The Ultimate Payback

That morning I was bit late. I had to walk alone to school, an hour away from home. My neighbor friends Sangay Choden and Dawa Samdrup had left. Normally, we avoided carrying lunch because we found it uncomfortable to throw rocks and twigs on our way, but there was to be a celebration that day. Our pressure cooker did not function properly and eventually my mother had to cook the dried meat in a regular aluminum pot. Damp firewood only added to the problem. I was little nervous having to bypass that haunted house, alone.

My mother first packed my lunch in a transparent semi-white torey. I wanted something better; so, she transferred it to an old faded bangchu, which was in dire need of mending. I had to like it. Everything was ready. I got to hurry now or I would be late. I did not want to miss that day's special celebration and the morning assembly; especially the chief guest's speech, about the importance tree plantation. A farmer's son needed such knowledge. Cuckoos were singing the tunes of paddy transplantation and my parents were busy.

When I reached that haunted house, the dog was already outside, apparently unchained. The moment it saw me, the dog greeted me with a loud bark, and a series of growling and snarling followed. Although the scene was hardly new to me, I was still trembling. Throwing stones and sticks in its direction only provoked the beast. On other days, my friends and I moved in a large group. That way we had the advantage, but today the advantage was surely on the dog's side. Even animals understand our vulnerability.

It seemed foolish to advance and chase it away. I would be only adding oil to its burning arrogance. There was no owner outside. They could have heard it from inside, all these commotions outside, but they were simply ignoring it. I cursed the owner as if the words were sacred mantras. No single soul came to my rescue. Now the dog was only a few meters away from me, barking fiercely than ever. I waited for it to take its chance. Appeared, it too had its hesitations. I raised my hand and moved forward a few steps:

"Shey get away from me, you animal."

My trick actually worked. The beast climbed up the ladder and continued barking from the verandah. This was my chance. So, I speeded fast through the courtyard past the bamboo grooves. A relieving escape! Suddenly, the dog pursued me from behind at a baby cheetah's speed. In that split second, my feet took me only a few meters

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