This morning I was woken up by a dog barking. It was 6:15 a.m. Normally I am awake at 5:00 a.m., or 4:58 a.m. I don’t use an alarm clock, my body just wakes up on its own. I want to write at 5:00, so my brain wakes me up a few minutes before. I have a head cold and my back hurts, so my brain was still sleeping at 6:15 a.m.
I hate to be woken by a barking dog.
I was not happy when I heard the dog barking. The dog didn’t just say, ” Bark!” as in, “Hey, remember me? Let me back in.” The dog said, “Bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark …”
The dog was saying, “Hey, what is that over there. My feet are cold. There is a light on over there. I am scared. What was that? I smell something funny. I don’t know where to poop. Oh dear, I am really scared. Hey, is that a deer. It is a deer. Hey deer, go away. I smell a mouse. Is that a mouse. Oh, now I have to pee. Where should I pee. It is really dark out here. I am hungry…”
The barking was constant as I got out of bed and went in my closet to find my brown 100% cotton terry cloth house coat that I bought last year at Restoration Hardware for 50% off after Christmas. The dog continued to bark as I walked down the stairs to the basement. The dog kept barking as I put on my size 9.5 black woman’s Columbia winter boots that were made in China. It continued to bark as I opened my back door, walked across my yard, and up the staircase of my neighbors deck. It continued to bark as I knocked on her back door. The dog did not take a breath of air since it woke me up.
My neighbor in her white house coat opened her back door.
I said to her,”Your dog, woke me up. Please get him to stop barking.”
“I was just going to bring him back in.”
“Please go out with him next time. Don’t let him bark so early in the morning.”
“Dogs bark.”
“I am tired of him barking. I am angry. Please stop him from barking.” I said as I turned and walked away.
She brought the dog back in. Then I walked home and sat at my typewriter and wrote a story. Then I wrote ny neighbor an email apologizing for my anger.
Dear Margaret, [ Her name had been changed to protect the privacy of my neighbor]
Please forgive me for being so angry when I asked you to get your dog to stop barking.
I will pray for your dog to get over his anxiety.
I still love you and want to be a good neighbor.
Sincerely,
Pamela
Yes, dogs bark. And, neighbors write.
Tuesdays I am part of the Tuesday Slice of Life. You can read other stories at TwoWritingTeachers.wordpress.com
