Dogtrot

Dogs look up to you. Cats look down on you. Give me a pig. He just looks you in the eye and treats you like an equal. - Winston Churchill

Today is the Nation Dog Walk day.

My sister-in-law and I brought Rachel, Angel and our two pooches to the great event at West Coast Park.

What about Mervin? That rascal is just like his father!

“I don’t want to go because it’s too hot and the walk is too long.”

“Why didn’t I hear you complaining when you were playing soccer under the hot sun?”

“It’s different! Moreover, I’m the Goalkeeper. Thus, there is shelter under the goal posts and I don’t have to run much!”

I looked at that imp and rolled my eyes.

The excursion was a wonderful experience, apart from a few hiccups.

First of all, somehow, my sister-in-law and I kept assuming the starting point of the walk was near the McDonald’s. We parked our car there, waited for nearly half an hour before deciding to proceed to the “finishing point” since we couldn’t see any booths in sight. After maybe five minutes’ of walk, we spotted the crowd and marquee for the event.

Secondly, walking along with a large troop of dogs requires special skills. We needed to open our eyes super wide to look out for any “time bombs” or “chemical weapons” along the way. There were many close shaves but thanks to our keen eyes and agility, we managed to escape without injuries.

Thirdly, crossing patches of grass fields proved to be the most challenging. It was exactly like treading on a mine field. Though all the “mines” were above ground, they were cleverly camouflaged by the grass and dirt. A wrong step would prove to be fatal.

Fourthly, the large crowd of people plus large group of dogs equals little available floor space. We couldn’t find a place to sit in the dog run at all! After walking and standing about for more than an hour, we decided to leave the carnival for home.

Hence, we meandered through the crowds, tip-toed across the “mine fields”, trudged along the path, evaded all the “time bombs” and “chemical weapons” and finally reached our finishing line. By then, all dogs and humans were panting heavily.

“We missed the cake-cutting,” I suddenly remembered.

“No way we’re going all the way back there again!” My sister-in-law exclaimed.

“And there’s the lucky draw too…” I muttered.

“Forget it.”

Frankly speaking, I’m more than glad that I went to the National Dog Walk. For a mere registration fee of five dollars, a portion of which goes to the Animal Lovers League fund, the stuffs we got in return far surpassed its worth.

For now, Kristel’s shelf is packed abundantly with treats and food samples. The girls had an unforgettable experience.

However, the story doesn’t end here.

The last hiccup of the day:

I have to wash the extra load of clothing after we got home; vacuum the floor which was trampled by Angel’s sandy socks; unpacked all the stuffs from our loot bags and put them away neatly; and do other regular chores like boiling water, washing dishes, applying shoe white on their school shoes, ironing their school uniforms, hanging clothes, changing Kristel’s papers…

I was cursing aloud as I tried to rush through the routine.

“Mummy, just come and sleep with me. You have done so much already!” Angel spoke with concern from my bed.

Then who is going to do all these f***ing housework if I f***ingly sleep with you?

Fortunately, I still had the sanity to keep the above thought to myself.

At long last, I completed the chores, walked past a concussed Kristel into my room, and heard the soft snores of Angel. A tiny guilt rose within me.

With tenderness, I leaned over and gave my cherub a peck on her forehead.