Losing Kyle

Losing Kyle

On his 6th birthday, Izzy’s mum gave him the cutest little puppy. “This is the best birthday present ever! I’m going to call you Kyle,” he said holding his new puppy carefully.

Kyle followed Izzy everywhere he went. He sat under the table when Izzy ate his dinner or completed his homework. He sat with him while Izzy watched TV and even followed him to the bathroom. At night, Kyle slept in a basket at the foot of Izzy’s bed but when Izzy woke up the next morning, Kyle was always snuggled up next to him on his bed.

Kyle would sit near the front door waiting for Izzy to return from school. His tail wagging faster and faster as Izzy approached. As soon as Izzy walked through the front door, Kyle would leap into his arms and lick his face. “Ok, Kyle! Good boy, good boy,” Izzy would laugh. The two had become the best of friends.

At school Miss Emma had asked the class to bring in their favourite toy for show and tell. “I think I should take Kyle,” said Izzy. “He’s my favourite toy.” “Kyle isn’t a toy, Izzy,” mum frowned. “He’s a puppy.” “But mummy, I only play with Kyle! I don’t like to play with my toys.”

“Hmmm,” said mum “How about you take a picture of Kyle to school?” “Or, I could take Kyle to school. Everyone will love him and he can play with us at playtime,” he said enthusiastically. “I’m sorry Izzy, but puppies aren’t allowed in school.” Izzy sighed, “Ok.”

“Kyle is my puppy,” he began telling his classmates. He held up a picture of Kyle and with a proud smile he said, “He is the best puppy in the world and he is super smart. He can even do tricks...” Raya interrupted, “What kind of tricks?” “He can jump really high, higher than my head,” Izzy said proudly.

Izzy continued to talk about Kyle to his classmates who were all so impressed with his amazing puppy. At playtime Faith and Mekhi asked if they could come to see his puppy. “Yeah! Anytime!” Izzy beamed. “Yes! I will ask my mum,” said Mekhi. “Me too,” said Faith.

One day after school, Izzy jumped out of the car and pushed open the front door with a huge smile on his face, he couldn’t wait to see Kyle. But, Kyle wasn’t there to greet him. “Kyle!” he called out, “Here boy.” Kyle didn’t come. Izzy’s dad called to his mum, he was in the kitchen. “Where’s Kyle?” Izzy asked his dad. “Izzy, go put your school things away please, I need to talk to your mum”. Dad had a worried look on his face. “But where’s Kyle?” Izzy asked again. “Izzy, do as your father says, go put your things away and wash up.”

Mum and dad talked in the kitchen with the door closed. “Where was Kyle?” Izzy thought. He searched all the rooms and the back garden, but no Kyle.

“Izzy, come sit down,” Mum called. “Where’s Kyle? I can’t find him anywhere,” Izzy said fearfully.

Mum and Dad both looked worried, Dad paced the room while Mum sat on the sofa holding Izzy’s hand.

“Izzy,” Mum began “Kyle was a very strong and smart puppy but his heart was very sick.” “Is he at the vets?” Izzy asked. “Yes,” said Mum. “Dad took him this morning.” “Dad, let’s go get him?” Izzy said getting up. “No, Izzy please sit down.”

Izzy sat down and looked at his father who rubbed his head. “Son,” his father began. “I took Kyle to the vet this morning because he wasn’t feeling well. But, the vet couldn’t help him.” “We should take him to a new vet!” Izzy said. He was beginning to feel frustrated. “We can’t,” Mum said sadly. “I’m sorry Izzy, Kyle died. His heart was just too sick. The vet couldn’t save him.”

“Why can’t we take him to a new vet?” asked Izzy anxiously. “We can go get him and take him to a new vet. The new vet can help him.”

“Izzy, honey, we can’t,” tears fell from Mums eyes. “Kyle died, he won’t be coming back.” “Why?!” Izzy cried. “I want Kyle!” Mum and Dad hugged Izzy while he cried. “I’m sorry, Son,” Dad said soothingly rubbing his back. Izzy cried himself to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Izzy woke up and looked for Kyle. “Kyle?” he called, but Kyle didn’t come. He walked to Mum and Dad’s room and lightly knocked on the door. Slowly he crept inside. “Izzy, are you ok?” Mum asked turning on the lamp. “I can’t find Kyle, he’s not in his bed,” Izzy said. Mum moved towards the middle of the bed and gestured Izzy to come lie down. Izzy lay next to his mum “But, where is he?” he whispered. “Go to sleep Izzy, we can talk about it in the morning,” Mum said stroking his hair. Izzy murmured “Kyle” and fell asleep.

The next morning Mum called Mrs. Boshoff to explain why Izzy would not be at school. He was just too upset.

Izzy sat at the kitchen table drawing a picture of Kyle. “Mum, where is Kyle?” he asked. “Is he in the ground?” Mum sat next to him, “No, Dad will bring him home after work so we can scatter his ashes under his favourite tree in the garden. That way we can say goodbye to Kyle.”

Izzy drew a tree next to his picture of Kyle. “Will Kyle hear us?” he asked. Mum thought for a moment. “I don’t know Izzy, maybe.” Izzy began to cry, “I miss Kyle.” “Me too,” Mum said holding Izzy tightly.

