#Monomad Challenge - Special connections

Good evening, #Monomad friends

Here is my entry for the #monomad contest by @brumest and @monochromes.

Few relationships are as strong as that between a man and his dog. Two beings who have nothing in common except their interdependence on each other, but who need each other so much.

Anyone who has ever had a dog knows what I'm talking about. Although the only animal I have ever cared for in my life was not a dog, I know how special that bond and symbiosis is.

I was indirectly responsible for a cat. I was in high school, and although it was an animal that did not have an easy temperament, it was impossible not to become attached to it.

My father, who at the time did not consider himself a cat lover, had a very interesting relationship with him. As you know, cats are more nocturnal. They are much more active at night, spending most of the day resting.

As my father had a job that didn't allow him to be home early, he would arrive when almost all of us were already asleep. But there was one being who loved his company and would curl up at his feet on winter nights and stay close, but at a distance, on summer nights. My father got him used to asking for food when he arrived. It was their ritual... My father would open a bottle of beer, and “Tareco” (that was his name) would enjoy the finest pâté, freshly opened.

Some time ago, I observed an elderly gentleman, with some obvious physical limitations, enjoying the late afternoon sun to warm his bones. His faithful four-legged companion kept him company. The affection the gentleman had for his little dog was evident. I asked if I could take a photo of them, to which he readily agreed. He was proud that his little dog had sparked my curiosity and desire to capture the moment.

It was a late afternoon like any other... A man was resting his legs while warming himself in the timid sun that would soon set... His dog, proud of her owner, was by his side, but without imposing a distance. They were both very friendly. Each in their own way.

A friendship like so many others, but one of the most special. A friendship that needs no words, where only gestures and presence demonstrate its importance.