I broke a canine good citizen law. Of course I strongly believe and subscribe to the fact that dogs must be leashed when they're in public places. But the nice cool breeze of the quiet night at 11:30pm made me do strange things....
I had a fulfilling late dinner with darling Jojo and Jelly by my side.. the two have been behaving themselves well and were looking so happy. I walked out into the garden and they followed me. And then i remembered I have not brought them for walks for a few days!! (dad does bring Jojo out in the morning though) Suddenly, a strange urge hit me and I just unlocked the small gate and let the two dogs out!
Freedom!! Doesn't any respectable dog also need space and freedom??
Disclaimers: At this hour in the night, chances of people especially children walking around our quiet gated neighbourhood is far remote. The dogs, especially Jojo, know their way too well around the area and there's no worries of them getting lost.
Actually this is not the first time they went out into freedom. But it's the first `allowed freedom' thanks to the folly of their mom! A few times they have sneaked out when a car came home and the gate opened. Of course, they were reprimended when they returned.
So when the two bewildered but overjoyed Jojo and Jelly leapt out into the streets, I also happily went with them. I need a little walk to digest my late dinner. And in the first five minutes or so, they were within my sight, just running here and there.. and then, as I was hoping they would follow me back up the road, Jojo took the lead and went down the club house where the swimming pool is.
They were fast disappearing within my sight.. There's no way I could catch up..
I resigned and just hope they would do a round and come home in a few minuts.
Boy was I wrong. And I had to bear the consenquences of worrying sick of what might have happened to them in the next 15 minutes! It was as if they have vanished!!
When I waited and they did not come home, I decided to walk out hoping to come across their path home. (it's a bit like a circular compound but with diverging roads) Just as I almost reached the main road leading to the guard house, a neighbour's car came back.
Seeing me by myself at this hour of the night, he asked: `are you looking for dog?'
"Yes, two of them," i replied knowing he has seen them!
"I saw one at the guardhouse. It was dangerous. I could have knocked it over," he said.
Ooops..
I waited a while but looks like Jojo and Jelly were not taking that road back so i walked all the way to the other side for them to come back through the swimming pool way. Minuts ticked on and still no sight of the two.
Words of my neighbour rang a warning. What if they get knocked down? Especially Jelly who is pretty tiny though big for a miniature schnauzer. What if they decide to venture beyond the guard house? I began to really get worried and anxious.
I decided I would drive around the neighbourhood to spot them. I drove all the way to the guard house and the sleepy guards claimed they didn't see my dogs. I drove to another road which we sometimes brought the dogs to. It was deserted. I went back to the other end and up the hill where I first walked with them before they disappeared off. Empty too.
Frantically I uttered a prayer: `God please keep them safe and bring them back'. And it was as if God really heard me! I saw Jojo and Jelly just walked out of the club house where the swmming pool was! And they looked overjoyed to see my car and me, and ran behind my car back into the house.
I quickly locked up all the gates and petted both. They looked so so happy from their 20 minutes escapade..
For me, it is RELIEF! Feeling a bit silly, now I know what forbidden freedom can lead to.. But to Jojo and Jelly, they just had one of the most exciting adventure in weeks!
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