Yeyo

He transformed our mother. She, who never had or wanted a pet, or any animal in the house, even in the backyard, became his devoted, doting mother.

Through the years, our family gave him sixteen names. He earned a new name pretty much each time he did something we considered special or ‘cute.’ More than forty years later, my sister and I still remember all the names, and recite them in sequence: Hilario Aurelio Poblano Tibio Momi Florón Italio Marmaduke Avión Gacho Campanita Pendiente Volaíto Glotón Dundi Keko.

But he went by Yeyo, the nickname commonly used for his second name. 

Noble Yeyo, Yeyito. A medium-sized mutt. The color of his warm tan coat became known in our family as ‘color propio,’ as in Yeyo saying ‘my own color.’ Gentle shiny brown eyes. Long, expressive ears, asymmetrical during his last few years. 

So many memories... Our father announcing ‘fase dos,’ which is Spanish for ‘phase two,’ proclaimed the end of Yeyo’s bath in our bathtub, and the readiness of the surrounding floor to be mopped. Yeyo got into that same bathtub, on his own, whenever there were thunder or firecracker sounds.

Not one to enjoy swimming, when Yeyo joined us on our boating family outings, he sat royally on an inflatable raft as we pulled it to solid ground. With the same dignified posture, he sat on the front passenger seat of the family car, serving as our father’s copilot, comrade and accomplice.

Yeyo only bit someone once, unexpectedly. He received a single belting by our father, whose disappointed look seemed to hurt Yeyo more than the belt that slapped his shaking flanks.

During Christmas season, Yeyo wore a red ribbon bow around his neck. As a gift, every year we got him a festively wrapped box of his favorite treat, Social Tea cookies. 

One special year, we surprised Yeyo with an arranged marriage to Tina, a young German shepherd who became his loyal canine companion for the rest of his life. And, one very special day, they surprised us with ten precious puppies.

Thank you, Yeyo, for being and bringing to our family some of life’s greatest memories and gifts.