Responsible?

A friend was out of town last weekend and I agreed to watch her dog. She lives down the street from me and I just have to run over and let her out, feed her and give her water. No big deal right?

I got home aroung midnight and I wanted to go to bed, but remembered the dog. I thought I could let the dog out into the little yard and she would come back in, that is what my friend does. I let her out the door. She was there and I told her to go to the bathroom and all was well, right? No. She decided to crawl under a car.

I called for her for a few minutes and couldn't find her ANYWHERE! It was past midnight, and I was standing outside calling for the dog, trying to be quiet so I didn't wake up and neighbors. After 15 minutes or so, I was starting to get worked up a little. I called, roamed the alley, and prayed. Nothing. I am really starting to freak out, and it has now been around a half hour. I left my cell phone at home, so it was all me, no calling for help to find the lost dog (I have NO idea who I would call at 12:30). By now, I am sobbing all alone in a dark alley looking for a dog. Silly, I know, but I had no idea what to do.

I saw people on their porch at the end of the Alley, so I thought I would go over and see if maybe they have a flashlight I can borrow to look under the cars and see if the dog is just hiding. I get to the porch, start talking to these three men just out enjoying a nice summer night smoking their cigars, and break down sobbing. They look at me like I am totally NUTS! At this point, I look like I am a complete crazy. Luckily, one of them says he will let me borrow a flashlight, and goes in to get it. The other two stare at me crying and I am sure are thinking I am a nutcase. I take the flashlight, and walk up and down for a while longer, then walk through a yard to the street and see a cop car.

I wave it down. I tell the cop what has happened, describe the dog (still crying, so maybe I get weepy when it is late and I am tired; or hysterical when I lose other people's animals), and the cop is really nice. He said he has 4 dogs and understands my worry, he also said that dogs generally will return home and it's okay. Not to panic. I thank him and continue yelling for the dog. It is now 1:10 am (I saw the clock in the cop car) and I have no idea what to do. I wander the alley some more thinking of my options: continue yelling and shining a flashlight in other people's yards (how have the police not been called on me yet??), go home and call another friend who has babysat the dog and see if he has any ideas (do I really want to explain that I lost the dog), sit on the porch all night long and hope the dog returns...

I start yelling again and wandering around the alley. I hear a baby start crying through an open window. I woke up a child. Oh dear. I still wander trying to be quiet, but still yelling. I hear a man yell "Quiet!" out another window and know that it is now probably 1:40 am and I am running out of options.

A man is walking down the alley and says "I think I saw your dog." I stood there with my mouth open and said "A small black and white dog?" He confirmed it and said she was a block away, he took me to her. She was in the bushes scared, and lost. I picked her up and took her home, We chatted the whole time, and I couldn't stop thanking him.

I asked him if he needed anything, after a minute he said "Do you have a cold beer? I have been doing work on one of my rental properties and that just sounds so good right now."

"I don't, but my roommates do!" Yes, I offered him my roommates beer. "Let's put the dog away, then you can come to my house and I will give it to you."

We went back to my house, it was now 2:15 am. (Note: Do not worry for my safety, this guy was really nice, 5 inches shorter than me, and I looked like a crazy disaster). I look in my fridge and there wasn't a beer to be found. Of course. I started offering him anything, my roommate had made brownies, I had Mango popcicles in the freezer. He took the mango popcicle and loved it. We chatted for 15 minutes about recent trips to Peru and then he went home.

The next morning I baked cookies for the guys who let me borrow the flashlight.