The dog that talked to me

Coffee steamed in the cup I held in my hands. It was a cold, gray morning, and I felt lonely and bored. I had gone for a walk in the park, looking for some distraction, but found only empty benches and bare trees. I sat on one of them, in front of a small lake where some turtles were poking their heads out.

Suddenly, I felt a slight tug on my trousers. I looked down and found a sad and dirty-looking dog, looking up at me with pleading eyes. He looked like a patchwork of dark colors. His coat was matted with a few fleas and he had a scar on his muzzle.

I asked him what he wanted, and the dog surprised me. He said he wanted coffee.

I was paralyzed, unable to believe my ears. It was impossible for a dog to talk.

The dog kept talking and told me not to be scared, that he knew this was strange, but that he could explain it and to be patient and a little compassionate.

I didn't know what to do, but at the same time, I was curious. I also thought it could be some kind of trap to rob me or some crazy hidden camera program.

But my curiosity got the better of me and I told the dog to explain everything to me while I carefully stroked his head. The dog thanked me and licked my hand.

Still feeling very strange about what was going on, I told him I couldn't give him coffee and asked him why he liked coffee.

The dog sighed and came to my side. He told me it was a long story.

Before he was a normal dog, like any other. He lived with a family that loved and cared for him. He played with the children, slept in a warm bed, and ate delicious food. He was happy.

Until one day he ran away from home because of a female dog he liked very much. He followed her and she took him to a dark and dirty place, where there were other dogs.

There the dog told him that her name was Spaghetti and that she was the leader of a gang of stray dogs. She invited him to join them for a life of adventure and freedom.

The dog continued with his story and said that he had accepted and that it was the worst mistake of his life because Spaghetti cheated on him.

The female dog was not good. He used the dog to steal food, fight other dogs and attack people. She did horrible things to him that the dog didn't want to remember.

Then it occurred to me to ask him how he learned to speak.

The dog answered me that it was thanks to a very strange man. A scientist who lived in an abandoned house near a garbage dump.

The dog along with Spaghetti was looking for something to eat and the scientist offered them food to befriend them with the intention of examining them.

Spaghetti said to accept because it was a good opportunity to get more food.

When the scientist gained the dogs' trust, he began to conduct experiments. He injected them with substances, implanted them with chips, and connected them to machines. He made them suffer a lot. But he also gave them the ability to speak and understand human language.

The scientist told them it was part of a project to create a new breed of intelligent and obedient dogs.

The dog continued his story which captivated me and added that the totally mad scientist wanted to rule the world with an army of dogs to do his bidding. I told him that's what all mad scientists always want.

In the end, the dog together with Spaghetti, could not endure so much suffering and escaped when the scientist was asleep.

But when he was a few blocks away, Spaghetti wanted to bite the scientist for revenge. The dog didn't want to do that and ran away from the site never to hear about it again.

The dog wanted to go home to his family. But he realized it was too late. Everything had changed. He was no longer a normal dog, but a different dog. The good thing about it all was that he talked and loved coffee.

Then I was again curious about why he liked coffee and the dog answered that his owner, every morning, gave him a sip of his coffee before going to work.

I asked him about the owner and he said he didn't know anything about him. He didn't know if I would recognize him as he was now.

That left me pensive, looking at the dog with a mixture of compassion and admiration. It seemed incredible to me that this animal had lived through so much and suffered so much. It was unfair that he had to wander the streets, without a home or a family to love him.

Then, I made a life-changing decision for both of us. I asked him if he would like to come with me and the dog raised his head and looked at me with surprise and hope.

I offered him my house, my food, my love, and a new chance to be happy. The dog couldn't believe his ears, he even told me not to play with his feelings.

I told him that I was serious about my offer, but I also told him that he should not drink coffee, because like chocolate it was bad for all dogs. I could give him any food that would feed him better.

The dog did not hold back the tears. He jumped into my arms and licked me, wagging his tail. I cried and caressed him tenderly.