Eva never thought that a dog would cause such tension in her family. When Tamás and Lajos went to the pet shop, she was absolutely certain that they would come home with a small, cute dog. A poodle, a Yorkshire terrier — something that matched her expectations, something she could proudly walk down the street with.
But when they returned in the evening and Eva saw a trembling, skinny, mongrel dog in the corner, which her son was happily hugging, she immediately sensed that there had been a big misunderstanding.
‘What is this?!’ she cried, dropping her bag. ‘Tamás! I asked for a purebred dog, and you brought one from the shelter… like this…’
The dog curled up fearfully on the floor, as if she knew exactly what was being said about her.
‘Mum, it’s the only one nobody wanted!’ Lajos cried. ‘Everyone walked past… but I couldn’t leave her! She looked at me, and I knew I had to take her home.’
Eva looked at the dog with contempt.
“What am I going to tell my friends when they ask what breed it is? You can’t go out in public with a dog like that!
Tamás sighed deeply, patting his son on the shoulder.
‘Eva, it’s not a fashion accessory. It’s a living creature that we’re giving a chance at a better life.’
But Eva didn’t want to hear it. She seethed with anger all evening. How could this have happened? How could her perfect life now depend on some mongrel dog?
She tossed and turned in bed until a plan began to form in her head.
A quiet plan
When everyone was asleep at night, Eva quietly got up. She looked at the clock: it was half past one in the morning. Tamás was fast asleep next to her, and the silence in the house provided the perfect opportunity to carry out her plan.
She crept carefully into the living room, where the dog was curled up on a blanket, dozing. As soon as she approached, the dog raised its head, hope flashing in its brown eyes. Just one gesture… all she had to do was grab the leash and walk out the door with her. The shelter was only ten minutes away.
But then she heard a quiet, sleepy voice behind her.
‘Mum…?’
Eva froze. Lajos was standing in the hallway in his pyjamas, his eyes still sleepy.
‘What are you doing?’
Eva quickly took her hand off the leash.
‘I was just… just checking to see if she was okay.’
Lajos slowly approached and sat down next to the dog, who immediately snuggled up to him.
‘She chose me, Mum. You know? When we walked into the shelter, all the dogs were barking and jumping… but she just looked at me silently. As if she knew I was her chance.’
Eva felt her throat tighten. She looked at her son, who was gently stroking the dog, and suddenly an idea came to her.
An old memory
She also had a dog when she was a child. A small white mongrel that her grandfather had rescued from the street. At the time, she didn’t understand why this dog was so special, but she remembered the day she lost it. The pain… the emptiness it left behind.
And here was her own son, whose eyes shone with the same love. If she took this dog away from him… how much would he hate her?
At that moment, Lajos spoke quietly.
‘You’re not going to take her away, are you, Mum?’
Eva sighed.
‘If she stays… we need to give her a name.’
The boy’s eyes lit up.
‘How about “Hope”? Because she just got a second chance.’
Eva looked at the dog, who timidly placed her paw on her hand, as if she too sensed the change.
‘Hope… I think that name suits her.’
And at that moment, Eva realised that not only had the dog found a home that night, but she herself had also found a new form of love.
