A Dog Named Sweetie

by Colette
(Yukon, Canada)

On a trip to Fiji some years ago, I encountered a teen-aged Fijian boy in Latoka named Thomas who was gathering info for his school assignment about "Why Tourists Go To Fiji on their Vacation". After answering all of the questions on his questionnaire, I asked him about his life in Fiji. As he was talking, I noticed that the white shirt he was wearing as part of his school uniform was ripped on the sleeve and I asked him about it. He immediately started to cry and told me that his sister beat him up a bit that morning and he was scared because he would get in trouble because of his shirt. Then he said that after he left his house, his dog "Sweetie" came up to him and gave him a bunch of dog kisses and it made him feel better. I thought HE was such a sweetie, and when I noticed him looking at my red watch (a $10 deal that I got in Canada), I told him that he could have it. He seemed very happy and we both went on our merry way. Well about a week later, I was back in Latoka again and as I was wandering down the street, lo and behold there was Thomas walking with a lady who appeared to be his grandmother. He didn't say anything since we were about a half a block apart, but I could tell he recognized me because he was pointing to his watch and smiling at me. Thomas really left me with wonderful memories of my trip to Fiji.