Sasha and the ferry

Sasha bound down the country road leading to the lake. She knew the Ferry schedule well though her little doggie mind did not comprehend human time. Soon her boy would be home to play with her. Sasha arrived at the pier just as the ferry docked. Her ears perked up as she watched and listened for her boy. The boat soon emptied, but still there was no sign of him. Where could he be?

Sasha inched forward sniffing the ground. There were smells of many people, but not her boy. She trotted closer to the ferry, snuffling at the craft. Still there was no sign of her boy. There was no choice for it, Sasha would just have to ride the ferry to its destination and find her boy! Sasha scampered onto the ferry and hid under a bench. She curled herself into a small ball and waited. Soon many feet stamped and shuffled past then the ferry began to roll to and fro.

Sasha didn’t feel very well. The funny movement of the boat made her tummy feel like she had eaten a bad piece of meat. She whimpered as quietly as she could, but she was still overheard.

“Look,” said a pregnant lady to her neighbor, “there is a dog on the ferry. I wonder who it belongs too?”

“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t touch it. The thing could have rabies. Jessica, sit down and be still. You’re giving mommy a head ache.”

Sasha cocked her head watching each woman as she spoke. She didn’t understand what they were saying, but their tone worried her. She started scooting away from the women when little hands snatched her up.

“Look at the pretty puppy mommy. Can I keep her? Pleassseeeee!!” The little girl begged as she jumped up and down.

“Put it down this instant, Jessica. You don’t know where it’s been or what kind of diseases it has,” her mother shouted.

Refusing to give up her new prize easily, Jessica kept jumping up and down while begging to keep Sasha.

All the jumping was more then Sasha could take. She lost her breakfast all over the front of the little girl. This had two results. The first being that Jessica dropped her while screaming, “gross, get it off, get it off.” And the second that Sasha immediately started feeling better.

Sasha quickly ran away from the angry mother and the over-active child. She dashed around through, under, and over feet looking for a way to escape. During her mad dash, Sasha suddenly lost her footing as the ferry bumped into something. She scrambled up and kept running. Sasha soon spied a dark corner behind a barrel. She dove behind the barrel shivering in fear and waited.

A loud voice began telling people they could disembark. Sasha, of course, couldn’t understand what was being said, but soon the trampling and shuffling quieted. Tentatively, Sasha peeked around the barrel. Seeing that no one was around she inched forward. Listening carefully she inched forward some more.

Then the loud voice spoke again, “All aboard for the island.”

Sasha heard feet begin to shuffle and step on the ferry again. She quickly dashed back behind the barrel. What was she going to do? She was never going to find her boy at this rate. Sasha curled up nose to tail awash in misery. She lay there as the boat once again moved to and fro.

Feet sauntered past. Her ears perked up as she heard a familiar voice. Her boy was talking to someone, “That was a great game, but I hope Sasha hasn’t been waiting all this time at the dock for me. She is there every day when I arrive.”

Hearing her name from her beloved boy’s lip, Sasha dashed from behind the barrel and bounded to him.

Her boy, Kevin, looked down at her and shook his head, “Did you come to find me Sasha?”

Sasha barked once and her whole body wiggled with joy at finding her boy.

Kevin scooped Sasha up and showed her to Yannik, the boy he had been talking to, “This is Sasha. I guess she didn’t wait for me after all. I wonder what kind of adventure she had.”

As for Sasha, she just licked her boy and wagged her stumpy tail, vowing to herself that she would never get on a ferry again!

“Hey, Kevin you know what would be cool?” Yannik asked. “If you were to bring your dog for show and tell tomorrow.”

“That’s a great idea,” Kevin agreed as the ferry slipped into dock. “What do you think girl?”

Sasha wagged happily at the attention then followed her boy off the ferry not understanding a word he said.