The most exciting journey

It was my usual respite after a week’s work, a day for my family. We usually go out but there was a downpour, so we stayed put. I didn’t realize I would be experiencing a wonderful feeling.

I was munching on an apple beside my five-year-old granddaughter. Her eyes were fixed on the TV screen. She was again watching that dogs-and-cat movie she had watched perhaps five times or so. I had become familiar with some of the conversations of the characters. But where before I would only take a glance, that day I suddenly became curious. Next thing I knew, I was focused on the film.

Homeward Bound revolves around three characters: Shadow, an old, wise Golden Retriever; Chance, a young and funny American Bulldog; and Sassy, a "socialite" Himalayan cat. Shadow, mature as he is, behaves accordingly, but Chance and Sassy act like, well, dog and cat who often have altercations. The trio’s sojourn begins when their owners leave them to a family friend (after the couple’s garden wedding, they decide to take a vacation with their kids). Shadow belongs to the couple’s eldest boy; Chance belongs to the youngest; and Sassy is the spoiled pet of the only daughter. When the family leaves, the three animals think that something bad has happened to their owners and so they decide to leave and find their way home. But they find themselves in the wild, encountering funny, exciting and touching incidents.

You can’t help but admire the animals’ guts, let alone their efforts to survive in the treacherous wilderness. The cheetah chase scene is fun. Funny phrases emphasize the film’s original humor.

The direction is also superb. I wondered how they made the dogs and cat appear like real actors portraying their roles. And the voices chosen suit their characters. Shadow sounds like a respectable leader, Chance a happy-go-lucky pup, and Sassy, a high-class, educated lady.

Nature’s rendition is enchanting. I can feel the coolness of the air in each scene on the field, by the river and in the wilderness.

You will be touched watching Sassy drown in the stream. More touching is when the two dogs panic while trying to save their friend, staying there until dusk, hoping that Sassy will emerge. But it is futile and they become emotional. At this point, the animals’ bonding, their troubles and their friendship remind me of my own two friends. We’ve also had altercations but at the end of the day, we would give each other high fives and remain loyal. I remember when my friend Garry had shortness of breath, my other friend Jun and I rushed him to the hospital. We stayed there just like Shadow and Chance did until Garry was well. When I was sick and couldn’t walk, my friends were both there. There is love in friendship and that’s what you will feel when true friends are by your side. Things like these are what we should forever treasure. But more importantly, my understanding of what friendship is and how it should be has grown even more. In friendship, you shouldn’t expect anything in return; rather, you should be willing to give whatever you can offer.

The animals’ reunion will move you to tears. Her friends don’t expect to see Sassy again, but fortunately she is revived by an environmentalist who sees her by the riverbank. The trio’s incredible journey back home continues.

From the time the animals are lost, their owners do not stop exhausting all means to find them. And with the aid of the lost-and-found flyers sent through the local police station, the animals are traced; the person who sees them reports them to the authorities. But again the three animals think something bad is in the offing, and that they will be taken to the pound. Excitement escalates as hilarious chasing ensues. And as they free themselves, they sense that home is just a stone’s throw away.

It’s crying time again when the three animals return to the arms of their owners and cannot speak a word from sheer joy. Not seeing each other for a long time and again beholding the sight of one’s loved ones elicit a nearly indescribable feeling. I missed my family, my dear wife, my beautiful kids and granddaughter for two years when I worked abroad. Being reunited with them is a wonderful thing. I journeyed far away which excited me at first, but I realized that the journey back home is the most exciting, heart-warming and enjoyable one of all.