new location is a region with large grasslands, rivers, streams, and lakes, suitable for raising livestock and growing crops. So when we farmed, we were successful in growing wheat, corn, and other crops.

But at the moment, what we need is a limited amount of money to spend.

When you have to move from one place to another, you lose work hours and incur expenses, right? When you settle down and start farming, every household has almost no money left.

So, when the elders of the camp discussed it together, my father suggested that in order to make some extra money, they should drive some of the unused bulls from the current herd to Abilene, where there was a cattle market, and sell them.

Then, as usual, meetings are held. There are those who agree with me and those who disagree.

Some people objected, wondering if it would be because the men who were heads of households had to drive their own cattle, leaving only the elderly, children, and women in the camp. Some also objected, saying that Abilene was about 600 miles north of Texas, so it would take months to get there.

But in the end, my father...

“We are selling this... if we have money, there is only one way to think about it. What are the other children and wives to worry about? The crops for this year are already enough, and the forest is full of firewood. Since the Civil War ended, the Texas border guards are constantly patrolling and watching for thieves and bad guys. As for the Indians, the Union government has given them separate territories, so they are satisfied. As for food, if we have a gun and a fishing rod, every house will have enough. So if this trip is to be made, the spring weather is the best. We will be ready when the rains come. If we have money, we can also buy some things for our own house and farm.”

When you explain the benefits and reasons, everyone understands and accepts it.

Once they decide to set off on such a journey, the men in the household have to work hard. They have to brand their cattle to be sold so that they don't get lost on the way.

We had to fence off the wheat fields near the harvest to keep out wild animals that would destroy them. We also had to learn how to deal with and protect the Indians who often came to the countryside and beyond, around big fires every night.

There are a lot of bears around the area, so children are warned not to go too deep into the forest.

Finally, after making all the necessary arrangements, my father and his family set off on their journey to Abilene, Texas.

I also remember the day my father set out on his journey. He sat proudly on our beautiful brown horse at the gate, his hand-held rifle slung across his back, and a long bag with bedding and supplies tied to the left side of the saddle, looking like a real warrior.

Sitting on a horse like that, a handsome man like my father, with a handsome face, is a rare breed.

My mother held my little brother, bent down to kiss my father's hand and tried to keep him from crying. My five-year-old brother, "Alice," always followed wherever my father went. Now, when he couldn't get away, he was crying and screaming.

I'm not crying, I'm fourteen years old. I'm about to become a young man.

And... "The eldest son is the father." If there was no father, I would be the head of this family, so why would I cry? My father kissed my mother and my four younger brothers on the forehead and, while touching his horse's iron heel, prepared to leave the yard. He motioned for me to follow him for a moment, and I walked beside the horse.

My father and I walked under the big oak tree in the yard and down to the ravine where the stream flowed. When we were out of sight of the house, my father stopped the horse and put his hand on my shoulder...

“Now... Travis.... While your father is away, you have to take special care of your mother and younger brother... Since you were left in your father's place, you have to act like an adult and take responsibility for your father's routine tasks and try your best. You hear that, you can't wait for your mother to ask you, what's the difference... Can you do it?”

"I can do it, don't worry, Dad."

“The work is a bit more, we have to milk the cows, chop wood and fetch water, we have to brand the newborn piglets ourselves. We have to hunt for food at home... and we especially have to take care that the corn fields are not eaten by wild boars and otters. If we can’t do this, we will have a hard time eating in the winter.”

"Yes, father."

"Well... so Dad's going, tell your mother that you'll be back before the rain falls."

After saying that, my father left for the appointed place to meet the people who would be traveling with him.

I was staring at my father's back, and then suddenly I remembered something, shouting at him and running after him. When my father heard me calling, he stopped and turned around.

"Why are you so young?"

When asked... I said...

"There.. there... Father of the Horse"

My father raised one eyebrow as if he didn't understand what I was saying...

"What the hell is a degree?"

"Ha... I've told my father many times that I want a horse too..."

My father looked at me with a smile,

"I know you want a dog."

"I want a dog too, but I want a horse more, Dad." My father patted my head with his hand,

"Okay, so if you can carry out the responsibilities that have fallen upon you like a good man while your father is away, I'll give you a horse. Why don't you challenge me?"

I held tightly the hand my father offered me,

"I'm looking for a diamond"

As soon as my father disappeared from my sight, I returned home. I thought back on the conversation I had had with my father along the way, and it was true that we needed a dog, just as he had said.

Almost every house in our camp has a dog or two. They're not just beautiful dogs, they're really big, sturdy guard dogs.

They are very reliable dogs for herding cattle, hunting, and for suppressing predators such as wolves, leopards, and Indians that often approach villages.

Sometimes the work of one dog is more than that of three adults. I had one of these big dogs the other day.

His name is “Belle.” He is a large, strong dog with a long mane, black and white markings, and long legs.

Bell is my age and a great playmate. He follows me wherever I go and protects me from snakes, ants, wild boars, and more.

I remember when I was four or five years old and almost drowned while playing in the stream near our house, he even saved me by grabbing my hand.

Once, when the Indians were about to kill our donkey, "Junpa," Bell intervened and rescued him.

However, Bell, who was so intelligent and so clever, one day slipped up, lost his mind, and did something inappropriate.

One day last year, in late winter, while my father and I were mowing the grass in the backyard, a large, glass-like cobra lunged at me. My father, who was more than a snake, cut it down with his sickle, causing the snake's head to fall 3-4 feet away.

The severed head had already been severed from its body, but as snakes usually do, it was still nervous and kept opening and closing its mouth, and when our dying flower, Ko Shwe Bell, bared its teeth, the snake's head hung limply between its lips.

Bell shook it off and it died in an instant. However, the venom had already entered his body, so we, his father and mother, tried everything we could to save him, but it was no use, and Bell died that night.

I cried for a week and couldn't stop. My father offered to buy me a new dog to comfort me, but I bitterly refused because I didn't want any dog ​​to enter Bell's place.

This obsession still exists today. That's why I prefer horses over dogs.

On the way home after saying goodbye to my father, it was summer, so everything was so beautiful. The hibiscus and the jasmine trees were in full bloom.

In these bushes, small birds such as the pheasant, the warbler, and the wagtail are chirping. The surrounding air is also fragrant with the scent of wild flowers and mountain flowers. A small stream flows nearby. The surrounding scenery is also pleasant.

That is why my mother chose this place as the Bird's Nest, the Sanctuary of the Spring. When my father's explorers set their sights on this area and decided to settle there, my father immediately chose this peaceful spring.