I couldn’t decide where to place my attention, the reflection of myself or the long winding driveway ahead. The driveway, I decided.
I’ve travelled that driveway so many times, escorting children out to the school bus and back up the drive for lunch. I’ve greeted delivery drivers and then that one time the stranded motorist arrived just before dark.
I barked so much that night. Nobody ever comes up the driveway at this hour, I gnarled. What a funny adventure that turned out to be. I remember hearing the thud of the engine and then the voices travelling across the water of the pond. I don’t think my owners know how much I hear and see before I begin to bark the alerts. I knew they had popcorn before I even thought about racing down the driveway to start that big old commotion.
I remember the children’s laughter that night too. The adult voice seemed so gruff, after-all, that is why I barked so loud. He was a monster of a man and I was going to show him just how much he needed to keep that monster in his pocket.
OH, those children though, (wag wag wag), I remember their quiet voices carrying, as the doors went slam, slam, slam. I remember sensing their running feet and I heard the skip of each rock as it slung across the pond. It was as dark as the inside of a small closet between me and them but by the sounds of their bodies moving in the dusk night and their laughter, I was simply too lazy to run all the way to the end of the driveway, when I knew all to soon they would come, scuffing through the pea sized gravel to our long open porch.
None of them knew that night what would happen as a result of that fateful stall.
Bark- Bark ….. Bark, Bark, Bark, growl, bark bark I recall, one eye squinty and a little toothy, just for effect.
Lowering my head and raising my tail and doing my very best to display an incredible offense, while being perfectly poised in body and spirit to receive a head rub or even the most delicious of tail-base scrunchies, hence my raised back end. Hint hint weary traveler, I thought to myself, trying to keep my tail from wagging.
The twins raced up the driveway, glancing at me to see if I would roar or race.
‘Race’ I thought after a couple of frenzied 360’s and a mid air jump. I remember their laughter, we hadn’t had play and laughter like that here in so long.
I remember the sound of my untrimmed nails on the wooden stairs, ‘more scratches on the wood to ponder on hot summer days’, I thought to myself.
The children raced up the stairs, leaving their father far behind. I crashed into the chairs, making them scoot and clang, just for effect and giving my mom time to recognize we had visitors. I let out a bark bark bark bark, simply to give her time to wipe her hands on her apron and turn the water off.
As the man tidied his sweatshirt and wiped his greasy hands on his worn jeans, one of the children noticed the angel and pointed above the door; “Look dad, mom’s here” exclaimed the little girl child. The man’s face turned soft and loving and his eyes became sparkly, as his lashes moved the moisture away.
Rap rap rap, he gently tapped on the old flimsy door. “Coming” I heard from the soft, loving voice of my dog mom. She rounded the corner and down the hall she came.
“Good evening” he said, “I am sorry to bother you”, as the boy child pats my ears and pulls my face close for a between the eyes kiss, … my very favorite. “Our car has broken down out there, may we use your phone” he asked, nodding shyly.
Just then the door spilled open with 7 bouncing puppies and my mom leaning forward in an awkward, unsuccessful attempt to contain them. The children cheered with glee and excitement as they mauled the guests with their tiny paws and teeth. Right then I knew … our families just grew.
Hmmmm my reflection or the driveway, I thought again, leaning slightly forward to leave my wet nose print on the window, my canine tracking calendar of days spent in a dogs life.
