I was tired. I had been driving for several hours and decided it was time to let my daughter, Cindy, take the wheel, against my better judgment, while it was still light. I needed some rest before our up coming adventure and letting her drive seemed counterproductive to that end but I had to give it a shot, I was going to need steady nerves and quick reflexes in a few hours.
After getting a few winks in, I glanced out the window. The scenery was a blur and cars along side us (they were only alongside us for a brief moment in time) were giving us unpleasant looks.
“Why are you passing all these cars?”
“Because they’re going slow?”
“I think it’s because you’re going fast. What’s the speed limit?” I queried, already knowing the answer.
“For me or them?”
“Pull over.” This is why teenagers shouldn’t drive, or parents shouldn’t take cat naps. Thank heaven’s we had not passed any “smokies.”
We spent the duration of the trip making our plans and bickering about the ethics of the hair brained idea that I hatched after the last visit home to my parents. I had to admit inwardly Cindy was right, there were other ways, but something had to be done. I threw in some driving lessons by showing her what not to do ( intentionally, of course). We stopped occasionally to stretch our legs but we had a dead line to meet. We must complete our job while it was dark and everyone was sleeping.
Signs appeared telling us we were close to my hometown. Nearer and nearer with each gallon of precious gas. In the long haul the gas bill would be the cheapest expense, not to mention well worth it. I turned on to my parent’s street, slowed and turned off the headlights. Every house was black, no lights on anywhere, no sign of life. Things were going as planned so far. I parked at the entrance to the alley and turned off the ignition. We still had time to repent.
“Let’s synchronize our watches.” Cindy suggested, getting into her role. Who wears watches anymore? I use my cell phone and that wasn’t coming with me. I didn’t need that blasted thing going off and jingling my slowly unsteadying nerves. I wouldn’t be accepting any calls at work tonight.
Stepping out we closed the car doors very gently. Pulling our ski masks down over our faces we proceeded up the alley, cautiously. My mom and dad were light sleepers and we didn’t want to be caught. Mother and daughter slinking around in the dark, miles from home, two states from home actually. Great quality time.
We stopped at the back yard gate and tried the handle. Pad locked. Sure, why should this be easy. A small town like this, no crime and the gate is locked. Cindy cupped her hands to lift me over and I snagged my t-shirt on a loose wire scratching my abdomen. Great, I’ll need a tetanus shot when I get home! I feared I’d fall and call attention to us. No lights came on in the bedrooms. Cindy vaulted over effortless. Gymnastic classes were paying off, they obviously are a prerequisite for a life of crime.
We had chosen a moonless night for this escapade, not intentionally, mind you. I don‘t have the best night vision. Proving this, I tripped over some object in the yard jamming my toe into my ankle. Cindy clamped her hands over my mouth at the start of some unlady like verbiage (sorry, can’t print the expletives here, use your imagination, but remember, I’m a Christian.)
There he was. Our reason for being here at one in the morning. The poor dog’s chain was tangled up around a tree giving him limited motion, his water dish spilled over making a mud pit for him to sleep in. He lay listlessly, head on paws, warily observing us approach. No barking, no tail wagging. Just big sad eyes. Probably expecting some abuse. Definitely not expecting anything good to happen to him. Why should he? He’d been mistreated ever since he was abducted from home. His mother had no idea what would become of him when he was snatched from her side at the tender age of eight (weeks).
We advanced at a snail’s pace, not wanting to risk his getting jumpy. No threat there, apparently. I untangled the chain and tried to coax him to the gate. Wouldn’t budge. Cindy offered him a beef jerky we brought to entice him to follow us. It got his consideration. His head went up so suddenly Cindy dropped the beef jerky and our victim, ignoring our presence, sniffed around for it showing the first hints of a pulse. Now that we had him on his feet we couldn’t budge him by pulling on the chain until he found his treat.
Whistling came up the alley. I had a strong suspicion a person was attached to the melody. Jumping behind a hedge we ducked, squatting on our heels, ready to bolt. Dog followed us now, having eaten his tid bit he wanted more. The quiet listless dog was transforming into an excited one, right before our horrified eyes. It wasn’t so quiet in the back yard now. The whistling stopped. A flashlight scanned the yard, the beam passed over us, returning to us with a swift movement. We’d been caught. By who? All we could see were light spots on our retinas.
Before we could dash off a voice warned us, “Halt, police.”
