Trison’s Sea Adventures

Mikhail Samarsky

Trison, a golden Labrador retriever whose remarkable life as a guide dog has already taken him across continents, through dangerous rescues and even into police investigations, begins his latest adventure with an unexpected announcement: he has become a pensioner.

His longtime blind companion, retired police lieutenant colonel Andrei Maksimovich Yeliseyev, has grown too ill to leave the house regularly. The guide-dog school has decided that Trison should retire from active service. When the family is offered a younger dog, however, Andrei Maksimovich refuses to part with his loyal friend.

Trison remains in the Yeliseyev household.

Initially the Labrador is disappointed. He does not consider himself old and believes he could still be useful to people. Soon he begins to imagine the pleasures of retirement: sleeping late, watching television, listening to books and enjoying a comfortable life without the responsibilities of his harness.

But his peaceful future does not last long.

Maksim Yeliseyev, usually called Max, the retired officer's son and an investigator in the criminal police, has other plans. Trison's exploits in Chukotka — rescuing a child during a blizzard and helping uncover a gang of airport thieves — have attracted considerable attention. Max's department recognizes the Labrador's exceptional abilities and accepts him as an official working dog.

Trison even receives an identity card bearing his photograph and the designation Service Dog.

Soon afterward, Max is selected to travel to Israel on a professional assignment. Russian police officers are studying their Israeli colleagues' experience in developing tourist policing and protecting visitors.

Max decides that Trison will accompany him.

For the Labrador, the prospect is irresistible. After the brutal cold of Chukotka, he dreams of sunshine, warm sand, spectacular beaches and the opportunity to swim in the Mediterranean Sea.

Andrei Maksimovich is saddened that his health prevents him from joining them. For years he has wanted to visit the biblical places and see an old friend in Israel. Max promises that his father will still have the opportunity to make the journey when he feels better.

Thus Trison sets off toward the Promised Land, unaware that this apparently pleasant assignment will become one of the most dangerous and emotionally significant experiences of his life.

The difficulties begin before departure.

Although Trison now possesses official service-dog documents, airline rules require him to travel in a large transport crate in the aircraft's cargo compartment. The Labrador is outraged. A dog trusted to protect human lives is being treated like luggage.

During the flight, however, he discovers that his fellow passengers form a wonderfully eccentric community. Among them are a boxer named Yosya, a dachshund named Thatcher and two enormous cats called Julius and Caesar, whose owner is a historian fascinated by ancient Rome.

The animals exchange stories about their owners, their travels and the absurdities of human behavior.

By the time the plane lands, Trison has almost forgotten his indignation.

The oppressive heat of Israel quickly reminds him that every journey brings new discomforts. After a long wait in his crate, he is finally reunited with Max at Ben Gurion Airport.

They are met by Lev, or Lyova, an Israeli police officer and Max's friend. He welcomes his visitors warmly and takes them to his family home near the Mediterranean coast.

Lyova's hospitality immediately wins Trison's approval. Yet the Labrador is astonished by many details of everyday Israeli life: the relentless summer heat, unfamiliar food, the importance of seat belts and traffic regulations, and the mixture of languages spoken in the streets.

For Trison, these observations are never merely tourist impressions. They prompt comparisons between the way different societies treat people, animals, rules and responsibilities.

Max and Trison soon begin their professional visit.

At the Israeli police headquarters, the young Russian investigator meets officers specializing in tourist security, patrol work and detecting suspicious behavior in crowded places. Trison becomes acquainted with local working dogs, including a black cocker spaniel named Alfred, who works with the traffic police.

The Labrador is impressed by the range of canine professions. Some dogs search for prohibited substances, others help protect public transport, and still others accompany officers patrolling tourist areas.

He feels proud to belong to a community whose members serve people in so many different ways.

Lyova combines professional instruction with excursions around Jerusalem.

He shows Max and Trison the Old City, the Via Dolorosa and places associated with biblical history. The streets are filled with pilgrims, tourists, traders, children and people of different religions.

Trison watches the ancient city through the eyes of a creature who understands little about religious divisions but is intensely interested in kindness, justice and human dignity.

One episode particularly impresses Max. Although Lyova is driving a police vehicle, he refuses to park in a reserved space for people with disabilities.

The rule applies to him as well.

The Labrador's reflections on the city are interrupted by a genuine police incident.

While Max is examining souvenirs, a young thief snatches a handbag from a blonde tourist and runs through the crowded streets.

