Conversations with Dog

At home we get ready for a week of house, dog, cat and turtle sitting at our best friends' house. We sleep over so that we can all get up at 5am so they can set off early to miss the traffic.

When they have left, Oscar looks up at me with sad eyes and asks: "so where'd they go this time, when will they be back?"
I reply with crossed fingers and toes and a serious face: "they won't be long!"
He looks long and hard at me and I hear him muttering to himself: "liar!"

I pretend not to hear and carry on with my unpacking. He sits at the gate, waiting patiently for them to return.

A couple of hours later, getting sick of waiting, he comes in and looks at me earnestly and asks hopefully: "are we going for my 5pm walk or what? If you don't take me I won't stop licking this cushion and it will get all wet and soggy!"

"Of course we're taking you" I reply assuringly, "go fetch your lead!"

With that he is off to where his lead is kept on a hook and Tony takes it down and gives it to him. He immediately takes it in his mouth, sort of tripping over it as he walks and follows us to the gate where we put his lead on and then all go for our 5pm walk and he is happy and content. Later on we throw his ball for him a couple of times so that he can retrieve it and bring it back, he loves it and smiles all the while.

Then it's time for bed and I have the priviledge of sharing a bed with him and listening to him snore all night. He sleeps in the hollow of a rolled up blanket next to me and every now and again during the night, lifts his head to check that I'm still there.

The next morning, tea calling me from the kitchen, I get up leaving Oscar to lie in.

"Are you getting up already?" he exclaims unbelievingly, "you're mad, I'm gonna sleep some more." And he does...till 9am, when he can't hold it any longer and just has to go out for a pee.


Later on we decide we need groceries and a cup of coffee at the Organic Market down the road, and start getting ready.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asks sounding shocked, then in a soft little voice he whispers: are you going to leave me alone? How long will you be gone?"
Again I reply, this time truthfully: "Won't be long!"

I wait for another sarcastic comment, but there is silence, just a sad, sorrowful, brown-eyed, tear-jerking look.Then in an indignant way and with a huge sigh he stammers: "ok, then I'll just have to sit on this couch till you get back!"

Guilt-ridden, we set off for our coffee, knowing full well that we can't be too long when there's a brown angel waiting for us, needing us and wanting to give us so much love.

As the sun sets on the horizon, everyone is happy. Oscar is content sitting behind me on the couch, Snappy the turtle is full in her pond after having a good meal and Prince looks at me as if to say: "Don't worry, all is well and I'm now going to sleep."

And yes, all IS well.