My life was over. It exploded before my eyes. My future. Incarcerated. Working in the steamy laundry, making license plates, learning to smoke, building muscles at recreation time. Group showers. Waiting for Sunday afternoon visitation. In five years I’d have a hard, tattoo-ed body. A record. Cindy would hopefully get off lighter, juvenile hall, out at eighteen, rehabilitated. Taught a career. No permanent record.
“Come out here so I can see you, please.” So courteous. So far no signs of impending police brutality. “Remove your masks, please.” We were commanded by a uniform aiming a revolver and light at us.
Our ski masks came off allowing our identification.
“Cindy? Marcy? Is that you? Your parent’s didn’t say you were coming to town.”
“Well, they didn’t exactly know.” I responded.
The officer put two and two together and came up with four. Pretty good for a man. The dark clothes, the night time visit, Dog sniffing Cindy’s body, where more beef jerky was secreted. We were on a heist. He killed his flashlight and holstered his weapon.
“Well its about time someone rescued this unfortunate beast.” He announced. “You’re not taking us to the slammer?” Relief flooded my soul. Paroled earlier than estimated!
“Hell no, but I’m not going to assist you either. I do have to uphold some professionalism.” He retreated and vanished into the night. He was never there. He’d been just a fabrication of our over worked imagination.
Tugging fiercely on Dog’s shackles we got to the fence, boosted him over, (it took the two of us, getting tail, belly, etc. in our faces) and raced back to our get away vehicle. But not before the downpour. I hadn’t planned on that but it explains why we couldn‘t see the moon! . Muddy, smelly, wet, Dog was placed on the covered back seat next to Scruffy, my furry son, who sniffed at the new comer and edged away under the drivers seat, yapping his disapproval. Snob.
No sooner had I turned on to the main thorough fare an alarm went off. Guilty conscience? You bet. It was okay now, it was only my cell phone. Answering it I discovered it was my sister.
“Hey Marcy, as long as you’re in town come by here and get these clothes I’ve saved for Cindy. Help me save the postage, will ya?”
“Ellen, how did you know I was here?” Crooks don’t usually get calls on the job. The cop. Her husband, my brother in law. He squealed after all. Coppers! I was thinking like a criminal now.
Home at last. Fifteen hours from start to finish. I had some explaining to do with my husband. He knew where the dog belonged, but how he got here, he could only guess from the muddy paw marks covering the back car seat and windows. I had a hard time convincing him the dog was just a look a like, no connection to the one from my parent’s native soil. I don’t think he bought it, but didn’t wish to accept involvement by association so he refused to continue his line of questioning.
A few days latter the land phone went off. My mother was calling to inform me someone had stolen her neighbors dog! The one she knew I always worried about when I came for my infrequent visits. (mom’s idea of a guilt trip, I‘m there for every major holiday counting ground hog day!)Just incase I still didn't know which dog she was referring to she reminded me of the time I reported them to the SPCA. I happened right under their noses at night. My brother in law, the police officer, claimed the dog was there when he had done his rounds. Well, the dog was there when he made his rounds. We just happened to be there also. The papers called it grand larceny because the owners claimed it was a two thousand dollar blood hound ( An insurance scam?) but they were more concerned about loosing a member of the family. Yeah, one they kept in bondage in the back yard and visited occasionally I was looking at the gas, vet and groomers bills. Fleas, ticks, bald patches, mal nourishment, heart worms, intestinal worms, vaccinations, rabies shots, dental work not to mention shampooing the car upholstery. No, they were right. In the long haul, two thousand dollars was an underestimate. I wonder if I should file for reimbursement. I better not get over confident. One thing was for sure. If my parent’s ever visited, the dog would be unrecognizable. Manicured, fattening up, and, for the first time, eager for companionship, he was not the same brute that had lived across the alley from my child hood home. Now I had to work on Scruffy. Snobbery was intolerable in my house. He needed to remember how he came to be a family member!
Cindy came bouncing home from school all excited.“Hey, mom, get your car keys, we have another job to do!”
“What are you babbling about?”
“One of my friend’s at school was talking about some horses near here that are being abused. Let‘s see, we need a horse trailer, pick-up to pull it, bolt cutters for the fence…….”
I grabbed the vet bills for the dog, mentally multiplied the cost for a horse, covered my ears and ran from the room with Cindy in hot pursuit, laughing her young head off and waving a ski mask in the air.
Prov. 12:10
isaiah 43:1-4
Hosea 13:14
John 10:10
Eph. 4:28
Col. 1:12-13
