Three Lonely Souls Found Each Other
An older but still elegant woman pinned another notice to a lamppost before walking away, her slight hunch just visible against the swirling snowflakes. Her delicate figure had almost vanished into the white blur when a thin, shivering dog of uncertain breed and even more uncertain colour stopped beneath the dim streetlight.
Trembling from the cold and hunger, its eyes watering, the dog struggled onto its hind legs and read the words: “Lonely woman seeks a friend.” *That must be me*, the dog thought. *Im the truest friendloyal and devoted. And I should go where Im needed.*
With the last of its strength, it tore the paper down with its teeth and followed the fading footprints in the snow, tracks only a dog could see.
The bitter winter day darkened into an even colder night. The snow burned its paws, its sparse fur froze and crusted over, and exhaustion weighed heavy, but the dog pressed on, stumbling and rising again, drawn by the call of the lonely woman who longed for a companion.
Then, at last, its legs gave way. The snow, so heavy, so cold
Just a few steps away, beyond a fresh drift, stood a tall iron gate. Behind it, the same lonely, elegant woman, restless with a strange forebodingof joy or sorrowstepped out of her warm house in nothing but a dressing gown and slippers, oblivious to the chill. She waited, breath held, as if sensing something.
Then, beside her, the snow stirred. From beneath the icy blanket emerged a half-frozen creature, a crumpled paper clenched in its jaws, its eyes brimming with devotion. Smudged but legible were the words: *”Lonely woman seeks a friend.”*
Carefully, afraid to hurt it, the woman wrapped the shivering dog in her arms and carried it inside. A quick search brought up an emergency vets number, and with a trembling voice, she called for help.
Miraculously, the dog survived. The kind-hearted vet prescribed medicine and recommended proper food. With no other calls that evening, he stayed for tea and homemade biscuits, and they talked.
Unmarried, he admitted how women never understood why he cared more for animals than clubbing or chasing interns. They didnt see the beauty in mending a broken paw or helping a struggling mother give birth.
The woman listened, a spark lighting in her eyes. “Do you have many patients at the clinic?” she asked.
“Too many,” he sighed. “Festive season means accidents, poisonings, cruelty Ive got rounds in an hourbandages, IVs.”
“May I come? Id like to help. I know how.”
A year later, in a charming little house, a happy family thriveda well-groomed dog, the smell of fresh biscuits always in the air, and two hearts no longer lonely.
Sometimes, the greatest joys come when we least expect themand often, from the most unexpected places.
