Monday 16 September 2019

At least somebody cares

It seems Gail had some explaining to do on Saturday morning!

A nosy concerned neighbour spotted her walking back up the street from the direction of the park, without me! The neighbour rushed to her front gate and in a panic cried:

"Where's Bertie? Where's Bertie?"

I have to tell you that my owner is pathologically honest, not tremendously imaginative, and in situations where a simple fib might make life easier all round she usually ends up giving a tediously truthful explanation.

It went like this:

"Don't worry, Bertie is safe at home. We went to the park earlier and on the way back I stopped off to buy a newspaper."

Gail pauses for a microsecond and the panicky neighbour, who clearly hadn't heard Gail's first sentence, interjects.

"Oh no! Don't tell me! Someone stole Bertie from outside the paper shop! There's a lot of it going on at the moment. A friend of a friend of mine in Cults who has a garden separated from a field by a low dry stane dyke had her dog taken just the other week, and then I heard this other story..."

Gail manages to interrupt the flow.

"No no, it's all OK. BERTIE IS SAFE AT HOME. It's just when I went to pay for my Guardian I realised I'd left my purse at home and so the cashier said don't worry, take the paper and come back later with the money. So I went back right away to settle up before I forgot all about it, but didn't take Bertie, which is why you now see me walking up the street without the dog."

The neighbour may or may not have taken this in, and resumes her lecture on the dangers of dog theft in the area. Gail keeps to herself the thought that the neighbour might be exaggerating based on limited data, and eventually escapes and arrives home a second time.

It would all have been so much simpler if Gail had just told the neighbour I'd decided to have a lie in ...

PS Gail is well aware that the whole concept of going to a paper shop and actually buying a weekend newspaper with real pound coins is making her these days sound like a prehistoric relic, but some lifetime habits are hard to break!

16 comments:

  1. We've had neighbors act panicked when they've seen just me and Brinley walking (Finley doesn't go when it is too hot becuz of her heart murmur) - they're worried something happened to her!

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  2. at least you have neighbors who care (a little too much LOL)

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  3. Hari OM
    Gracious, the trials of observant neeburs. Then again, on balance, I think it's good that someone noticed your absence, Bertie lad. That might actually be impawtant one day. Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx
    (Who is now pondering packing into two shoulder bags...)

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  4. Oh my Bertie, Gail and I might share DNA.
    I can never just give a simple answer either.
    BOL BOL....thank goodness for observant neighbors (who like to keep up with goings and comings)!! Good to know she is watching just in case that worthless dog-napper shows up on your block. What is up with people stealing pets?
    Hugs Cecilia

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  5. The neighbor never would've believed that you decided to sleep in instead of walk, Bertie! Then she would've decided that Gail was trying to communicate that she was in a hostage situation and you would've had your door burst open by police!

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  6. It's nice to hear your neighbor is concerned for your welfare Bertie. We wouldn't want to hear you had been snatched from in front of the news agent.

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  7. Your story made our mom laugh and laugh! When folks in the neighborhood see her walking without us, they are VERY confused and upset because that's all my mom is to them, the lady who walks the huskies! And MOm buys a Sunday newspaper too, someone's gotta do it!

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  8. Wowsers Bertie, your neighbor really cares about you(and may or may not need to get a hearing aid or hobby)!
    xoxo,
    Rosy, Jakey & Arty

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  9. Bertie, you are quite the celebrity in the area. Sometimes when SHE goes out with only two dogs--Bella being left behind because she's too slow to get herself out the door--people stop us to find out why one is missing.

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  10. You sure can't complain when a neighbor cares and watches out for your best interests.

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  11. Nice that your neighbor looks out for you!
    hugs
    Mabel & Hilda

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  12. Lady says it is making Gail sound like someone who knows how to live!

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  13. Wows! That is one nice peep, carin' abouts your well being! If that was one of our neighbors, they would have thanked Ma for keepin' me at home! BOL!!!!
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

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  14. Being trusted to bring back the money is more of a relic.
    Your Friend
    Wills

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