A dog's way of expressing gratitude for kindness and compassion.
Gifted with the natural sense that humans do not possess, Jacky, our pet dog knew that the heavily rumbling and grinding bowels of the earth beneath our concrete floor portended a dreadful catastrophe about to happen.
***
The early evening of a day in August 1968 was uneventful to the residents of a cluster of dilapidated low-rent wooden apartments and the shanties in an adjoining slum near a catholic church in the heart of Manila. Members of better-off households gathered around black-and-white TV sets watching their favorite soap show. In the slum area, the women were into their usual evening pastime of singing funny songs and gossiping. Their men gathered in small groups drinking cheap liquor, exchanging tales of woes about finding work or livelihood that would assure their families of three square meals a day.
In our small congested apartment, Jacky was acting in the most unusual way. Usually quite and obedient, he was howling continuously and running back and forth between the apartment door and my parents who were viewing a TV show. He was nagging my Father who just patted his head to calm him down. My Father did not understand that Jacky was trying to warn him of a forthcoming ominous event. .
***
Jacky’s mother was a pregnant stray who found refuge in a hole she dug beneath a small makeshift shack in a slum settlement located under a strong concrete bridge near our place. The shack belonged to my mother’s friends, a homeless unmarried couple with two young children. The couple adopted Jacky’s mother as a kind of guest they sometimes share their food with. When Jacky was born, their children looked after him.
***
For homeless indigent families of Manila in the 1960s, squatting on government lands was a common recourse to avoid land and housing costs that they could not afford to pay. Usually tolerated but often neglected by the Government, the squatted areas eventually turned into slums populated by households dwelling in makeshift shanties with no access to the community water supply and electricity.
An area under a wide concrete bridge over Manila’s main river that winds through the city became a common squatting site for obvious reasons. The bridge shields weak makeshift shanties from rain and from strong typhoons that strike the country several times a year. Besides, the river bank is wide enough to find a cleaner spots for bathing and washing; and secluded nooks were not too far for normal personal necessities.
***
As a puppy, Jacky had shown noticeable traits of loyalty and intelligence that endeared him to the children of the couple who adopted his mother and him. They took care of him and treated him as part of their family.
While the couple and their children loved Jacky, they were worried about their capacity to provide for him in his mature years. The family’s sources of income were mainly garbage picking, metals salvaging from the river, and doing small errands for better-earning households. They were also worried about Jacky’s chance of survival in the slum, dog meat being a delicacy to some of the dwellers. Jacky could end up in someone’s dinner plate.
To get rid of their worries, the couple’s children brought Jacky to my mother and pleaded with her to adopt the puppy. My mother listened and promptly agreed to take in Jacky. Later, my Mother casually told my Father that she had adopted a puppy and left him no room for further discussion. My father, who had never raised a pet before, had no choice. He grudgingly consented with my Mother’s decision.
***
Jacky’s charm, wit and loyalty changed my father’s attitude to animals, particularly strays. He now talked about stray dogs and cats with compassion. He changed his daily routine, waking up early in the morning to walk Jacky around the surrounding open spaces and later bathe him before taking his breakfast and going to his office. He even spoiled the puppy somehow by feeding him ice cream sometimes. And the puppy responded in kind.
Jacky was always the first to greet my father when he comes home from work. He waits at the door, starts wagging his tails when sensing of my fathers approach and gives a distinct welcoming bark to inform mother of father’s coming.
My mother congested our small rented apartment with other paying occupants to reduce the amount for rental that will come from father’s meager pay. At night, Jacky assumed the duty of a sentinel waiting for every occupant at the door. He retires to his sleeping spot beside my parent’s wooden bed only after the last one has arrived. He guarded my parents even in their sleep, chasing away rats that occasionally ventured close to the sleeping couple.
***
The Philippines is part of the so called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known to be one of the most seismically active in East Asia. The country’s earthquake fault zone, traversing the entire span of the Philippine archipelago, has been pinpointed as the origin of several devastating earthquakes in the last century.
***
Jacky kept himself awake on that fateful night of August 2, 1968 lying beside my parent’s bed. He was waiting, keenly observing for the first sign of danger. When the initial tremors came, he jumped into my parents’ bed and barked loudly into their faces awaking them instantly. He bit my mothers skirt and tugged her towards the door.
The subsequent tremors were noticed by my mother who panicked and shouted for everyone to wake up and get out of the apartment. Jacky never let go of my mother’s skirt. My parents and all the apartment occupants rushed towards the door and stayed in an open space in front of the apartment. Jacky was always by my mother’s side continuously barking.
The big one came few minutes later shaking and swaying tall buildings. It lasted about a minute registering of magnitude of 7.3 in the Richter scale and destroying many of the City’s buildings. A 6-storey residential apartment tower collapsed..
When the frequency of the aftershocks subsided the occupants returned to our partly damaged apartment. My father turned on the TV set and found a channel open. A heroic anchorman was exhorting viewers to provide assistance to those trying to find and rescue the trapped residents of the collapsed residential tower. People from all walks of life came to help. The TV screen beamed the soldiers, priests, nuns and simple folks feverishly engaged in the rescue efforts. Facilities and materials requested by rescuers through the anchorman were delivered to the rescue site from known and unknown givers.
When the disaster passed, the official statistics showed over 200 residents confirmed dead, many more injured and scores saved from certain death. The rescuers were recognized and feted by the grateful public and the Government.
***
Like the feats of small and simple human heroes, Jacky’s deeds of protecting his keepers and leading them out of harms way will never be known to many. But the memories of him as a sensitive, loyal and protective sentinel will remain in the hearts and minds of the few who witnessed what he did.
Jacky continued his chosen role as the family's sentinel until he passed on. When he became too ill to eat the meals that my parents offered to him, my father was deeply troubled and pained.
It was the first and only time I saw my father cry.
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Reviewed by T. Schwimmer
1/5/2008
I am so glad I dropped by your page, Regino. This is a profoundly moving story and there couldn't be a more loyal and protective sentinel than Jacky. You have written a beautiful story in a manner that touches the heart.
That is a beautiful story, Regino, both about Jacky and the reactions of the people around him. I also liked the glimpse into how people in the Phillipines were living. Well done...Jerry
A wonderful, heart-touching story, Regino. It is a fine testimonial to the character and personality of animals. Thank you for sharing it. Love and peace,
"Jacky, the Canine Sentinel"
Totally inspirational and very well written piece.
It truly was a miracle to have such a loving and dedicated animal such as Jacky!
I think many animals are sent as little watchers and blessings to us as human beings. If it was in a time such as this Jacky would have gotten recognition for such a heroic act.
Thank you for sharing such a heart rendering story about our canine friends. 3 Cheers to Jacky!
Note: Since my husband's cancer surgery 4/25/05, this book content has been integrated into the public speaking content for audiences interested in a sassy approach to personal and/or community awareness events. Another chapbook on intimate love poet
