Coffee

Part Forty-Six: Isolation...But With Friends

Having avoided charging my phone, I wander through the streets of New York and take in the  snow covered sights. For it being mid November, there's more snow than I expected there to be. It usually falls during the end of the Thankful month and the beginning of the Peace on Earth Good Will to Men month. In this particular part of the city- one I rarely go too, I find very few people out- which is not only odd, but nearly unheard of at 6:30 on a Thursday.

As I make my way around a corner, I look in the window of a family owned consignment store and it just catches my eye. Heading in, the doorbell rings and within seconds a tiny little brown dog comes barking at me, followed by a large cream colored one with shaggy hair and a derpy look on his face- he yodels- sort of- at me and then jumps up- wrapping his paws around my neck and begins sniffing my face as the long bodied dog stand with her front paws on my shin.

"Sophie! Bentley! Get down!" An old man yells as he approaches from between two bookcases that line a small hallway."I'm sorry about them. They were tied to my dumpster out back about a week ago and I've been trying to get rid of em, but the city won't take cause they're too full."

"Oh...they're lovely dogs." Bentley- the big dog, who happily keeps hooping up to stand on his back to legs to see me, just noses me a few times for a sniff while Sophie presses her nose into my pant leg. "Hello, yes, I see you. I see you. You're gorgeous."

"Supposedly he's some sort of poodle doodle golden retriever kinda mutt- dumb as rocks if you ask me. And that's one of those wiener dogs. Bossy little shit." He grumbles and I bend down to pet them. "Any way if you find anything you like let me know. We do delivers on Saturdays and Mondays."

Walking off, he leaves me at the front of the store and I stand and begin walking. The whole space is packed to the hilt with furniture. Couches, chairs, bed frames, china cabinets, dressers, area rugs- everything one needs but apartment my many did not want. As I walk around, both dogs tail me, happily jumping up to touch my hands for a little bit of attention.

I've never had a dog.

My Mum was never one for animals. Always said they were too expensive and dirty and would ruin a good home. What was the point of having something you'd just end up burying in a span of seven years or less. That's what she always said to us kids. Said she was sparring is the heartache.

Despite it all, I still longed for one. A fish even would've been nice. But we were a no pet household.

"You two are simply precious. You know that? Hmm? You know?" I ask and Sophie sweetly sits next to Bentley and wags her tail and the big boy just pants happily. Having looked at the entire store, there isn't one item I'm interested in and as I go to leave, I turn back and find both dogs on the floor laying down looking immensely sad. "I can't take you. I work too much and have no idea how to take care of you."

Their big puppy eyes burn into my souls.

"I'm sorry the answer is no." I say commandingly and walk out the door. I get two blocks down and my heart begins to hurt again. "Dammit."

Trudging back down the walk, I open the door and the bell rings. Up runs the two dogs, happily yapping and yodeling and jumping for attention. The old man once more comes down the small passageway and furrows his brows.

"Back I see."

"Yes...you said you were trying to get rid of them?"

"What?"

"The dogs. Sophie and Bentley." I the old man look at both dogs and grumble.

"You don't want them. That one will chew your shoes and that one will run rampant on your furniture after coming inside. They're not worth it, Lady. Trust me." I smile kindly and look down at them.