This morning my human is packing her going away box with wheels. She’s putting clothes and all sorts of boring, funny smelling, makes me sneeze things inside. I know it means she’s leaving for several turns of day to night and I am very sad. She’s leaving me here alone with the cat. I know it.
The cat is bigger than I am and knows what that means. That alley dweller is a bully and takes up all the best places to watch out the windows. The shame of it – being pushed around by a cat.
My human, who smells like popcorn and old lady, carries the suitcase downstairs to the escape door into the oily smelling room where cars stay. She pauses at the door and tells me to stay. I am sure now she is leaving me to suffer at the whims of the cat. The cat loves to tell me how much superior the feline is to the canine. Boring! Boring! Boring! I prefer fleas to listening to Giganticus as I call the very overweight walking hairball. I’m a better mouser than she is!
The mistress of the house returns from loading the car. She picks up my food and water dishes tucking them into a plastic bag. Then she pores Kibbles ‘n’ Bits into a smaller sack. I watch her put a package of my favorite treats in with the bowls. This is very odd. Maybe she’s going to get another dog for me to play with? Oh dear! The last time a new dog came to visit she was huge. That mastiff took over my food, my yard and all the best places to watch out the window. But best of all she put the cat in her place. Maybe this could be good.
“She’s getting rid of you,” purrs the giant one. I ignore her.
My human picks up my leash and calls my name “Zoey”. Maybe she’s taking me with her. Oh-oh is she getting rid of me? My mistress drops the harness over my head, pulls my gorgeous doggy legs through the loops and attaches the leash.
“ OK Zoey let’s go.” And we start for the door. I‘m not too sure about all of this. There’s a comforter in the place behind where she who is the source of all food sits in the car. It smells of the house and me so I feel a little better. The dog servant as I some times think of her attaches my harness to some straps and pats my head. She then gets into the car and starts it up. I hope my new people are nice. What if it’s a shelter? I want to cry.
“Well Zoey we are off on an adventure!” We back out of the driveway and drive off. The human taps a button and loud music begins to play. My kidnapper starts to howl along with the noise and I just go to sleep. This is all beyond my ability to cope.
I awake as the car slows and turns a corner. I can smell cheeseburgers, (sniff, sniff) chicken (sniff, sniff) French fries and a few other interesting possibilities. My person stops and talks to what seems a box on a post I want to smell. Then we pull forward and someone sticks a reeking sack in the car that makes my mouth water. The source of all good things passes a paper thing to me. It has those chicken bits on it. I’m not sure I want to eat it. If I gulp it down, then she might think I’m ok with this being driven all over in the car with her howling. The moon is not up human what are you thinking.
We keep driving and my bladder keeps growing. I really need to find a patch of grass. Finally, she parks the car and lets me out on the leash. Oh great now I can’t take my time to find a nice place to leave a calling card. She drags me to a strange door and knocks. It opens and I know I am in trouble now. There stands a little boy human pup. I’m going to have to make nice while he pulls on my ears and tail.
“Zoey!” he squeals, “Zoey is here! Mommy look Zoey is here! Hi Zoey what cha doing Zoey?”
I stick my nose out and sniff him head to toe. He carefully puts his hand on my head and moves it gently the way my fur grows. He has this look of wonder on his face and stinks of dirty diapers. This little puppy human likes me! He even knows how to smell! Then he feeds me his piece of cheese and I know this is going to be a good thing.
© 2014 Suzy Stueben