Everlast

The first night

    The first night I was in Tulsa was the hardest, it seemed as if the sirens were constant, the faint baby crying was getting louder, and the people fighting next to me wouldn't stop their immature bickering. I tossed and turned all night, I got up to get a glass of water in the little kitchen I had. I looked out the window and see a stray dog looking for scraps it was raining and I felt for him, he was trying to make it like I was, my mission get that dog and give him a bath.

    I threw on my coat and my rain boots as fast as I could, I struggle to get my rain boots on and hopped side ways running into the wall I chuckled at myself like I always do when I'm a klutz. I grabbed my keys and ran down the stairs, I dash out the door with the little bell going off as the door opened and closed.  I looked through the rain left and right, the dog was gone , I thought to myself "He was just here?!? Where did he go?!" I run down the street looking in all the ally ways, finally I found him.

      He was in a back of a donut shop trying to get his midnight snack. I go into the store, I ask "one maple long John please?" The man looked at me puzzled, I bet he was thinking "why is this weird white chick here at eleven o'clock at night  buying a maple long john?" I grab the bag anxiously and throw a five on the counter I yell, "keep the change!" As I zip out the door to meet the stray dog. I find him, tail sopping wet but wagging as fast as could be with his head in a face of trash, I slowly approach him and whistle to get his attention. At first he was resentful but he smelled the maple goodness and came to me, I broke it into little pieces coaxing him toward me stepping back further and further out of the ally way. Finally, I got him! I wrapped his skinny tan colored body up in my coat and carried him home in the rain feeding him little bits of the donut.

   I finally got home with my new friend in my arms, I set him down in the small bath room If you could even call it a bathroom to how small it was, but it was left of the  living room. I shut the door behind me so he couldn't get out while I gathered the things I needed to give him a nice warm bath, I could hear a faint whimper from the bathroom and my heart sank a little when I heard it. He was just like me locked in a place he didn't want to be, and he didn't know how to work the door knob so he couldn't get out, it was just like me in the small apartment. Alone and afraid having no where to go.

   I finally went back to the bath room and it was a mess, dirt and mud was every where, the shower current was pulled down and the innocent dog was sitting there with soft chocolate brown eyes looking up at me like he didn't do anything wrong, I couldn't help but smile at him. I started up the bath and added some shampoo to the water for some bubbles, then I put my little friend in the water. He was a good ball he started to bite the water and play with his reflection, I thought to myself "how could anyone give up a sweetheart like this?"

     I looked at the dogs body he was thin really thin, you could see his bones and rib cage, he had a strong chest from being on the streets so long, jumping in to trash and running away from animal control. I looked at his coat he looked to be a tan brown mix of fur it grew longer on his chest down to his stomach, his tail was bushy, his body was a bit shorter but still long  and fluffy his head looked like a German shepherd but his body seemed to be built like a lab. I looked at my new friend and said "you deserve a name boy, something that's strong and courageous just like you are." He seemed to understand and began to smile as he panted. "How about Leo?" He didn't seem to like that once because he stuck his nose in the water and sneezed, "hmm Dakota?" He stopped panting at me and look at me with a puzzled look, I laughed " ok ok not that one, hey about about Titus? You like that name Titus?" He licked my face and slashed on me water, there he was Titus my new best friend.

      I pulled Titus from the water and wrapped him in a towel he shook like no other, he looked like a big wet mop by the time we were done it was bed time for me I had training early in the morning and it was gonna be a long night. I threw on my pajamas and  snuggled on my bed, Titus seemed to fit  right at home, he snuggle at the end of my bed and fell right asleep, if only I could sleep like that I thought.