Guest Dog

Since my sister has become a jetsetter we have hosted her dog Dexter for many sleepovers and normally he is not very high maintenance but my mother, being the compassionate person that she is, feels that he should be walked at least 6 times a day and let out for his constitutional whenever he gives her “the look”.  Charlotte told her last night when she dropped off Dexter that he could hold it all night without a problem.  “Just tell him no”, she said and he would go back to bed.

I listened to the instructions but wasn’t terribly concerned since I sleep like one of the dead.  As it happened the information should have come in handy when I woke up at 2:30 in the morning to hear some sort of snuffling noise at Mom’s bedroom door.  Then I thought it must be one of the cats snoring at my feet.  As time went on the snuffling became moaning, then it became whining, and pretty soon there were tiny little yips, then barks coming from the room.  I waited but I couldn’t hear Mom instructing the dog back to bed.  More yips, scratches at the door, desperate barks and I began to wonder how Mom could sleep through the noise.

Suddenly I sat straight up in bed as it occurred to me that Mom might be dead and Dexter was trying to tell me!  I went loudly into her room and found Mom curled under the blanket.  I couldn’t hear her breathing nor could I see her shoulders moving (for breath).  I touched her face and it was coldish but not stone cold.  I spoke out loud “Mom” still nothing.   Then I shook her heavily and she turned around.  The face of terror she wore was such that I thought “good heavens, don’t let her have a heart attack from shock”.  But she was alive.

I told her I would take Dexter for a walk but that I had been worried that she was dead, well, you should have seen her face them.  I hurried out of the room and softly closed the door.

Meanwhile, the cause of both our heart attacks was running around the kitchen smelling this and that, taking a sip of water and let me tell you, he did not look at all like a dog desperate to go pee.  I looked for the leash (oh no, we don’t’ let Dexter out without his leash since he would make a mad dash for the road and from thence, home) but I couldn’t find it in its usual place.  After searching high and low I had to take Dexter back, reluctantly, to Mom’s room.

“Mom, I can’t find his leash”.

“Oh its right here.”  And she starts digging for it by her side of the bed.  Then she got up and took him for his nightly walk. 

I’m happy to report that Mom and Dexter are still sleeping away this morning but I lay awake for another hour laughing every time I thought of Mom’s face when she looked at me.  I am a very naughty daughter.