An Animal That Makes A Difference to My Life

 Molly became our family member when I was eight. She was just a petite several months old Pomeranian then. We bought her from a nurse that mom
had known for many years. The moment she became part of our family, everybody took font of her. That might be because of her soft fur, which was a combination of brown and white.

Of course, Manis, our poodle, which had been around for about a year, did not like Molly's presence. She felt that there was a new competitor
in getting our attention and cuddling. Whenever both of them were released out from heir cages (they lived in separate cages), they would be growling at each other and if we did not part them, a 'war' would
break out.

I admit that every single one of our family members discriminated against Manis. Even though she had been trained to bark at strangers, our effort went futile. Furthermore, Molly learnt to do the same thing
as Manis in a few weeks' time. Molly also had a tactic to lure our hearts. She would take the opportunity to sit on our lap when we were sitting on the floor. Indeed, we could tell from Manis' behavior that she began to feel inferior.

One night, I wanted to get a drink from the dining room, which was located down stair. Suddenly, I heard a strange sound coming out from our television room. I approached the room, fearing that a big rat
might be loitering in it to damage our things. To my surprise, in the middle of the darkness, I saw a pair of luminous eyes gazing at me. Those eyes belonged to Molly! I was astonished for we always locked the
puppies' cages at night. I went towards her stealthily, hands reaching out to her small body and quickly retrieved her back to her cage. I told my family members about it the next day and nobody believed me because in their knowledge, Molly had not learnt how to climb the stairs. However, they took my words and began tying a knot around the cage door since then.

Three years later, I was sent by my parents to Singapore to further my study. I was miserable because I would not be able to see her again till the following year. I can still remember her gaze when I brought my luggage to the garage, passing by her cage. Her big round eyes looked sad and she did not give me a friendly bark at all. I was certain that if she could talk, she would have said a lot of things to
me.

Nine months later, I received a phone call from my mom. Molly had died in her sleep. She had eaten very little since the day I went away. Idid not weep, but my heart ached. She had made a difference in my life and now she had gone forever. According to my mom, Manis had gone quiet for the rest of the day. She had mourned over her so-called enemy's death.

Molly has gone for more than six years now, but she is still close to my heart. Whenever I see a stranger's Pomeranian passing by, I will caress its fur and involuntarily refer it as Molly, an animal which makes an impact to my life.