KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 ― Standing still with just a harness in my left hand, I was in fear. I was enveloped in darkness the moment I was blindfolded. However, I knew the mantra to my salvation and that meant calling out “Lashawn!”

My ears picked up the white Labrador’s panting as he instantly fitted himself at the opening of the harness around his neck. As the dog stood patiently, I had to feel around Lashawn’s body to look for two ends of the clips. Securing the harness was not a problem.

Suddenly, the leash went missing. As I fumbled trying to feel around Lashawn’s body, head, neck and ears for the leash, it got stuck together with the harness. Luckily, I managed to pull it out and wrap it around my left hand for security.

Lashawn was now ready. As a guide dog trained specifically to help the visually impaired, it was his job to help me get around safely and keep my balance.

As Lashawn and I departed, I had to use a series of commands like “Go,” and “Stop,” to start moving around or come to a stop. No thanks to my lack of experience handling guide dogs, Lashawn dragged me all over the apartment complex.

He moved at a much faster pace and I couldn’t keep up. At times it felt like I was going for a jog.

This continued for a while before I had a firmer grip on the leash and controlled the speed. Soon, I was in total control. I could only assume that I was walking along a straight path.

Lashawn swerved to the left and right to help me avoid uneven floors. At one stage, he stopped and got close to my leg to indicate that I had to climb a flight of stairs.

Then, I heard loud noises together with small giggles. It seemed that the kids from the apartment complex were intrigued by the sight of us and attempted to play with Lashawn by making sounds from their toys.

As much as Lashawn tried to ignore it, he did falter a bit and move slightly towards the sound. He got his senses back after hearing my commands.

After taking off the blindfold, I was at the back of the apartment where I saw parents and kids beside me and it’s amazing how I managed to avoid brushing against them. Of course, this is all with the help of the guide dog.

Without the guide dog, I would have fallen down the stairs, constantly bumping into people and walking right into a wall.

The teamwork was incredible. In those moments of darkness, I felt free and was able to move around confidently with Lashawn.