Drop it like it’s hot!
A short story
Even though it wasn’t that far, only an hour so away, Prinkipo was cooler than the drab city. The breeze on the island made it more bearable here, especially in the summer. (Ask the trees, though, with their inclined trunks they all looked weary of it.) Staycationers got off the boats like tones of ice cubes being shovelled off a bucket to be dropped into a glass of lemonade. The moment passengers got themselves out of the boat and entered the pier, northern winds slapped their faces like gods in the ancient tales, and they knew they had left the heat behind them, back in the city. Compared to others, she felt fortunate, the time she would spend on the island was more than just one day –maybe a week or two- depending on how she would get along with the dog. She had always wanted to have a dog but dreaded the commitment. She didn’t want to be one of those people who would adopt a dog temporarily, only to regret it, change their minds and inhumanely give the animal back. So, the big time, she didn’t miss the opportunity to dog-sit one of her friends’ for a while.
She checked the address that had been sent to her on Whatsapp, and made sure she took the correct turn to the left, as instructed, from the terminal where the tiny electric minibuses -the sole mode of transportation- set off like turtles plodding along the steep roads across the pointy island. She didn’t hurry as she would normally do, instead took her time and admired the scenery – bougainvillea arching the gates, freshly painted wooden window shutters, alley cats, ornamented balconies and gardens, young cyclists riding in groups. She hoped the islanders were as pretty as their façade, as she had been around in this world long enough to know that being a local would prove otherwise.
The short training went well, under her friend’s watch, she spent a full day with the English setter, Snoop, her majesty. She was taught all the basics, and when it was time for her friend to set off and leave her alone, she felt ready to embark her new career as a dog sitter. The poor dog; however, let out a loud sigh of despair, once her caretaker shut the door, and turned invisible. The dog lay down and left her chin on the floor, with longing eyes gazing at the door until it was opened again. (It is, now, omniscient writer’s duty to divert her perspective.)
The middle-aged woman looked kind, even too eager to please. Snoop was smart enough to notice that the woman was quick to respond whenever she sniffed, waved her tail, sighed or gave her a thirsty look. The woman was keen on inventing nicknames -she called her Long Vehicle, Poor Creature, Spotty, Snoopy Doopy, even Her Majesty. Silly woman, she thought, just call my name. She was a bit germophobe too. On their first day, right after the morning walk, as soon as she fed her she started mopping the floors. “Hairy fluffy princess” were the words she was humming. All the floor was damp and smelt vinegar, a repelling odour, so for Snoopy, it was no longer enjoyable to stretch herself on the floor. Her Majesty switched to doing it on the sofa instead.
Snoop wanted to see what the woman would do if she was mean to her, and gave it a shot on their third day, during the morning walk. It all started like a game. Spotty led the leash and made her walk towards the forest, their usual route, where now and then the woman would stop and look at the rufous sunrise across the sea, above the hazy land of the city. This was one of the few instances when the woman completely ignored her, lost in thoughts and took photos of the scenery. Snoop Doopy came up with an idea and decided not to poo, and made her trail behind her until she got sunstroke. The walk took forever, and each time Snoop crouched down gave the woman excitement. The human was begging her to poo to get back home. Poor lady, she thought and gave her the stinky return ticket she was so desperate to pick up. It wasn’t an easy catch, though, she dropped it like it’s hot. When it finally happened they were in the middle of a steep road and Snoop’s poop got rolling.
Evening walks were more fun, for Snoop, the sleepy island turned into an amusement park. There were alley cats to chase, children in the parks interrupting their games to pat her, leftover dishes on the pavements for Snoop to snoop, and she tried all her chances to annoy her, and sometimes the dog had to do nothing, because there came those other dogs the independent ones that patrolled specific streets –silly woman how scared she was when a giant beast got pissed off and kept barking. For Snoop, these moments were the epitome of enjoyment.
That day when they went for a swim together, the mischievous dog, much against her will, kept it simple, it was too humid to have a go at anything. On the beach where they hung out she joined the woman, and watched the sunset leaving fluttery flares on the surface of the water. Snoop accompanied her and went for a dip, chewed the treat given, and largely observed her dog sitter drawing in a notepad, and other sunbathers nearby. The day was relatively trouble-free, thought the woman, there wasn’t much to worry about except for Snoop’s insistence on licking the salty sea water. And, there came the twilight and the hungry squeaking of the seagulls. Time to go. On the way back home, sniff after sniff, Snoop found herself at the gate of the house where she was born. She barked a little, tried to climb over the iron fence, and her struggle went on and on, she inexhaustedly kept pushing her fluffy head between the bars of the locked gate. Snoop had always believed that her mother and siblings were waiting for her, eyes and ears wide open. It finally came to her knowledge that no one was there. Snoop caught the woman’s affectionate eyes only to realise her own lonesome reflection sparkling in them.