The Princess Calf of Columb Bay

Columb Bay, Goa, India

The backyard of the house we rented overlooked the ocean. Dolphins could be seen in the distance. The palm leaves rustled their "good mornings" as we started each day with yogurt and fresh cut papaya. Just a 100 meters away you could climb to the top of the rocks and watch the sun set while leaning against the warmth of the stone. But there was nothing as beautifully predictable as the princess calf of Columb Bay.

Like clockwork, the herd of cows sauntered into the backyard to graze on the sweet, white, round fruit that grew from the trees. They even recycled our papaya trimmings. At first we didn't notice her. They usually left us alone under the woven palm-leaf roof. But days into our stay we began to notice a small white calf who always took a little longer to leave our little backyard.

I had just returned from my morning panchekarma, the traditional Indian cleanse which I did for two weeks. After two hours of massage I looked forward to my daily ration of papaya. The back door was open as usual and let in extra light. The morning sun illuminated the worn, painted stone floors of the kitchen as I could see through the house to the ocean. My friend was already sitting outside. Minutes later, the cows wandered into the yard in search of fruit. When satisfied they moved onto the neighbor's house. This time the little white calf stayed behind.

She was very young, maybe a year old, with big floppy ears and bone white skin. Instantly drawn to my friend, she timidly walked towards him stopping to sniff his palm. She nudged his hand with her small horns and encouraged him to reach out. From then on she was no longer a cow. Neither that piece of tenderloin steak which I used to enjoy years ago nor that daily cup of homogenized milk I grew up with. She reminded me of a dog and wouldn't leave him alone unless he continued to pet her. She enjoyed every moment of it and at times even got a little aggressive when he stopped to take a pause. I went inside to grab my camera and she tried to follow me inside with her wobbly legs trying to make her way into the kitchen. I was sad not to let her in as I began to think of her as our pet. The princess calf was awkward in her eagerness for human contact but exceedingly adorable. She came back several times during the month and we even looked for her during our walks. No other cow has ever been quite so beautiful.