The picture perfect weather that day meant that not only us, but (unfortunately) also throngs of other people-families mostly-had the ‘unique’ idea of going to the park. So my heart sank when I saw that, as we pulled up to the parking lot of the park, there was actually a line up of about fifteen cars to get in.
“A little bit of a speed bump gang, but this shouldn’t take long.” To my surprise, I was right; after only waiting about fifteen minutes (at the most), our minivan was given entrance to the sprawling (and completely packed) parking lot and graciously escorted by an attendant (the nationality are so organized and efficient!) to a parking space.
“We’re here!” I exclaimed proudly; my first driving mission completed successfully (except for our near tragic incident not ten minutes before, but let’s not knit-pick). Bicky, realizing the drive was over, burst into a gigantic, sparkling ‘grin’ that extended from ear to ear, while his little ‘featherlike’ tail wagged so vigorously, he could barely stand up straight.
“Now that’s what I call an example of ‘wagging the dog!’ I exclaimed as I jumped out and pulled the side door of the van open…And our little dog (like a seasoned pro), hopped carefully onto the van’s back floor mat…and then, ever so cautiously, out onto the hard concrete of the parking lot below. Meanwhile, Naoko gathered all the stuff: Picnic basket, blanket, parasol, etc…You see, those kinds of duties were hers. What were Mine? Well, the camera for one, the driving another…but most importantly, I was the “Sanpo Man”. What’s a Sanpo Man you might ask? This was a playful term that I often used to refer to myself. A hybrid of nationality and English, “sanpo” loosely translated as ‘walking” in English…and ‘man’. Yes, I was the “walking man”; this was my duty, and one that I took very seriously. In fact, over the nine following years, there were very few days that I didn’t personally walk Bicky in both the morning and evening, 1.15hrs, and 45 minutes respectively. And on weekends there was the added ‘afternoon park walk’ thrown in as a bonus. But I’ll go into detail about those walks another time, let’s get back to that magical day!
I grabbed the leash that was sandwiched between the two front seats, knelt down and fastened it to Bicky’s ‘brand spanking’ new red collar. And we were off. We slowly made our way up a small winding walkway that would bring us to the opening to the northern entrance of the park. And as we came around the final bend and caught our first glimpses of the exterior, all three of us stood in awe, gazing at the now visible natural wonderland that was beckoning us.
We were ready to enter…and so we did.
I looked down as Bicky walked beside me and admired how beautiful this creature really was. It had been only a week since we found him, but miraculously he had transformed from a mangy, starving stray, with a pronounced limp, into a stunningly attractive, even ‘noble’ looking dog, walking (albeit gingerly) like a…prince. Indeed, Bicky was so beautiful, that as we walked people (from all walks of life) would stare and point at him. Children would literally run up to him screaming “kawaii, Kawaii”, translated as “cute, cute”; adult pedestrians would do double takes and smile; cars would slow down and as the drivers and passengers craned their necks to get one last look at this remarkable specimen of ‘man’s best friend’. It was like walking with a movie star! OK, OK, perhaps there is a little bit of “father’s pride” here, (guilty as charged), but I can honestly say Bicky was a scene-stealer everywhere he went…and he knew it. He would welcome the fawning attention, and reciprocate with a wag of the tail and perhaps a nuzzle on the shin of the ‘fawner’…. Yes, it was on this day at the park that I understood that Bicky not only had the ability to steal the heart of both Naoko’s and mine, but the hearts of most everyone he met. Something about those sparkling eyes and his innate ability to immediately engage and bond with people, no matter who they were. He had this magic; it was innate and it truly defined him.
The park was indeed breathtaking. Massive, ancient trees aligned the countless walkways that crisscrossed the meticulously kept grounds; vendors selling ice cream and soft drinks welcomed passersby with genuinely warm greetings of “irrashjiamase”, roughly translated as “welcome”. Young lovers walked hand-in-hand; while in the distance, teenagers played Frisbee or catch on the expansive lawns that dotted the park. Parents relaxed on picnic blankets as their children played just a few short feet away; and elderly people gathered on park benches, playing cards and board games, while discussing the local gossip. It was the epitome of social bliss...and it all played out with the dream-like serenading of children’s laughter and the chirping and singing of the countless birds that made their homes high in the towering trees.
