The funniest thing happened to me last Monday as I was on my way to work. I was already running late for the bus I usually catch to the city to get to work on time. I was not even halfway from my house to the bus stop when I noticed a short and plump white ‘thing’ running in circles a few meters in front of me. Fear of all fears, it was a dog, unleashed!
I personally don’t have anything against dogs. I do adore them. And even though by religion I can’t touch dogs, I can tell a Labrador from a Collie to a German Shepard. I think they’re cute and smart. And dogs here in Australia particularly, are really, overly ‘friendly’. Which is good, if they’re on a leash! I can handle dogs on a leash coz I know they will never come near me. Childhood memories of being chased by ‘mentally unstable’ dogs in Malaysia have got me scared of them altogether. Big or small.
Back to my story. This particular dog, a Beagle, stopped in its tracks when it noticed me walking up from behind. And I, automatically stopped in my tracks too. We stared at each other for a good 10 seconds. The dog looked at me, his eyes glinting like the heavens had dropped a huge toy for him to play with! I did they only thing I could do which was cross the road and hoped that he would stay on his side. But of course, he did what all small pups like him would do. He crossed the road and gave me that killer stare again! I knew I could never get past without him jumping on me or barking at me. I guess I was scared that he would jump up and bite my nose off! Haha. Paranoid. Yeah, I know.
So, lamely, I whipped my mobile out to call one of my housemates to drive me to the bus stop! Yes, I was THAT desperate. But suddenly, the dog lost interest in me and started to run off in the opposite direction. Phew! He ran away so fast I soon lost sight of him. Happily, I continued on my journey. Thinking the dog probably went home and all my troubles of being scared were gone, I started to worry that I would miss the bus after all that drama only to hear soft pitter pattering behind me. He came out of nowhere. Like a silent killer. If he WAS a killer, he’d have done a good job creeping up from behind unnoticed!
I wanted to cross another road to be far away from the pup as possible (and hoping he would just bloody leave me alone!) but as luck would have it, I had to stop as a car was driving by.
And before I knew it, the dog was standing right next to me! My heart was beating so hard I could have had a heart attack. Ape yang aku takut sangat dengan binatang kecik tuh pun aku tak tau. But the really, really funny thing (that could have made me roll on the ground and laugh my heart out) was, all I had to say was the magic word ‘SHOO!’ and the dog looked at me as if I was the most boring person on earth for not playing with him, and trotted off. Haaaaaa..!! I got scared for nothing!
And before anyone asks, no, I did not miss my bus to work! ;D
