Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

My Stalker

Each time I’m out -if he’s also out and taken for a walk- my neighbor’s dog rushes to me. He is a hairy, small, very cute, black and white dog. His owner says he runs to the window and barks to be allowed out when he sees me in the yard. They used to let him stay in the porch, but he broke down the mesh screen and kept running to our house. So now, he stays confined inside.

I don’t know what brought on this love affair. I certainly haven’t encouraged it in any shape or form, except for bending down to pet him when he comes to me. Maybe, he’s feeling the longing I have for another dog, after our last one passed away twelve years ago, Since then, because our children have acquired homes of their own, there’s no one to take care of a dog when we travel, and we travel a lot. Then, there’s another matter; in old age, I developed all kinds of allergies and asthma, so my husband won’t hear of owning a pet now.

Although I am enjoying this little dog’s attention, I feel funny when his owners tell me how he gives them a hard time because of me. I love dogs, but he’s their dog, and if he refuses to let go of stalking me, there’s little I can do. Inside me, however, I consider him a miracle thrown in my direction and I’m enjoying getting stalked by him.