Fated

It was warm when I woke up. I assume my siblings Inday and Bunso have long been awake because they have been prodding me with their paws to wake up. I had been sleeping on Pangga's backside the whole time and she hardly stirred, although awake.

"I had to call you Batutoy," Pangga told me as I got up,

"..because you are our Big Brother, mother said." she continued as she gazed up my knotted brows

"Alpha Male, the mistress said. Batutoy is our alpha male, whatever that means." Inday gushed.

"What does 'alpha male' mean, mother?" Bunso asked Josephine,

"Alpha male means he is the leader of the pack." Josephine replied as she smacked her lips after drinking water.

"What does that make me?" Bunso asked again, his voice strained.

"That makes you the mistress' favorite." she said, licking his stray fur put in his head.

"Oh, that's good." he sighed happily.

"What about me?"Pangga whined,

"Pangga means beloved...according to my previous master." Josephine assured her, "Therefore, you must be mistress' beloved pet."

"What about me, mother?" Inday asked

"Inday is a common pet name for human girls. Maybe the mistress liked you too much to give you a complicated name." she answered

"Josephine is complicated name." I heard the other dog say. Her voice was dripping with contempt.

"Oh, Mameha is a beautiful Japanese geisha which mistress read. Compared to my French name, that's more complicated - and ironic." was her rebuttal.

Barking ensued. She, the brown dog, was angry, I could tell. Mother was the mistress' favorite.