My body quivered as I sat in the stiff seat of my dad’s car with the world flashing by my eyes. The thought of her chocolate brown eyes and her floppy ears made my throat clench as I stared absentmindedly outside. I felt as if I was falling into a deep dark pit of despair. Only one thought kept playing over in my head. She’s gone. My dog. My comfort. My best friend.
~

I ecstatically jumped up and down in my car seat as my mom drove us to her work. She told me that she had a surprise for me and my sister! However, I was the only one listening since my sister was softly snoring in the seat next to me. I laid back in my seat and ran through all the possibilities, in my head. Having the attention span of my six year old self, my mind began to wander, until finally the soothing hum of the car lulled me to sleep.

I woke up to the sound of my mom’s voice. I decided to ignore her and rolled onto my side. I tried to fall asleep again wondering why she was telling me to get up. I then slowly remembered that she was going to show me something. I quickly opened my eyes and started to fumble with my seat belt. My mom laughed at my sudden outburst and shook my sister awake. I swiftly slid out of the car and helped my mom with her bags.

“This better not be some new math workbooks” I said suspiciously. She just laughed again and shook her head. I sighed in relief and started to ponder on what it was. Deep in thought, I walked straight into the door. Rubbing my forehead, I promptly walked around the door and into the building. As soon as I stepped in, I heard a faint bark coming from the back. I instantly dumped all the bags on a table and ran at full speed to the sound. I gasped in disbelief when I saw a beautiful puppy sitting right in front of me. Its wavy golden fur shined in the light, and with its tongue lolling out, it faced me with its chocolate eyes full of promise and excitement.

“We named her Jang. She’s a Golden Retriever,” my mom declared proudly. I turned to
her with a puzzled look.
“Jang?? Why did you name her that?” I inquired.
“It means perfect!” She explained excitedly. I just smiled and turned back to Jang. I couldn't have named her better myself, I thought. My mom led me to the “living room” of my parent’s store and sat me down in a chair. Guess what was on the desk. Yep, you got it. A workbook. I exhaled glumly while I opened the first page.
A year past by like a rocket, and I felt as if my bond with Jang increased. Everyday when I came home, she thought that she was just lightly jumping on my back to greet me. In reality she tackled me to the ground with her huge body, and licked my face wet until I shoved her off. My mom told me she was only a puppy. I thought she was delusional since Jang looked like a 3 feet 200 pound flea bag! I still loved her all the same.
One beautiful sunny day, I came home and Jang had just finished her daily hello routine. My mom helped me out from under Jang and sat me down at the dinner table.
“What’s wrong?” I asked unable to wipe the smile off my face.
“Well, your father and I have decided to give Jang away,” she responds with a hint of sadness in her eyes. I felt my stomach drop and my heart start to beat faster.
“No you can’t!” I scream with tears flowing down my cheeks.
“You don’t understand right now, Naomie. I’ll tell you when you’re older,” she says quietly
“No you won't! You always say that I’m too young to understand, but I can’t lose Jang! Not
now and not ever!” I shriek on the top of my lungs.

“You can’t take care of her because you are too young and your dad and I are busy,” my mom explained soothingly. I didn't want to hear anymore, so I rushed up the stairs and slammed the door. I collapsed on my bed and sobbed. My head was flooded with so much rage, despair, and confusing thoughts. I was crying so hard that I barely heard the faint whimper outside my door. I looked up from my pillow and saw a black nose sniffing in the door crack. I felt my lips form into a small smile and started to move towards my door. When I slowly opened my door, I saw Jang sitting patiently with her tail wagging from side to side and her eyes reflecting my sadness. I let her in and gently closed the door behind her. I laid on my back on my fuzzy blue rug and Jang comfortably curled next to me. l stroked her soft golden fur while I gradually drift off to sleep.

I rolled to my left and then oof! I felt the hard floor connect with my back. I groggily opened my eyes and pushed myself into a sitting position. Rubbing my back, I noticed that Jang was gone, my door was open and I was somehow sleeping on my bed. I decided that she just left to sleep in her more comfortable bed and my dad tucked me in last night. I shrugged and walked over to the bathroom to do morning routine. After I was done, I leisurely strolled to the kitchen and noticed a full breakfast on the table. I stared questionably at my mom who turned to see me.

“I made breakfast. Go wake up your sister,” she explained when she saw my expression. I slightly nodded and trudged back upstairs thinking what the occasion was. When I reached my sister’s room, I found her sleeping in the most oddest position ever. Why is she always sleeping? I curiously pondered. I shrugged and padded to the side of her bed. I furiously shook her awake and told her to come down. After what felt like centuries, my sister came down sluggishly and plopped down in her chair. We all started our breakfast. About halfway through, my mom puts down her fork and pushes her plate forward.

“We’re giving Jang away today.” she declares cautiously. My sister already wore the look of despair while I stared at her in disbelief. I was surprised that my sister took the news so well, but I quickly realized that she had already known. I continued eating even though the food tasted like dry sandpaper. As soon as I was done, I silently went upstairs and got dressed. I then waited with my sister and my mom as my dad drove up with Jang already in a cage in the back of the car. Trying my best not to cry, I sat in one of the seats next to the window and we started to drive to Jang’s new home. I stared outside at the passing houses and trees retreating into my thoughts.

My dad stopped in front of the driveway of a house I didn't recognized. I mechanically got out of the car and nonchalantly watched as my dad put her on a leash. I walked behind my mom trying to hide a smile when I saw that my dad was struggling to keep a hold of Jang. How does Jang always make me smile so much? I thought silently. I shook my head and resumed my stoic expression. The man that lived in the house lead us to his backyard where I saw another dog. This was a huge jet black Labrador and looked especially vicious. I started to worry when my dad let Jang off her leash, but the other dog seemed nicer than it looked. I ignored the conversation my dad was having with the man and memorized Jang’s face for the last time. Before I knew it, my dad told me we had to go. I slowly crouched down next to Jang and caressed her soft fur.

“It’ll be alright. You’ll love it here. Thanks for being there for me,” I murmured gently. She responded with a low whimper. I smiled sadly and quietly mumbled my goodbye to the man. I trudged to the car and as soon as I sat down, I felt as if the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I closed my eyes and felt a single teardrop roll down my face as I replayed all the happy memories I had with Jang. Even though I only knew Jang for about a year and a half, I felt as if she had been my friend forever. I realized then that we as humans easily attached to other beings even if we do not realize it. The ones that we love may be detached from us physically and aren't there for our eyes to see. However, they remain in our hearts and our memories forever. It took me awhile to realize this, but this is where Jang lies for me. Although she isn't here with me anymore, the memory of her will always be in my heart. She will forever be my golden ray of sunshine.