I'm learning to upoad old material into my portfolio |
Downstream Reilly was fuming at the heat, at the half hour bus wait, at the drivers honking their horns, at the fumes too. Joeseph was watching Reilly, wondering if the shade of the bus stop was worth it. Perhaps a spot over by a nearby store front would be better. A dog, a mutt, came from the alley across the street to stand on the sidewalk looking at the two men sitting at the bus stop. Cars whizzed by at thirty five as the dog caught Reilly's attention. He spoke without any real regard for Joeseph, the man just happened to be there. "Oh, looky here, a stray. C'mere doggy!" Joeseph spoke for the first time since he'd sat next to this creep. "Don't call the dog." he said. The dog perked right up. He did indeed start across the street toward the two men. The first car did brake and honk. Three more lanes to go for the dog wearing a look you'd have given your mom when she called you to dinner. Joeseph stood, then knew not at all what to do next. Reilly called to the dog, "C'mon boy, you can make it!" Lane two was clear, the dog picked up momentum with a bit of a trot. Not quite like Lassie crossing a field, more like well, stupid and hungry. Joeseph looked at westbound traffic, the two lanes yet to come on this dog's travel across the street. Reilly yelled, "Yea! C'mon boy." Solid cars, twenty at least. Joeseph muttered to this stranger beside him, "You bastard." He'd never said such a thing to any stranger. He did not have to think before he said this to Reilly. Reilly stood and yelled, "C'mon boy, here we go!" No chance in the world for this dog in the next lane. The first car did not even brake, much less honk the horn. There was this thump. The dog went downstream so to speak as the car in the fourth and final lane braked hard to avoid him. Nope, hit him. This time there was not only a thump, but a squeal from the dog as well. By now the animal had made the sidewalk curb, but instead of directly across from Joeseph and Reilly, it was twenty yards downstream. Joeseph was horrified. So much so, that he could not think to sock Reilly standing next to him. Reilly turned to look back in the other direction where the bus was approaching their stop. The dog had made it onto the sidewalk where it lay upon it's side. Two women nearby began to scream. The bus pulled up. Joeseph went up the twenty yards to the animal on the sidewalk. The women stopped screaming. The bus opened it's doors and three people got off. Reilly got on. When he kneeled next to the dog, Joeseph could see the animal was still breathing. He did not know the bus he had waited for the last twenty five minutes was there. He did not consider the creep who'd caused this. What, could he do now? The bus door closed after Reilly stepped up. The driver did not even ask about what he had seen. The one woman led her screaming and now crying companion down the street telling her to stop it, stop being hysterical. Perhaps three dozen cars zoomed by as Joeseph knelt next to the animal on the sidewalk. He never noticed the bus at all. He could see it's chest rise and fall. The eyes then opened. This great wash of joy enveloped Joeseph as he watched. He did something he knew better than to do. He reached out to touch this dog on the sidewalk with his hand. The dog leapt to it's feet and ran through a nearby parking lot until it disappeared behind a Denny's restaurant. Joeseph's mouth dropped open as he stood and watched the dog scamper away. After it was gone from sight with amazing quickness, he turned to see if anyone else had seen this. A busy street, an empty bus stop. He walked partway after the dog, then stopped, realizing it was long gone. When he returned to the bus stop, it registered that the nasty man calling the dog was gone as well. Reilly was in fact, a mile down the road looking at some gal's short skirt. Joeseph sat. A full fifteen minutes passed before he realized he'd missed a bus. Relax, he thought. Turn off your mind and float... The End |