Later that day Izzy wrote a letter to Kyle. “I want to read this to Kyle when Dad brings him home,” he told Mum giving her the letter to read. “It’s beautiful,” she said with tears in her eyes.

Dad returned home with a small jar in his hand. “Where’s Kyle?” Izzy asked. Dad put the jar on the table and sat down. He called Izzy to sit next to him. “When animals die, sometimes they are placed in a very hot room until their body turns into soft ashes. We can put the ashes under the tree in the garden so whenever you want to think about Kyle you can go to the tree.”

Izzy sat quietly, thinking. “Will I die like Kyle? Will you put my ashes under the tree?” Dad rubbed his head, “Well, eventually all living things die, but most people will live until they are very, very, very old so you don’t need to worry about that right now.”

Izzy collected his letter from the kitchen and stood next to the jar containing Kyle’s ashes. “I wrote you a letter,” he whispered to the jar. Mum wiped the tears from her eyes and Dad put his arm around her. “Let’s go outside and say goodbye to Kyle,” Dad said.

Mum and Izzy stood under the tree as Dad poured the soft ashes beneath it. “Izzy, do you want to read your letter?” Dad asked. Izzy nodded and stepped forward.

“Dear Kyle, you are the best puppy in the world. I love you so much! You are so smart! I wish I could play with you again. I miss you. Mum and Dad miss you too. I love you. From Izzy.”

Izzy and Mum cried while Dad held them in his arms. “Do you feel like having ice cream for dinner?” Dad asked. Izzy nodded and they all walked slowly inside.

Izzy sat at his desk drawing a picture of Kyle. “Hi Izzy, I’m sorry about your puppy. Ms. Emma said your puppy died,” Faith said sadly. “Yeah,” Izzy said. “His heart was sick and the vet couldn’t help him so he died. We put his ashes under the tree in our garden.” “His ashes?” Faith said confused. Izzy explained that the vet put Kyle in a hot room so his body would turn to ashes. “We put his ashes under the tree and I read a goodbye letter to him.” Faith still looked confused but Ms. Emma called the class to attention, “123, eyes on me,” she said. “123, eyes on you,” the class responded.

At playtime, Faith, Mekhi and Izzy sat on the grass playing ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’. “Will you get a new puppy? Mekhi asked. Izzy shrugged “Maybe.” “You can come to my house and play with my cat,” Faith offered. “She’s very friendly.” “Can I come too?” asked Mekhi. “Yeah, you can both come.”

Izzy didn’t want to play with Faith’s cat, he wanted to play with Kyle. He burst into tears and Mekhi went to find a teacher.

A few weeks later Mum took Izzy to a home for dogs and cats. While Mum talked to a lady, Izzy sat watching the cats play. After a while the lady came over to talk to Izzy. “Hi, I’m Ms. Gloria,” she said shaking Izzy’s hand. “What’s your name?” “Izzy.” “Hi Izzy, do want to come help me feed the puppies?” she asked with a smile. Izzy looked at his mum who smiled and nodded. “Ok,” Izzy said shyly.

Ms. Gloria poured some milk into the bowls on the floor and opened the side door. Suddenly a gang of puppies came tumbling in. Izzy laughed at the sight of them. They all ran straight towards the bowls of milk, all except one who ran straight to Izzy. Izzy looked at Ms. Gloria, “He likes you,” she smiled.

Izzy bent down and petted the puppy. “What’s his name?” Izzy asked. “Oh, they don’t have names yet. When they are adopted their new families give them names.” The puppy rolled on to his back and Izzy rubbed his stomach. “Does he have a family?” “Not yet,” said Ms. Gloria.

Izzy picked the puppy up carefully. “Did you check his heart?” He asked. “Some puppies have bad hearts and they die. My puppy had a bad heart and he died.” “Oh, I am so sorry about your puppy. I bet you were very sad.” Izzy nodded. “Don’t worry, all of our puppies have been checked, they are all healthy and strong,” she smiled.

Izzy played with the puppy for a while and then asked his mum if they could take him home. “Are you sure Izzy?” she asked. “Yes, I want to call him Tuck!” “That’s a nice name,” Ms. Gloria smiled. “Because he’s strong like Tuck in PAW Patrol,” Izzy grinned. He lifted Tuck in the air and said “Mighty and small, I will give my all!” Mum laughed, “Where did you get that from?” “It’s from PAW Patrol. It’s a cartoon about puppies who are brave and strong. They rescue people.” “Well, that sounds like the perfect name,” Mum smiled.

Once they were home, Izzy and Tuck sat under the tree in the garden. “Hi Kyle, this is our new friend Tuck. Say hello Tuck.” Tuck licked Izzy’s hand then clambered around the garden.

Tuck followed Izzy everywhere he went. He sat under the table when Izzy ate his dinner or completed his homework. He sat with him while Izzy watched TV and even followed him to the bathroom. At night, Tuck slept in a basket at the foot of Izzy’s bed but when Izzy woke up the next day, Tuck was always snuggled up next to him on his bed.

Tuck would sit near the front door waiting for Izzy to return from school. His tail wagging faster and faster as Izzy approached. As soon as Izzy walked through the front door, Tuck would leap into his arms and lick his face. “Ok, Tuck! Good boy, good boy,” Izzy would laugh. The two had become the best of friends.