Trison immediately gives chase.

The thief rushes through passages and alleys, then begins climbing an outdoor metal staircase. The Labrador catches him by his trouser leg and refuses to release him until Max and Lyova arrive.

The stolen handbag is recovered.

Its owner is a young Russian woman who thanks Trison with unmistakable warmth. She is particularly grateful because the bag contains her documents.

Max is attracted to her almost immediately, although the confusion surrounding the arrest prevents them from becoming properly acquainted.

Trison is delighted. He has long believed that his young partner deserves to meet a good woman, and this stranger seems both kind and genuinely affectionate toward animals.

Their paths appear to separate, but the meeting will acquire extraordinary importance later in the story.

Meanwhile, Trison's Israeli adventures expand beyond official police work.

Every morning Max runs along the beach while the Labrador enjoys swimming in the Mediterranean. Their first encounters with the sea are not entirely successful. Strong currents, jellyfish and safety warnings create problems, and Max discovers that leaving his shoes too close to the shoreline is not a good idea.

Trison is astonished by the variety of creatures living near the coast and by the complicated rules governing when and where people may swim.

He also makes friends with Frankie, a lively Jack Russell terrier who works as a postal delivery dog.

Frankie carries correspondence in the pockets of a special vest, knows his delivery route and proudly considers himself a useful employee. Trison accompanies him for part of his rounds, discovering that his little friend can enter buildings through specially designed dog doors and perform tasks that many people would hardly believe possible.

Their deliveries bring them into contact with a young girl named Teya, who enjoys reading stories about Socrates the Cat. The encounter offers a playful connection to another part of Mikhail Samarsky's literary universe.

Trison's curiosity leads him into further adventures with Frankie and his acquaintances. He meets Sarah and her son Ariel, whose household includes an extraordinary pet iguana named Esmeralda. The unfamiliar reptile initially horrifies the Labrador, particularly when he observes its feeding habits.

But the experience reminds him that an animal need not look attractive or familiar to deserve care.

Trison also discovers that Frankie loves music, can sing along while Ariel plays the piano and enjoys swimming and diving.

The Labrador increasingly understands how many forms animal intelligence and companionship can take.

The lighter episodes are interrupted by another serious threat.

While Max, Lyova and Trison are traveling on a public bus, a nervous young man boards carrying a small travel bag.

He puts it down in the aisle and remains standing despite the available seats.

Trison notices an unfamiliar chemical odor coming from the bag. When the man abruptly leaves the bus without taking it, the Labrador begins barking insistently.

At first he believes he is simply trying to remind a careless passenger of something he has forgotten.

Lyova, however, immediately recognizes the danger.

He grabs the bag and orders Max to open a window.

For several terrifying seconds the window refuses to move. The passengers panic, and the bus driver struggles to understand the commotion behind him.

Finally the window opens.

Lyova throws the bag outside.

An explosion follows almost immediately.

The shock wave rocks the bus, but the driver manages to stop safely. The officers find a crater where the bag landed.

No one has been killed.

Lyova tells Trison that he has just saved approximately thirty passengers.

The Labrador is shaken by the discovery. He had smelled danger without understanding its nature, yet his determination to draw attention to the abandoned object prevented a catastrophe.

The episode reveals another aspect of his vocation: a dog's loyalty and sensitivity can save lives even when the animal does not fully understand the threat.

The Israeli journey has already justified its place in Trison's extraordinary biography.

But the adventure that gives the novel its title is still ahead.

One weekend Lyova proposes taking Max on a sea-fishing excursion aboard a yacht.

Two young women are invited to join them: Lyova's girlfriend, Leila, and her friend Alexandra.

When Trison sees Alexandra at the marina, he recognizes her instantly.

She is the blonde tourist whose handbag he recovered in Jerusalem.

The coincidence astonishes everyone.

Lyova had never realized that the woman Trison helped was his girlfriend's friend. Max and Alexandra finally introduce themselves properly, and their mutual attraction is immediately apparent.

For the Labrador, the meeting feels like fate.

The yacht heads into the Mediterranean. The weather is pleasant, the company cheerful, and the passengers enjoy fishing, conversation and laughter.

Trison watches Max repeatedly glance at Alexandra and notices that his friend has never seemed happier.

The Labrador also enjoys the sea air and the excitement of being part of the excursion.

