A Black prisoner’s final wish was to see his dog again, but all changed when the yellow Labrador Retriever jumped into his arms.
Twelve years. Antoine had been waking up in the freezing cold of cell B-17 for that long every morning. He battled in the early years, sending letters to the courts, filing appeals, and making fervent pleas against the unfairness he had to face. But the emptiness drowned out his words. Nobody paid attention. He gradually gave up on hope. His sole company was the quiet of the walls, and his only assurance was fate.
Sunny was the name of the single spark that never went out inside of him. He had saved a shaky, lonesome yellow Labrador Retriever from an alley on a wet day, but now he was much more than an animal. She was his anchor, his family, and the only person he could rely on. Antoine had no one beyond her.
The staff anticipated something routine when Mr. Morel, the jail director, arrived one morning with the formal letter requesting his final wish: a special meal, a cigarette, perhaps a prayer. However, Antoine’s calm, low voice broke through their preconceptions: “I want to see my dog.” For the final time.
A few guards believed it to be a ruse. Nevertheless, in spite of all, the proposal was approved. His hands were bound, but his eyes were oddly bright, as he was escorted into the courtyard on the designated day, barely hours before his sentence was to be executed.
A guard kept Sunny on a leash as she emerged. There was a grave hush. The dog then abruptly pulled, escaped from the rope, and ran forward upon seeing her master.
Eleven years of separation compressed into a single moment as she jumped into him and knocked him down in a second. As Antoine lay on the ground, he experienced just warmth instead of the cold of the stone or the clinking of chains. The warmth of Sunny.
His face buried in the thick fur he knew by heart, he held her with all his strength. After being suppressed for too long, the tears eventually came out—raw, fierce, and uncontrollable. His chest erupted in a howl of agony, and Sunny, weeping gently, drew closer to him as though she too realized that every moment was being taken from them.
— “My daughter is you. my only loyal friend… Antoine stroked her back ceaselessly while whispering in a tremulous voice. “What are you going to do without me?”
In an attempt to break the embrace, the guard moved forward but hesitated. The severity of the situation made even Director Morel turn away. The entire courtyard appeared to be in a state of suspension, torn between compassion and death.
Sunny then took an unexpected action. She abruptly took a step back, elevated her nose, and stood on her front paws with all of her strength. She then started barking toward the sky, continuously and fiercely, almost like a cry sent to the sky. It was a call rather than just a bark.
Antoine was shocked to see an envelope drop from the dog’s collar amid the chaos. It contained a letter, which the guards hastily picked up and opened. It was signed by an elderly volunteer attorney who had vowed to never give up on Antoine’s case years prior. Discovered from dusty archives, the letter included vital evidence—a lost statement that would establish the inmate’s innocence.
Again, there was silence. Pale-faced, Director Morel gazed at Antoine. He was unable to speak. Then he said in a choked voice: “Cease the process. Right away.
Antoine stayed motionless, his shaking hands still gripping Sunny. He felt as though his heart may burst from the intense beating. He was only able to repeatedly whisper the name of his dog.
A dog’s devotion resulted in the rebirth of a condemned man in that gloomy courtyard, under the shadow of the gallows. Still in shock, Antoine held Sunny one more time as the guards hurried by him, realizing that occasionally liberation may take on the unexpected appearance of a miracle.
