Heart-Pounding Moment : Kokot's Safe Return

Time felt very short today. We had a meeting until 4 p.m., and I only got home at 5 p.m. I couldn’t manage any gardening, especially since my arm still felt sore from yesterday. My triceps were strained, probably from repeatedly pulling the grass trimmer’s starter cord. So, I decided to take a break from gardening today.

The bird papayas were already very ripe and ready to harvest. I used a ladder to reach the ripe ones and managed to collect six papayas. These are my favorite papayas because of their unique taste. What’s special about them is the story behind the tree, they were planted by birds, so we call them "bird papayas." They taste different from the other papayas around our home and produce the most fruit.

After picking the papayas, I moved the ladder to the calamansi lime tree. Its fruits are a lots, more than we can eat. This time, I picked the limes to share with my wife’s coworkers. It wasn’t a lot, but I’m not sure if they’ll even like them, whoever wants them can have them for free. Picking the limes was a bit challenging since my triceps hurt, but I pushed through because it wasn’t heavy work.

Meanwhile, Eiona was playing with her pink scooter. While I was picking papayas, she kept calling me, asking for pictures: “Papa, take my picture!” So after picking the limes, I spent some time with her, taking a few photos. It’s so fun being a kid, they can enjoy playing with whatever they like. After riding her scooter, Eiona grabbed some dried grass and tried to tease our cats, hoping they’d chase the grass in her hand. She laughed as she coaxed the cats to play.

This is part of our little garden at home. Everything is organic, no chemical fertilizers. We use compost made from kitchen scraps, chicken droppings, swallow bird droppings, and goat manure. Gardening is a form of therapy for us. Work can be very stressful, and this helps us unwind. We’ve been gardening for quite some time now, but we’re far from experts—there’s still so much to learn. What’s rewarding is that we’ve been enjoying the benefits of organic gardening for a good while now.

Later in the evening, Kokot and Lomu returned. I had to call Kokot loudly for him to come back. He looked skinny, weak, and had a wound on his cheek. I wasn’t sure what to do but thought I might get some medicine for the wound. Usually, their injuries heal on their own within a few days, and I’m always amazed at how quickly dogs recover.

Kokot and Lomu went out again at night. I’ve spent a lot of time fixing holes in the fence where Kokot usually sneaks out, but I still haven’t found their latest escape route. Even though I’ve closed the main and back gates, Kokot still finds a way out. Fixing the fence will be my priority this weekend.

Later that night, while I was taking out the trash, I heard the screeching of car brakes and the painful cry of a dog being hit. My heart sank, and I felt both worried and sad. I immediately thought one of my dogs had been hit. I rushed to the main road, looking for any signs of the accident. Strangely, there was nothing. When I got back home and sat on the porch, Kokot suddenly appeared with Lomu. I don’t know where they had been, but I was so relieved and happy to see them safe.