Meeting Suki

Ever since I returned from the short introductory course, I have not stopped thinking about getting a dog. I attempted to relieve the everyday difficulties of getting around with fantasizing about what would happen when the process of getting a dog moved on to the next stage. When would I receive a phone call? Would they ask me to come and see the dog first? Bring it into my room like they had done with Petel? What would be my dog’s name? What would it look like?

That phone call came as Yael, her friend Danit, Rotem, Carol, and I were driving home from the beach on the afternoon before Yom Kippur began. It was a phone call that I had imagined many times in my mind, but that I had not been expecting to come for several months yet. It was Ami from Beit Oved.

“We have a dog that we think would be a good one for you. Can you come down and walk with her so that we can decide with you if she’s the one?”

My exclamation of surprise immediately brought silence in the car, followed by my question: “Is she one of the dogs that was on our course?” At that everyone in the car immediately erupted into applause and shrieks of excitement. “Savta’s getting a dog!” shrieked Rotem. Attempting to quell the excitement, I asked everyone to stow it for a moment so that I could get the details. The dog was the golden retriever named Suki who had been with Orelia during the short evaluation course. She was, I remembered, lovely – a light buff color, with longer fur and a longer, slimmer build than Petel and the rest of the Labrador retrievers. We arranged that on Tuesday I would come down and giver her a “test run” before we decided, since I had never walked with Suki during the preliminary course. Ami called once more to verify that I would be free during the three weeks when the course would take place, and I said I would make myself free. There was nothing more important to me at the moment than getting a dog.

Tuesday morning I set out for Rehovot. When the train pulled into the station Ami called me.

We’re here at the northern exit to the station – Roi (another guide), Suki, and me. It was all I could do to restrain my excitement as I got off the train and raced as fast as I could through the underground tunnel and up the stairs. If I'd been able I would have taken the entire route at a run. I came through the turnstile and Ami called me over. Courtesy made me remember to greet the two trainers before I stooped down to pet Suki, who was standing quietly beside Ami in her harness. He handed me Suki’s leash and we walked outside to the car.

I asked how Suki, a golden retriever, was different than the mixed Labrador-Golden retrievers. “She’s smarter, more sophisticated. If you get her too used to one route, she’ll remember it and then if you want to change it, she may not go. She’s more delicate, too.” This dog evidently had a good sized hard disk and was eager to learn.

We drove a short distance and got out. Ami clipped an extra leash to Suki’s harness and we began walking. She was a gentle dog, somewhat playful, and I liked walking with her. At one point I felt her veer sharply to the left and Ami called her back with a command “Yashar!” (straight!) Suki had evidently jumped at a leaf blowing in the wind! A bit of discipline would be needed to tame that frivolous spirit when working, but I liked it. I liked this gentle dog with a delicate step. Who wouldn’t? Those floppy ears and that wet black nose are a knockout.
Ami and Roi and I stopped to talk after our walk. I told them I felt comfortable with Suki and told Ami I wanted her. Both felt that Suki and I could work well together.

I felt comfortable with this gentle tug that was guiding, yet not dragging me along the sidewalk. Ami took my hand as if I were holding the harness. and pulled firmly. “This is how Petel pulls.” He pulled hard. This is how Polly pulls.” We both laughed remembering the dog that we laughingly referred to as the “turbo.” “This is Suki.” A gentle tug with the up and down motion of a guide dog trotting that was now becoming increasingly familiar. They said they would like some time to talk without me and make a final decision. We drove back to the train station and they said they would call me later that day to let me know, but they thought that they would have a positive answer.
I bought a sandwich and a bottle of juice and settled down to wait for the train. My phone rang. It was Ami. He said they had talked about it.
“We’ve decided to go for it. You’ll receive a letter inviting you to the course October 18th. I could hardly believe it. This lovely, intelligent, and gentle dog would soon be mine!

Curious, I “googled” Suki’s name. I came up with the following:

Suki (Sanskrit) [from subh to shine] A daughter of the rishi Kasyapa, wife of Garuda, the king of the birds and vehicle of Vishnu; the mythical mother of parrots, owls, and crows (VP 1:21). In some legends, the wife of Kasyapa.
Suki (Japanese) Fondness, liking, or love

How very strange that several months ago I dreamt that I had gotten a white dog whose name I could not remember, but had something to do with shining light. I guess she was destined to be mine.