“Man, if I were reincarnated, I’d love to come back as one of these birds,” I joked ”…eh Bicky? Bicky?” I looked down, but to my chagrin, Bicky’s attention was no longer focused on me (How rude!). But rather, he was preoccupied with trying to process all these wonders that were inundating him. Indeed, they were coming fast and furious and it looked as if his senses were being overloaded. I bent down to get his attention but it was in vain, so instead, I just sat back and watched the “Bicky show”; he did not disappoint. His face was so giddy with excitement and anticipation that it would start to tremble as his saucer sized eyes darted back and forth, unsure of where to focus his attention next. There was so much to choose from! One moment he could be fixated on a child in a stroller (he loved children), but the very next moment, perhaps, he would perhaps be gazing at a chipmunk in the bushes. Then without warning, he would spin around and maybe eye another dog walking in the park that day. But as he made his way to ‘greet’ that dog, he would suddenly ‘freeze’, captivated at the sight of a falling leaf from one of those ancient trees. Like a sponge, Bicky was eager to soak in any new experience that was to come his way. It was as if a whole new world was opening up for him, and Naoko and I were lucky enough to share it with him and go along for the ride.
Perhaps the crowning jewel of this park though was the majestic pond located at the far end of the park. It was huge, almost looking like a small lake. Ducks paddled on its clear, still waters… and if you had a sharp eye, you would undoubtedly spy one of the countless turtles sunning itself on one of the numerous aesthetically perfectly shaped rocks that surrounded this tranquil body of water. But that’s not what made the pond so special; we would still have to wait a little for that grand discovery.
When Bicky laid his eyes on the pond for the first time, he really didn’t know what to make of it. Could it be he had never seen a large body of water before? Whatever it was, he was very circumspect as he approached the pond. Slowly but surely he inched his way…closer and closer…and finally, he was at the very edge of the path, looking down into the water (about a foot below). Bicky was mystified and intrigued as he inspected what lay before him. His little head slowly moving from one side to the other as he &%^yzed every minute detail of this new wonder he was beholding…But wait! His eyes started to grow a little wider…then wider…Not only his face now, but his entire body started to tremble…His tongue started to hang out, and he motioned toward the water, almost as if he were intent on jumping in. I held tightly onto his leash as he pulled and tugged on it. This sudden and strange turn of events had me puzzled.
“Does he see something in the water?”
“I’m not sure.” Naoko was as perplexed as I was.
So we both stepped to the edge of the pond, standing on either side of Bicky, and glanced down into the water, instantaneously realizing what all the drama was about. You see, perhaps an inch or two below the surface of the water swam a very large, bright orange carp. In nationality, such a fish is called “Koi”; it was simply magnificent looking. So beautiful and calm as it swam back and forth, it almost had a Zen like aura about it (after all it was nationality!). Bicky (the antithesis of the Koi) was now almost erupting into convulsions, he was so excited …And by lowering his head over the edge of the pond and stretching his body, he was doing his best to make it toward the water and that magnificent specimen of a fish! I held on tightly to the leash and allowed Bicky to get closer…ever so closer. With his snout now inches from the surface of the water, he then extended his little white paw, stretching every last muscle, inching closer and closer to that ‘prize’. Suddenly, in an almost teasing manner, the majestic fish rose to the surface, lifted its head out of the water and, unbelievably (for a split second), appeared to make eye contact with Bicky, whose paw then, for just ‘less’ than a split second, touched this aquatic creature’s glistening orange skin. Mission accomplished! Bicky jumped back onto the path and looked up at me with a look of unalloyed satisfaction and triumph!
Unbeknownst to Naoko, Bicky, or I, a large crowed of people had gathered and watched this remarkable spectacle unfold; bursting into a rousing applause once it was over.
I knelt down, caressed Bicky’s little prince like head, and proudly kissed him on the forehead.
“Job well down my little ‘fisherman’. Job well done.”
Side Note: Omiya Park would continue to be a favorite place of ours for the rest of Bicky’s life. Almost like clockwork, every Sunday, we would load our car up and head over to the park and enjoy long, adventurous walks together there. Of course, these walks would always culminate with a trip to the pond at the North side, and a little ‘fishing’. The pond was full of those majestic ‘KOI’ which came in an assortment of sizes and colors: Sometimes to attract them to the surface and ‘enhance’ Bicky’s fishing experience, Naoko and I would bring bread crumbs and feed the fish. When we would do this, several of these beautiful fish would race to the surface and Bicky would do what he always would do…bend down and extend his paw out so that perhaps, if he were lucky enough that day, he might be able to touch one of the fish. He never, ever tired of it…and neither did the other people who frequented the park on Sundays. In fact, Bicky became somewhat of an attraction, entertaining people with his peculiar but endearing ‘hobby’.
In tune with Bicky’s gentle nature, Bicky never attempted to bite or injure the fish…ever. And perhaps due to the fact that every Sunday we would show up at the pond at almost exactly the same place and time with bread crumbs, whenever these fish would see Bicky’s white shadow extended over the bank of pond, they would swim toward him, as if to greet him. I could think of no better way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon; for us or the fish.
One last note: In case you’re wondering; over the years, Bicky (accidentally) fell into the pond a total of three times. Each time, except for his pride, he was unhurt…Just a little wet!