Maintaining and nurturing love is often seen as an expensive endeavor. Some people’s life experiences might validate this belief. However, today, I want to share a story of love that was “purchased” for just $0.15 and a simple sentence. The ultimate fate of that love remains a mystery. I want to tell you about my friend, Tusu, on this International Dog Day.
Imagine you only have $0.15 left after fulfilling your daily needs—what would you do with it? Would you buy someone a pack of biscuits? Would they be happy to receive it? It’s hard to purchase joy with just $0.15. But let me tell you how I managed to “buy” immense happiness and unexpected love with that small amount.
Due to my job, I visited a particular place almost every morning. I often saw two or three dogs by the roadside, and I’d offer them some food. That’s where I first met Tusu. Clearly, he was hungry and wanted to join the other dogs in eating. He was a white dog with reddish patches on his head and body, quite different in appearance from the others in the area. I gave him some food, but it wasn’t enough to fill his stomach. When I went to feed the others, he became aggressive—not towards me but towards the other dogs.
Confused, I tossed the remaining food towards them to stop the fight. I told the white dog, “If you don’t behave like this, I’ll love you.” Believe it or not, he stopped fighting and looked at me with soft, soulful eyes.
Later, I genuinely tried to give him the affection he seemed to crave. The food I brought home was only sometimes enough for all the dogs, so I started buying biscuits from a shop. Those $0.15 biscuit packs helped me keep my promise of love to Tusu. He, too, kept his end of the bargain. After receiving my affection, he never fought with the other dogs again. He was always so happy to see me! I even gave him a name—Tusu.
I had to pass by that spot to reach my workplace on time. Several dogs from the area would follow me, and Tusu was always among them. Once, he even followed me upstairs to the second floor. Many people fear dogs, even though it’s an unfounded fear. So, I quickly took him back down. But I was astonished when I took the elevator to the eighth floor, thinking I had outsmarted him, only to find that he had climbed the stairs and saw me there!
Let me tell you what happened. I had taken the elevator to my office on the ninth floor, thinking I had left Tusu behind. I entered a room and closed the door because the air conditioner was on. Not even ten minutes had passed when I noticed the door slowly opening—without anyone visible on the other side. Looking closer, I saw Tusu had pushed the door open with his head! Worried that the others in the room might be scared, I quickly took him back down in the elevator. But poor Tusu was panting heavily—I could tell climbing nine flights of stairs had been exhausting for him.
The security guard who usually kept watch at the building’s entrance must have been away because, if he had been there, he would have chased Tusu away. What’s fascinating is that Tusu hadn’t gone to any other floors or entered any other rooms—he had known precisely where to find me. To this day, I don’t know if his sharp canine instincts or the power of love guided him. I also remember once, after work, I had tried to avoid him by sneaking onto a bus. But poor Tusu came to the bus door, sniffing to find me!
Tusu is no longer in my life. I still visit that place occasionally but don’t see him anymore. He might have grown old and couldn’t keep up with the younger dogs in the area. I once heard that he lived nearby but never saw him again. I still remember how gently he would take food from my hand, careful not to hurt me with his teeth. You know what? I’ve given biscuits to many dogs in many places, and they’ve all taken them carefully. But Tusu accepted them with the most love.
