Wonderland - Version 2024

B3 "Où est ma chatte?" ("Where is my cat?")

B3 "Où est ma chatte?" ("Where is my cat?") - You are a stranger in a foreign land – try to communicate with the locals in an attempt to find your missing pet – short story. (<1000 words)

“Dandy esta my perra? Say llama Bonnie.”” I spoke some bad Spanglish. Everyone smiled then kept on walking. My dog had been missing for several days. I fear she’d been run over, or kidnapped, or killed by the roving gangs of feral dogs.

Bonnie is my friend, my confidant, my best buddy. We travel everywhere together. On this trip to South America, my van broke down in a small burg in some country. I don’t even know anymore where I am. I do know Spanish is spoken. The only Spanish I remember is from high school classes a few decades ago.

After a week of asking, I print a picture of Bonnie. Perhaps someone will remember her fuzzy face. Now I start to get results: lots of pointing, discussing between friends then declarations to me. There is some finger-pointing, some map-drawing but no dog to be found.

I drove on to another little town. Along the way, a billboard appeared with two dogs, advertising some sort of dog food. One dog was definitely my Bonnie! My van almost crashed as I stared in disbelief. I pulled over, wrote down the name of the dog food, the name of the sign company and started a new search.

The ad agency given to me by the sign company was in a new building at the edge of the next city. I hurried over and tried to tell my tale.

“Bonnie? My dog? She’s here?” I gave Bonnie’s picture to the receptionist who graciously smiled, then pronounced,

“Oh! Praises be to God, we found her mother! One moment, if you please.” She scurried off down a hall.

Perched on the edge of my seat, I perused the photos in the office. Dogs, cats, birds, horses, even hamsters in all sorts of poses with all sorts of food. Then suddenly the sound I knew so well, a running dog.
“Bonnie! There you are! Where have you been?!” Dog kisses, tail wagging as if it would fly off into the air.

The receptionist followed Bonnie. “We’ve been taking turns caring for your dog. She is wonderful animal. I love her.”

“How did you find her?” I snuggled with my furry friend, so glad to be with her again.

“Actually, she jumped in my car one day when I was shopping. About two weeks ago. I advertised everywhere. Then when we needed a model for new product, they knew she was perfect.”

“I’m just glad she’s safe. Thanks.” I got ready to leave.

A man walked into view. “Wait, you are the owner?”

“Um, yes. This is Bonnie.” Bonnie wagged her tail, looked at me.

“Well, you are owed the dinero.”

“Dee what o?”

He petted Bonnie, then gave me an envelope.

“Sí, ah, yes! Royalties, payments, she earned them. Adiós!” With a farewell wave, he walked back down the hall.

I am astounded. Bonnie and I left, with more diner-o than we needed for quite some time. Good job, Bonnie.

W/C 495

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