He is rewarded with a large fish from the day's catch and begins eating it on deck while the others prepare lunch.

Then disaster strikes.

A large vessel passes near the yacht, leaving a powerful wake.

The smaller boat rocks violently.

A huge wave sweeps across the deck, knocking Trison off his feet. He slides across the wet surface and slips between the railing supports.

Before he can regain his balance, he is thrown into the open sea.

Everything happens in seconds.

No one aboard notices his disappearance. Music, conversation and laughter continue while the yacht moves farther away.

Trison struggles to remain afloat, barking desperately and watching the vessel shrink on the horizon.

He is an excellent swimmer, but even a strong Labrador cannot swim indefinitely in open water.

As the sun begins to set, exhaustion and fear overwhelm him. The sea stretches endlessly in every direction. He has no way to determine where the coast lies, and every large shadow moving beneath the surface seems to promise another danger.

For the first time in a long while, Trison truly believes that he may die.

He remembers the people he loves and regrets that he may never see them again.

His strength begins to fail.

As he sinks beneath the surface, something powerful suddenly pushes against his body and carries him upward.

He breaks through the water and draws a desperate breath.

His rescuer is a dolphin.

The magnificent animal has noticed the Labrador's distress and refused to let him drown.

But the danger is not over.

A shark approaches.

Trison is paralyzed by fear as the predator comes closer. The dolphin immediately confronts it, using his speed, agility and powerful snout to drive it away.

The Labrador has been saved twice within minutes.

Once the danger passes, the two animals begin talking.

Trison discovers that the dolphin is intelligent, curious, courageous and possessed of a lively sense of humor. He explains how dolphins help drowning creatures and defend one another against predators.

The conversation becomes one of the novel's most important encounters.

For years Trison has devoted himself to saving others. Now, helpless in an unfamiliar element, he has experienced what it means to place his life entirely in another creature's care.

His rescuer offers to carry him toward shore.

The Labrador climbs onto the dolphin's back, and together they begin an extraordinary journey across the Mediterranean.

When Trison asks his new friend for his name, the dolphin reveals that he has no human-style name. The Labrador playfully gives him one: Igor Nikolayev.

The unexpected nickname becomes part of their growing friendship.

Their journey combines adventure and humor. Trison asks about the lives of dolphins, their families, their ability to recognize one another and their instinct to rescue strangers.

The dolphin tells him that saving a creature in danger is not an extraordinary achievement in his society. It is simply the natural response to someone who needs help.

Trison realizes how much human beings could learn from such behavior.

Eventually the dolphin brings him safely to the coast.

Trison reaches the pier and says goodbye to his rescuer, hoping that they may meet again.

Then he runs home.

In Lyova's courtyard, Max is sitting in despair, convinced that he has failed to protect his beloved companion. The others are trying to reassure him. They have already searched for the missing dog without success.

Alexandra is the first to notice Trison entering the yard.

Max leaps up and embraces him.

The reunion is overwhelming. The young officer is almost in tears, and Trison understands just how deeply he is loved.

For the Labrador, the experience transforms his relationship with the sea. It is no longer merely a beautiful place for swimming. It is where he nearly died — and where he found one of the most extraordinary friends of his life.

From that day onward, Trison returns to the water whenever possible, hoping to see Igor Nikolayev.

The dolphin responds to his visits, and their friendship deepens.

They swim together, play and exchange stories about life on land and beneath the waves.

Igor introduces Trison to the remarkable solidarity of dolphins, who watch over members of their community and come to one another's aid. In time he also finds a female dolphin with whom he falls in love, a development that delights Trison.

The Labrador's own human companion is experiencing similar emotions.

Max and Alexandra grow closer with every meeting.

Trison observes their conversations, their affectionate glances and the tenderness with which Alexandra treats him.

The two love stories — one unfolding on land, the other in the sea — quietly mirror each other.

Meanwhile, the Labrador discovers another unexpected talent.

During a charity event on a Tel Aviv beach, the local police are responsible for maintaining security at a dog-surfing competition. The event raises funds for animal shelters and rescue organizations.

Trison is fascinated by the sight of dogs balancing on surfboards and riding waves.

His acquaintance Tsila, an experienced swimmer, offers to teach him the basics.

The lessons are difficult. Trison repeatedly loses his balance and falls into the water, but he refuses to give up.

Eventually he learns how to distribute his weight, judge approaching waves and remain standing as the board moves beneath him.

