While She sleeps, I watch and wait. She takes the pieces out
of Her eyes – the parts that help Her to see. She does not trust Her eyes. “Charlie keep us safe big boy” and almost
instantly Her energy changes as She drifts off to sleep .
She is snuggled in a sleeping bag with pillows by Her head
and Her middle and Her legs. She does
not like to be “stuck” or “trapped” when She is resting. Her
dog-sense is more developed than in most humans. The top and back of Her brain stays alert
even while sleeping, like mine. But now
She is tired. Weary.
The smelly blue car scared woman is tip-toeing to our car. Ears
up! Sniff … Sniff ! I am watching you. This is our car. Don’t get too close. The angry man calls the scared woman back to
him. The man is moving too fast …
looking around…shifting his feet .. talking and looking behind him..around
him. He grabs her arm, shaking it,
staring hard into her eyes, making her more scared. The scared woman lowers her eyes and bows her
head. I know what this means - The angry man is the alpha-dog. She is scared and subservient, she will do
what she is told.
grrrrrrrrrr ……
“Charlie shh!” She
is sleeping. The necessary-to- survive-part
of Her is aware of our surroundings. But
She wants us to be invisible to other people so we don’t bother them and they
don’t bother us.
I watch and wait. The smelly blue car people get back into
the smelly blue car. Good.
Stay!
I watch them from the darkly tinted window. They cannot see
me. They do not know I am here. She sleeps some more and Her awareness is gone.
Her eyes are moving quickly and Her body is completely still. I lay my head
across Her ankles. Oh how I love Her!
Knock, knock knock …. huh? My girl is struggling to come awake,
dreaming. AGGGGGHHHHHH! She screams! RUUUUUUOOOFFF! I am at the window- BARK BARK BARK!!!……. She is frantic. I don’t like this! My Girl is
afraid! RUUUUOOOFF! RUUUOOOFFF! The
smelly blue car scared woman is standing there. Ha! Now she is scared! BARK BARK BARK ! She did not know I was
in the car! My Girl can’t see .. She
reaches to her left where she left her glasses. Her legs are twisted in the
snuggly blanket. She is more scared now PANIC! She is trapped and stuck RRUUOOOFFF! RUOOOOFFFFF!
My Girl frees herself while putting her glasses on her nose …
and not taking her eyes off the scared stranger banging on the window “ I need some money” The scared woman is
saying to My Girl “I am about to run out
of gas and need to make it to Kansas”
Now My Girl is mixing angry with panic BARK BARK BARK!!! There is movement behind our car – the angry man
is approaching!
“Roll down your
window. I can’t hear you” the scared woman is saying to My Girl. My Girl is now mostly mad and focused. She
positions her body so the woman cannot see her hands, reaches between the seats and pulls out the black metal. She takes
it with us when we hike. This black hunting metal. Her gun. She thinks to
herself “The dog is barking an inch from my ear … and YOU can’t hear? You are
NOT going to rob me!”
Now My Girl is very angry. The man is getting closer. “Go
inside!” She yells at the scared woman. “Go inside, away from the dog!”
The woman looks around nervously BARK BARK BARK !!!!!!
and slowly starts walking away from the car, toward the
building with lights and people bathrooms. The scared woman lowers her head and
her eyes once again … but walks very very slowly. The angry man sees her and
stops! My Girl is scrambling to get into
the front seat… the angry man hears me BARKING RUUUOFFF!!! RUUUOOOOFFF! He
quickly backs away from our car TOO
LATE! She sees him in the rear view mirror.
She seems to grow taller and stronger right before my eyes.
Her outrage replaces her fear … I become silent. A sense of cool calculation- She
is no longer threatened. She is now the alpha-dog.
Now She protects me.