As far as Dottie was concerned this Thursday was exactly the same as any of the many Thursdays that had gone before in her now pretty predictable life. She had settled quite happily into a routine that both suited and comforted her and her thirst for adventure was merely a memory that she could recall at will whenever she wished to. However, things did not quite turn out the way she expected this particular Thursday.
Dottie knew that Thursdays were the day that the Housekeeper came, the day that the house would become a flurry of cleaning activities and undergo a transformation that was not altogether too unpleasant. She also knew that she was expected to remain outside for several hours until the process was completed. This aspect annoyed her somewhat as she was definitely an inside dog these days and found that extended periods in the extreme heat made her irritable and uncomfortable. However she was prepared to grin and bear it in the name of a good relationship with her Owner. This Thursday was no different from any other, well not in the beginning anyway. She went outside as usual and feigned indifference as her Owner placed her large bowl of water in a shady area and closed the door. Dottie settled herself down in a patch of shade and with a sigh set about tolerating her discomfort for the next few hours.
The sound of the side gate being opened and the chatter of several people awakened her some time later. She lazily opened one eye, but continued to remain lying down, as she really didn’t want to expend any effort that was not absolutely necessary. When the first man rounded the corner brandishing a weed whacker, she leaped to her feet with a growl. He was definitely not an invited guest and Dottie had zero tolerance for intruders. The sight of Dottie was just as much of a surprise to him as the sudden sight of him was to her. They both reacted instantaneously, Dottie leaped towards him barking furiously and he turned on the weed whacker and thrust it towards her in defense. Dottie was incensed. How dare he threaten her on her own property? She jumped at him with the full intent of biting him, but he stepped back and raised the whining weed whacker to meet her. All Dottie felt was a sudden stinging pain at the side of her mouth and she tasted blood. The man was raising the implement to thrust it at her again, and in that split second Dottie made a decision. This was personal, this man meant to harm her. Trying to combat a piece of machinery was foolish, so she had no choice but to get out of its way as quickly as possible. She turned tail and headed for the fence that separated her house from the Neighbour’s. Digging frantically she managed to make enough space to squeeze herself under the fence and into the neighbour’s yard. Her luck was definitely in, as the neighbour’s gate stood wide open giving her access to the street beyond. Dottie streaked out of the gate and took off running, she was not aware of what direction she was going in or had she any plan as to where she might end up, she just needed to get as far away from that whining weapon as she possibly could.
After a while Dottie’s legs began to ache and she was panting painfully. She knew that she had run a fair distance because the area she was in was totally unknown to her. She slowed to a trot and began to take note of her surroundings; she was in a small cul-de-sac with a large house at the end. The two tall white gates that formed the entrance stood open welcomingly and Dottie went inside and dropped down gratefully under a large tree at the side of the house. Her heart was pounding and her mouth felt stiff and painful, she was extremely hot and tired and she had to admit that she was also totally lost.
As she lay resting and trying to get her bearings, Dottie heard a car pull into the driveway and saw two people get out. There was a man in a business suit clutching a briefcase and a girl of about nine or ten with a huge school bag dwarfing her frame. “I’ll call you when I get back to the office”, shouted the man as he got back into the car and drove away, leaving the girl standing alone. The girl stood for several minutes just staring out towards the road and then with a sigh, she turned to go towards the house. Suddenly she spotted Dottie lying under the tree and with a cry she ran towards her. Dottie had no fear of children; they had always proved to be her best of friends, and so she sat patiently while the girl stroked and petted her. “Where have you come from?” asked the girl. “You are very dirty and hot and so I am going to give you a nice bath”. Dottie was not too fond of baths at the best of times, but somehow in her present situation it didn’t seem all that daunting, she did feel dirty and very hot so a nice cool bath could be tolerated she decided.
The girl disappeared and then reappeared carrying a bottle of dishwashing liquid and a huge towel. She then led Dottie gently around to the back of the house where the hosepipe lay ready. In no time at all she had bathed her and wrapped her in the towel. Dottie felt good, she was clean and cool and all this attention was not going amiss either. The girl then brought her a large dish full of water and some crackers carefully spread with cheese. Dottie gratefully accepted all of her administrations and when she finally went inside to answer the insistent ringing of the telephone, Dottie lay down and took a much-needed nap.
To be continued ........Read Part TWO
Carole Hughes, July 2007
Author of Who Let the Dog Out, and Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot - Dottie Too
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