When he takes part in the competition, his performance astonishes the spectators.

Although he has never surfed before, he rides the waves with increasing confidence and becomes one of the event's most admired participants.

Max is delighted.

Trison, who only recently believed the sea would become his grave, has returned to it as a fearless athlete.

His extraordinary transformation gives the adventure a particularly satisfying symmetry: the water that almost destroyed him has become a place of freedom, play and achievement.

There is still time for one more journey.

Lyova takes Max, Alexandra and Trison to the Dead Sea.

The Labrador is fascinated by the barren landscapes, biblical associations and unusual properties of the intensely salty water.

Unlike the Mediterranean, the Dead Sea does not invite vigorous swimming or diving. Its buoyancy is extraordinary, and Trison discovers that remaining on the surface is almost effortless.

He is also reminded that what is safe and enjoyable for one creature may be impossible for another. Igor Nikolayev, whose entire life depends on seawater suitable for dolphins, could never survive in such an environment.

The trip becomes another occasion for Trison to reflect on the incredible diversity of the natural world.

It also brings Max and Alexandra still closer together.

The end of the assignment is approaching. The officers must return home, but the Labrador senses that his partner will carry something precious from Israel: not just professional experience, but the memory of finding love.

Before departure, Trison helps save yet another human life.

Frankie, his little postal-worker friend, discovers that an elderly woman named Fira has collapsed in the yard of her house.

Together the dogs attract the attention of Max and Lyova, who rush to help.

The woman has suffered a stroke.

The timely arrival of an ambulance gives her a chance of survival.

Trison reflects on how easily a person living alone can disappear from the world's attention. Sometimes the difference between life and death is simply whether another living creature notices that someone needs help.

His Israeli adventure has come full circle.

He arrived as a service dog seeking new duties and experiences. Now he has helped prevent an explosion, formed extraordinary friendships and taken part in saving an elderly woman who might otherwise have remained undiscovered.

Yet one farewell matters to him more than all the official ceremonies.

On the morning of departure, Trison realizes that he may leave Israel without saying goodbye to Igor Nikolayev.

When the others come to collect the luggage, he escapes through the open gate and races toward the pier.

Max and Alexandra run after him, bewildered and increasingly alarmed. They fear that his sudden flight will make them miss their plane.

Trison ignores their calls.

He reaches the edge of the pier and barks desperately toward the open sea.

For several agonizing moments nothing happens.

Then dark fins appear in the distance.

Igor Nikolayev is coming.

And he is not alone.

The dolphin has brought his entire family.

One after another, the animals approach the pier, raising their heads from the water and greeting Trison with gentle touches and excited whistles.

Max and Alexandra watch in amazement.

Only now do they begin to understand how their Labrador survived the terrible accident at sea.

The two humans kneel beside Trison, touching the dolphins and marveling at their intelligence and affection.

The Labrador thanks Igor one final time and promises never to forget him.

The dolphin refuses to say a permanent goodbye.

If Trison ever returns to the sea, he tells him, he should call — and his friend will come.

As the animals swim away, they perform a magnificent farewell dance, leaping and turning above the water in perfect coordination.

People gather on the pier to watch the extraordinary spectacle.

Trison knows that the performance is dedicated to him.

The journey back to the airport is peaceful.

He lies on the back seat beside Alexandra, his head resting on her knees as she strokes him tenderly. Max is taking home a new love, while Trison carries memories of a friendship that has changed his understanding of the world.

The final pages bring together the novel's two central themes.

The first is the courage to rescue another living being, regardless of species, language or circumstance.

The second is the power of unexpected encounters. A stolen handbag can bring two people together. An accident at sea can create an enduring friendship. A dog who has spent his life protecting others may discover a new understanding of kindness when he himself must be rescued.

In Trison's world, love and responsibility cross every boundary between humans and animals.

The novel ends with the Labrador resting happily beside Alexandra and mentally singing Hava Nagila, the joyful melody he has heard in Israel.

Then he wonders what those unfamiliar words might mean.

Perhaps, he thinks, they mean rainbow.

It is a final, affectionate echo of A Rainbow for a Friend, the story from which his journey began.

The rainbow has followed Trison across countries, oceans and extraordinary encounters. It remains a symbol of something that cannot always be seen with the eyes but can always be recognized by the heart.

The sea nearly takes Trison's life, but in return it gives him a friendship that no distance can erase.