“I JUST ADOPTED AN ABANDONED DOG — BUT I DIDN’T KNOW, ONE DAY, THAT HE WAS GOING TO SAVE MY LIFE.”

My name is Mira, I am fourteen years old, I live in a small house in the town of San Pablo, Laguna.
I grew up alone at home — my mom always worked in Manila as an office cleaner.
I don’t have any siblings, and I have almost no friends either.

The only thing I was with him every day was silence.
Until one day, something changed in my life — a dog that I thought was just a stray dog.

THE DAY EVERYTHING CHANGED

On my way home from school, it was raining heavily.
Under the old jeep parked, I heard a faint cry.
As I approached, I saw a white puppy, wet, shaking, and with a sore foot.

“Oh, you could…”

I knelt down, covered her with an umbrella, and gently picked her up.
I took it home even though my uniform was soaked.
I cleaned the wound, fed him rice, and called him “Lucky.”

The next day, even though it was forbidden to landlady, I still hid it in my room.
When my mother came home, she saw it.

“Mirah, where did you get that? You know it’s forbidden here.”
“Mom, please… He had a wound. We’ll just take care of it, and then I’ll give it to someone else.”

But days passed, weeks passed—
I couldn’t let go of Lucky.
He was the one who ate with me, studied, and slept with me.
He was the first one to wave his tail every time I came home.

THE NIGHT I’LL NEVER FORGET

One night, my mom was late at work, so I was home alone.
As I was studying at the table, I suddenly smelled smoke.
First of all, it is weak. But it was only a matter of seconds — thick smoke was coming out of the kitchen.

I was terrified. I ran over to take a look.
I saw — the curtain over the stove was burning!
I don’t know what to do.
I tried to get some water, but the fire got bigger.

“Help! “Help!” he screamed.

I cried, shaking, as the smoke thickened.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of Lucky’s voice.
Strong. Sequentially.

“Inheritance! Inheritance! Inheritance!”

He ran over to me, bit the hem of my dress, pulled me towards the door.
I didn’t want to leave him, but he kept pulling me –
and before I knew it, I was out of the house.

Within seconds, the gas tank burst.
All of our possessions were lost.

THE COST OF EVERYTHING

When the firefighters arrived, they helped me breathe and approached Lucky.
Her fur was burned in the back, but she was alive.
I walked over, hugged her tightly, crying.

“Lucky… Thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here.”

My mother was terrified to death when she saw the house on fire.
But when he heard the story, he hugged me and Lucky.

“Son… That is what is called true grace.”

THE NEW BEGINNING

A few months later we were able to find a new home.
Lucky, healed, but there was a burn mark on his back—
a sign of his heroism.

We were even featured on a local TV program as
“Mother and Dog Rescued from the Fire.”
Someone helped us out — someone gave us tools, someone gave me a new stove, and someone even gave Lucky some dog food.

Ever since then, I’ve been saying to myself:

“Sometimes, the creatures that are thrown away by others… They are the ones who will save us.”

EPILOGUE

Now, every time it rains, I look at Lucky next to me — old, but still vibrant.
And every time I touch him, I always say:

“You are the reason I live.
But more than that, you have taught me true love.”