The rain wasn't heavy, but it felt like it wouldn't end even at the end of the world.
It was as if the heavens were infected by the class leader's tears and wanted to mourn for the little black dog.
They say 'it rains during the Qingming Festival'. When a life leaves, it's best to send it off with rain.
I vaguely remember many years ago when my little dog died from illness. The sky was clear and blue to the point of hatred. It wasn't until late at night when I secretly buried it in the garden that the heavens shed a few tears.
After that, my dad and I had a long conversation. He was a man who couldn't escape the whirlpool of emotions, but he had a lot of unique views on life and death. It could be said that he reached the level of a philosopher.
Now, I can say the words my dad used to comfort me to the class leader again.
"It doesn't matter if it's a burial or a cremation." I pointed to my chest after I attracted the class leader's gaze, "Bin Ham Lampman once said: the master's heart is the best place to bury a dog."
Back then, when my dad used these words to comfort me, I deeply agreed with him, and at the same time, I felt enlightened.
Of course, I still haven't found out who Bin Ham Lampman was. Maybe he didn't do anything other than say that line. It's similar to the current Weibo influencers who only get famous by making comments.
The class leader, who was holding the same umbrella as me, raised her eyes to look at me as if she was surprised that I could say something so philosophical.
Since the pet hospital received an emergency case, a German Shepherd's stomach was pierced by a chicken bone and needed immediate surgery. Under my persuasion, the class leader left Xiao Hei's remains for Xiao Ding to take care of. We walked outside with the umbrella I brought from home.
My original intention was to comfort the class leader and then send her home. But the class leader wandered aimlessly and brought me to an unfamiliar path. She clearly didn't want to go home immediately with a heavy heart.
There weren't many pedestrians on the wet street, but the air was relatively fresh. The slippery road reflected the light from the streetlights and made the lonely night even more intense.
The class leader started sobbing again. If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe that the usually strong and mighty class leader would suddenly turn into a crybaby.
The night wind blew the class leader's skirt and I tilted the umbrella a bit towards the class leader to prevent her from getting wet. It's fine on my side since I already got wet when I ran over.
What? Are you saying that I might catch a cold if I don't pay attention to the rain? Stop joking! The Spartan's body wasn't that fragile!
"But …" The class leader spoke for the first time after I consoled her, "Xiao Hei has already passed so many obstacles, but he can't make it this time …"
Sigh, class leader, you've committed the sin of 'stubbornness' in Buddhism. 'As long as you can persevere in breathing, you can live to a hundred years old'. The reason why humans die, just like Xiao Hei, is because they can't persevere anymore.
I recalled the strategy my dad used to persuade me, so I didn't directly answer the class leader's question. Instead, I asked:
"Class Rep, do you believe in the afterlife?"
The class leader shook her head, "My parents are atheists, and so am I."
I nodded. "That's right. If there's no such thing as an afterlife, then the dead Little Black's current state of existence is' nothingness'. This is an extremely wonderful state, even better than the sweetest sleep. If you don't believe me, try to recall what your state was like before you were born. "
The class leader widened her eyes in shock when she heard such an unconventional statement, "You're saying … because everything doesn't exist after death, that's why I'm happier than living people?"
Well, that's pretty much what my dad meant. He even quoted a passage from the Sacred Text of Daoism, "The reason I have a big patient is because I have a body, and if I don't have a body, what worries do I have?"
If I have a body, I will have birth, old age, sickness, and death. If I don't have a body, what worries do I have? "
Of course, I couldn't directly tell the class leader about such a stupid classical text, otherwise, she would think I was pretending.
I continued without waiting for the class leader to raise any more questions:
"On the other hand, if you think there's an afterlife, then no matter what religious point of view you look at, a sick puppy is not guilty. After it dies, it will definitely go to heaven and go to the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Who knows, it might even look down at you from the clouds. If that's the case, why would you let it see you in such a sad state? "
Maybe it was because the last two sentences were a bit emotional, the class leader sniffled and covered her eyes with her hands while accepting my point of view.
"Ye Lin, you … actually thought so much about life and death. I thought you were too simple …"
Actually, I'm not the one who thinks about life and death, it's my dad! I'm only 14 years old, why would I think about the world after I die every day! But it's also great that the class leader misunderstood me as a deep thinker.
