Locked Out

It has been a rough few months for me.  I have had to learn to adapt to the fact that I won't have a daily mid-day visitor now that Sister no longer works in town and can't come home for lunch.  Sure, I get a lot of uninterrupted naps now and I did score that air conditioner last month to keep me cool in the summer months, but I must admit that I get a little upset when I think about my family leaving me each morning. As a result, I've become rather clingy in the morning and make every effort to delay my family by sniffing every last tree, telephone pole, and fire hydrant on my morning walks with Pa, demanding extended ear rubs from Sister and, well, then there is my most recent tactic for delaying Ma.

Pa and Sister had already left for work, so I was home alone with Ma.  I had been closely following her around the house for the last ten minutes or so and could sense that she was just about ready to leave as well.  I didn't want this to happen, so I came up with a sure-fire way of delaying her.  As Ma tried to leave the house, I pushed by her and scurried out the door before she could stop me.  As I ran into the backyard, I heard Ma sigh and go back into the house to drop off her bags.  She emerged a moment later with the intent of coaxing me back inside.

After much persuasion (including begging and promises of bribery), Ma convinced me to go back inside the house.  Hungry for a treat, but disheartened all the same, I scurried back to the side door and waited patiently for Ma to open it for me.  She grasped the handle and pushed down on the lever.

Only, it didn't budge; the storm door had locked itself when it slammed shut behind her.

Ma tried the door a couple of more times, but to no avail.  Then she went to the front door with the vague hope of it having been left unlocked.  Failure again.  She thought about who had a key.  In the past, Ma could have borrowed Sister's key by walking over to her job a few blocks away, but now she (and Pa for that matter) were too far away to reach by foot.  And calling someone for help was out of the question too; Ma's cell phone was locked inside the house as well.

Truth be told, I was happy about this predicament.  The way I saw it, Ma would have to stay home (or rather, just outside home) with me until Pa or Sister returned eight hours later.  The bummer would be that all my snacks were inside, but I was willing to ignore my stomach for a fun filled afternoon with Ma.  Happy, I offered Ma a tail wag.  Annoyed, Ma swatted at a mosquito. 

After a minute or so, Ma came up with a new course of action.  She was going to have to break into the house.  Around back she went with me right on her heals.  Methodically, she began working on her bedroom window, cutting away a corner of the screen.  When the hole was big enough and just as she was preparing to hoist her way up and through, Ma looked back into the yard to see what I was up to.  She did not appreciate what she saw.

My Contribution to the Cause

I had decided to help the cause by digging a tunnel into the basement from the backyard.  Sure, the place I chose to started digging from was clear across the yard from the house, but I had every intention of eventually making my way toward the goal.  Honest!

Anyway, like I said, Ma did not particularly appreciate my help (so ungrateful) and came running over to shoo me away from my hole (which was now quite deep). I wandered away long enough for her to return to the window and hoist her way half way through, but once her back was turned and her attention diverted, I returned to my hole.

Once inside, Ma unlocked the door.  She then returned to the backyard, my leash in hand, only to discover me still furiously digging.  When she pulled me out of my hole by my collar, I looked up at her with an innocent "oh, you got inside" look, but she wasn't fooled.  Worse than not being fooled, she was also angry; she was late for work, there was a hole in the window screen, the garden was once again dug up, and I was covered in dirt.  On went my leash and I was unceremoniously escorted back into the house.

Figuring that it was best to give Ma some space, I immediately scurried upstairs and out of sight.  Anticipating trouble, however, Ma followed afterward to make sure I wasn't ripping up clothing or chewing on a pair of shoes.  I was insulted by this lack of faith (she acts like I have a history or something), but decided it wasn't the best time to show my displeasure.  Instead, I wagged my tail at her when she reached the head of the stairs then settled down for my nap.