The elevator is broken again. Maya, carrying three full bags of groceries, has to walk up 10 flights of stairs after another hard day at work. Being a teacher takes a lot out of you - you pretty much have a headache every day after the grade two class. She is exhausted, and this isn't helping. She is glad she is almost home, although sometimes she wishes she could leave New York and get away from everything. She could travel - maybe to Europe? As Maya opens the door using her full strength or at least whatever she has left, her house feels different. She can't put her finger on it...what happened? The minute she thought that, she has realized Cloe, her dog, isn't at the door. She drops the bags and rushes to the living room - only to find it empty. She checks everywhere - under the table, couch and behind the curtains. "Aren't you too old for games?" she says.Pacing from room to room she realizes how big her apartment actually is for one person. But she has Cloe, maybe this is why she has never thought about a smaller place. She had her since she was a kid so even though she is alone, she was never really lonely. Cloe is her best friend...
Maya is starting to get nervous. Where is the dog? She calls her but there is no answer. "Why am I so scared? I mean, she is okay. She has to be. Yes..she is old, but she has always managed to make it" Maya thinks. And only now has she noticed that she started to cry.
She runs into her room and relief fills her body. Cloe is sleeping on her bed. All that worrying for nothing..She slowly walks towards her dog and takes a seat beside her. "You got me," she says smiling, knowing she would understand. Maya places her hand on Cloe's paw after a few minutes to wake her up, but she doesn't even flinch. The panic takes over..Maya is sure she can hear her dogs breathing but why isn't she moving? Her hands start shaking as she tries to wake Cloe up but she doesn't make any progress. Before even realizing what was happening, Maya was carrying a 180 pound German Shepherd in her arms down the endless stairs.
She was at the veterinarian office in a few minutes, driving blindly through the tears. They took Cloe from her and she was left alone in the hall. And this is the first time Maya felt weak and helpless. She was thinking about her childhood - all the moments with Cloe were the happiest times of her life. She was a smart dog, and she loved Maya - always staying by her side, always waiting at the door when she got home from school. That dog changed her life......And this is when Maya knew what she had to do; she knew she had to hold on for Cloe. Whatever happens - well, she will have to deal with that on her own. Because maybe, this is how it is going to be from now on.
Reflection
Through this piece I wanted to show the difference between outer and inner strength. I would like readers to understand that their physical strength will come from their mind. When Maya was carrying three bags of groceries up the stairs she was exhausted, whereas when Cloe was in her arms, she couldn't even feel how heavy she is. The reason is because at the beginning of the story, she was stress out and tired, relying for strength on something that couldn't give it to her anymore. However, at the end she realized that it was time for her to let go and that Cloe has done her part; now it was her turn to get it together by herself. Whatever was holding her back is now in the past; all she needs is strength to let go...
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