The class leader breathed in the cold air after the rain and sighed faintly: "I'm not as open-minded as you. I visit Xiao Hei every week and it's already become a habit. If I suddenly change my habit …"
Isn't it the same for me? I would say that even now, whenever there's a bone left on the dining table, I would always think: Should I bring it home for the puppy to eat? Only later would I realize there's no puppy at home. Then I would have an indescribable feeling stuck in my throat and I would have a bitter smile on my face.
If someone else heard about the class leader's situation, they might suggest she raise a healthy dog to forget her pain, but I don't have the right to make that suggestion.
Even the healthiest dog only has a lifespan of around ten years. In other words, after ten years, the class leader will definitely experience the pain of losing a beloved dog again. Also, the longer they stay together, the greater the pain because it has already become a habit to be together every day.
That's why my suggestion to the class leader was to tell her not to volunteer at the pet hospital anymore. She could find another hobby, or she could just save her time and use it for rest.
The class leader didn't comment and asked me instead: "You like dogs, right?"
"It's alright." I tried to make myself seem casual, "As long as it's not a dog that barks and bites, I'll feed it whenever I have food."
"Then, have you ever raised a dog at home?"
I wanted to avoid answering the class leader's question, but the one I needed to comfort was the class leader. When I persuaded her to leave the pet hospital, I also said I had 'experience in this area'. So I sighed and told the class leader about how I raised a dog at home, but the dog died from an illness.
I rarely mentioned it to anyone, maybe because I thought they wouldn't understand what I was feeling at the time. But it seemed like I finally found someone to confide in the class leader. I told her about my heartfelt sorrow and how I dug a hole in the garden with my bare hands and buried the dog.
I accidentally said too much, so I turned my head away and blushed a little.
"I see …" The class leader nodded, "Then a lot of things can be explained."
The rain wasn't heavy, but the class leader seemed to have moved closer to me. Compared to the physical closeness, I felt like the distance between us was closer because we had similar experiences.
Around 8: 30, after a walk in the rain, I safely brought the class leader home.
When I opened the security door, the class leader's brother, Shu Zhe, was watching TV and eating KFC. He didn't even notice the class leader's sad expression, he only glanced at her and asked:
"Sis, where did you go after school today? You didn't even pick up my phone! I was starving and didn't have anything to eat, so I had to wait until now and order takeout! "
"My sister had some things to do today, so I came home late." The class leader said apologetically to her brother.
Shu Zhe's tone made me angry. I walked through the door and called out to Shu Zhe, startling him. Then I said to him:
"The dog your sister took care of at the pet hospital died and she's grieving right now. You're a living person, so what's wrong with taking care of your own dinner! I can't believe you're complaining to your sister! "
Shu Zhe finally noticed the sadness on his sister's face, but he didn't understand his sister's actions at all since he had no love for animals.
"Bro Ye Lin, and sis, do you guys have to be like this? It's only an animal that died, it's not like I died, so why are you guys so serious! Can't you just buy another animal after it dies! "
I rolled up my sleeves angrily, pointed at Shu Zhe and asked the class leader: "Can I hit him?"
If it wasn't for the fact that the soles of my feet were dirty and I still hadn't changed into slippers, I would have already gone over and hit Shu Zhe a few times.
"Don't, Xiao Zhe didn't do it on purpose." The class leader stopped me, "Everyone has different views, Xiao Zhe just doesn't like animals."
Shu Zhe took advantage of the time I still hadn't changed into slippers and slipped into his bedroom. He didn't forget to bring the unfinished KFC into his room.
He escaped pretty quickly.
I suddenly realized that since the class leader went straight to the pet hospital after school, then she probably hasn't eaten yet.
"Class leader, did you eat? Do you want me to go downstairs and buy something for you? "
"No, it's fine, you've already helped me a lot today. There's still noodles at home, I can cook some myself …"
Although that's what the class leader said, I could still see the sadness in her eyes. Who knows if the class leader would go straight to bed after I leave?
Thus I volunteered: "I can also cook noodles. If you don't mind, let me help you cook some egg noodles — — you're one of the main players in tomorrow's volleyball match, if you don't eat and rest well, you'll lose your chance."
The class leader had already cried for a long time before I arrived at the pet hospital. Crying consumed a lot more energy than I imagined, so the class leader did seem exhausted. Although it was a bit inappropriate, she thought it over and over again, then she accepted my suggestion with gratitude and curiosity.
Ah, I finally realized what I said before, 'I'll cook noodles for you'. But today isn't the right time, so I have to focus on cooking and stop telling dirty jokes.
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