I was at a low point at 7pm this evening, feeling overwhelmed by the affects of limerance and alcohol. If you don't know what limerance is, Google it...you might find it illuminating. In short, it's a "crush" condition that looks like mental illness.
Let me tell you, it's not a good mix for a girl whose gone on and off anti-depressants in the past 9 weeks and rides daily hormonal tsumani's as my middle aged body tries to figure out just what the hell is going on in here.
I was praying, begging on my knees, seeking relief from misery, and my dog Luke, the monster dog white German Shepherd with the big heart, starting going bullistic with barking as if there were a 747 landing in our front yard. I heard a police car horn WHOOP but didn't bother to look outside, because hell, it's dark. A few minutes later, Luke is at the front door, barking-no roaring-insanely. I look outside and there are two pitpulls on my front porch.
So what do I do? I go outside to greet them! This is genuinely my first instinct. I notice immediately that they have collars and tags, but inspite of what I see, my perceptive my mind jumps to wondering if they've been dumped in a "good" neighborhood. This prejudiced perception on my part is a cultural knee-jerk reaction to finding two pit pulls at my front door, and I'm embarrassed to even admit it, but there you are! I'm talking to the dogs in a happy voice and they respond by running at my heels and jumping up on me a little bit, "great", they think, "now we've found some fun!" Just a little twinge of fear seeps into my veins, but I keep moving and say, "You guys gotta go home! Where do you live?" Ok, in Virginia, that sounds like, "all y'all gotta go HOME!"
When I get to the street at the end of my driveway, the dogs hang a right and run straight into the headlights of two Norfolk Police cars. One is backing up toward me: I flag him and ask, "where are these dogs are from?"; as if he would have the answer! And it is somehow comforting to have "the Law" on board for what was turning into a very compelling situation. Next thing you know, there are three cop cars and one of the officers is a little reluctant to leave the safety of his vehicle cuz, "one of them growled at me when I put my hand out".
Another officer, who appears to be taking charge of the predicament, says he's called Animal Control and they won't come out. I decide that we need to get a hold of these dogs and read the pertinent information on the tags attached to their collars. By now the neighbors are at their windows and doors. I cajole with the happy voice the younger female of the two and grab her collar. She is so darned cute! Her head is tucked down, her back end is rotating like mad, and every inch of her is saying, "LOVE ME!!". The officer whose taken the initiative in the dynamic shines a flashlight on the i.d. tag, and tells me my eyes are better than his cuz he doesn't have his glasses on! I read off the number: 589-5382 (photographic memory). I read off the address: 105 Beverly Ave.
The dogs are only a couple of blocks from home, maybe a 1/4 mile. Officer with initiative says, "lets put 'em in the back of the car." Sweet thing jumps right in and is happy as any pit pull on a wayward adventure could possibly be. But now it's time to deal with the older male, who seems edgy, distrusting and full of fear; he's quaking at the new situation, causing my own fear to seep back into my veins. But hey, I've come this far, I'm not gonna give up now. So I put on the loving voice and clap my hands and get down to his level and low and behold, he comes to me and my hand is on his collar which is way too loose and gonna come off in my hand and we'll lose him if I'm not careful. With both hands on the very thin collar of a 70 lb. mass of muscle and bone, I tighten the buckle and lead him into the back of the police car. He jumps in and the cop shuts the door.
As I turn away to head back home, one of the neighbors on her front porch thanks me. I laugh and smile and say, "I'm the dog whisperer" and she says, "you'll have to advertise your service". I'm thinking, "what the hell is she talking about?", those dogs just saved my life!
No comments:
Post a Comment