By: fabdab.near
Hephzibah
“How do they always know it’s Saturday?” she wondered with some amusement as she swung her feet off the bed and padded to the bathroom in her sleeping shorts.
MarmaJ’s Saturdays begin pretty much the same way every time – with Pots and Cakes, her adorable dogs, who rouse the entire neighbourhood with their excited barks as soon as the sun’s first rays hit the bedroom window. They would race around the room noisily, trample her pillows, stomp her head, lick her face, bark up a storm – generally being the worst alarm clock anyone could ever have, but at least MarmaJ never had to buy an alarm clock.
Generally, waking up excites them but it was clear that the excitement from Saturday mornings was something special. The pair began pawing at the door, turning their heads back to look at MarmaJ as she brushed her teeth, wishing she would hurry.
Saturday was usually Yard Keeping Day for Pots and Cakes. MarmaJ’s big yard was like something from a Landscaper’s dream. She threw the curtains open and strong, brilliant Summer sunshine flooded the room. She greeted the glorious sunshine with a spontaneous, hearty laugh.
“I don’t blame you,” she said to her dogs. “I’d be a pretty loud dog on gorgeous summer days like this”.
Saturday mornings are usually awesome in MarmaJ’s house. One could never tell who enjoyed weekend mornings better: MarmaJ or her dogs. And for a very long time, MarmaJ usually ensured that she kept her Fridays free of activities or parties, so she could keep up with her usual Saturday morning rituals with her dogs.
One of the things that stood out to MarmaJ about Saturday mornings was the brilliance of her dogs. Pots and Cakes usually comported themselves in such an orderly manner that you’d think they went to special training classes on landscaping.
Pots and Cakes loved it when MarmaJ added new plants to the yard. MarmaJ would point out a spot and allowed the pair to do the digging, while she prepared for the planting. They had become more precise over time and MarmaJ had reinforced their behaviour with with treats so that they dug with special care and an artistic touch. The joy of watching them comport themselves in the yard was such a cute sight for MarmaJ, a sight she knew she never get tired of seeing.
A week later, MarmaJ awoke to an odd feeling – she was tired, but it was more than that. This Saturday morning felt strange. When MarmaJ woke up, and Pots and Cakes were not in sight. She couldn’t even hear them. She panicked as she got up from the bed wondering if the dogs were okay.
She remembered with a little hint of guilt that she had hosted a late night party the previous night. She had woken up a bit later than usual after trying to clean up some food in the backyard and felt a pang. Saturday was their time out, the only day she usually free to spend all the day with them. It was the only day of the week she had to personally groom her dogs.
As she stepped out of her door, she could hear faintly her dogs barking. It sounded like they were in distress. She moved towards the direction of their barks wondering what had happened and if they were okay.
As she moved closer, she noticed they were trying to pull something from under the gate. So she ran to see what was causing their distress. It turned out a dog was caught up under the gate struggling for its dear life. MarmaJ sprang to action to rescue the little thing. And at the same time considering all her options and the best approach to take to ensure that the dog did not suffer further injuries. She knew that part of her gate would have to suffer some damage, but the dog’s life was more important. She also knew rescuing the dog would bring so much joy to Pots and Cakes.
So before rushing to get a saw, she patted the dog and tried to comfort it to be calm. The dog seem to understand, Pots and Cakes also did their best to calm the dog.
Like a flash, MarmaJ was back with an electric saw and carefully cut through a bar so that she could bend the bottom of the fence pole up creating a space that the dog could pass through. Their hard work was finally rewarded and the dog was rescued. Pots and Cakes were all over the dog, lending comfort and support. MarmaJ knew her dogs had finally made a new friend. She was so proud of them for staying with the dog through it all, and for all the efforts they put in to rescue the dog. The poor dog must have been trying to get its share of leftovers from the previous night’s party and got stuck in the process. Thankfully the dog was not as injured as much as MarmaJ had feared. It had a minor bruise and not something she couldn’t handle.
After putting a call through to the person who would fix the gate, she prepared a bowl of warm milk for each of the dogs and served them with their favorite snacks. The dogs looked so happy.
Warm gratitude flooded MarmaJ’s heart. Even though it was not like their usual Saturday, it was still a great Saturday, with Pots and Cakes making a new friend.