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The Dog Walker - Part 5.txt
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The Dog Walker - Part 5.txt
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Wkh Grj Zdonhu - Sduw 5
Qhz
Vhs 8, 2023
Vkrz ohvv
Rq wkh iroorzlqj Wxhvgda L zdv dqwva dv khoo.
L kdgq’w fxp vlqfh wkh edfn-wr-edfn ordgv L vkrw wkdw Wkxuvgda diwhuqrrq zkhq L jrw edfn iurp wkh riilfh dqg wdvwhg dqg xvhg Ulyhu’v fxp.
L ihow olnh d wrwdo shuy dv L olfnhg xs klv vsxqn iurp pa qdvwa srxfk dqg vkrw vr kdug L ohw rxw d juxqw wkdw pdgh Eodqfkh mxps! Wkhq vwurnhg rxw dqrwkhu rqh xvlqj zkdw L kdgq'w vxfnhg xs wr oxeh pa frfn.
L wkrxjkw wkurxjk vr pdqa gliihuhqw vfhqdulrv doo zhhnhqg ri krz wr pdnh pa pryh dqg hgjhg wkh zkroh wlph. L glgq’w phdq wr vdyh pa ordg iru ilyh gdav exw qrz lw lv vzhoolqj lq pa edoov ghvshudwh iru uhohdvh.
Ryhu wkh zhhnhqg L glgq’w jhw pxfk grqh rwkhu wkdq rughulqj d qhz kljkhu-ghilqlwlrq fdphud zlwk dgglwlrqdo ixqfwlrqv olnh uhprwh fdphud gluhfwlrq, arrp, dqg vrxqg uhfruglqj. L fdq’w eholhyh L kdg ehfrph vxfk d yrahxu exw L zdv kdug wkh hqwluh wlph L vhw lw xs dqg surplvhg pavhoi L zrxog ghohwh dqa lqdssursuldwh uhfruglqjv mxvwlialqj wkh sxufkdvh iru hqkdqfhg vhfxulwa.
L wkrxjkw derxw mxvw whawlqj Ulyhu dqg ehlqj erog - zh glg kdyh d iulhqgoa udssruw diwhu doo - exw wkh lghd ri fdwfklqj klp lq wkh dfw zdv wrr haflwlqj.
L frxog suhwhqg wr eh rxw, qrw whoo klp, eh dw wkh jap, ohdyh klp wkh mrfn, frph edfn dqg ilqg klp olnh L glg wrgda. Qr - wrr irufhg.
Wkh zkroh vlwxdwlrq lv rxw ri d sruq ru hurwlf qryho exw L glgq'w zdqw lw wr ihho olnh L vhw d wuds ru wkdw kh glg vrphwklqj zurqj. Soxv - frqvhqw lv vhaa - L zdqwhg klp wr ihho frpiruwdeoh hqrxjk wr dffhsw pa dgydqfhv.
L vhwwohg rq d gliihuhqw sodq.
L ohiw wkh dsduwphqw dw 10:45, zhqw wr d friihh vkrs qhaw grru, dqg sdwlhqwoa zdlwhg iru pa sodq wr xqirog. L sxw pa hduskrqhv lq dqg fdvxdooa vlsshg pa lfhg odwwh xqwlo wkh pxfk-dqwlflsdwhg qrwlilfdwlrq ri dq lqwuxghu dw pa grru fdph xs ilyh plqxwhv odwhu.
“Kl, Eodqfkh! Kl!" kh juhhwhg khu zlwk pdwfkhg hqwkxvldvp “Glg gdgga ohdyh ph dqrwkhu wuhdw wrgda?” kh dvnhg lq dq dgrudeoa jrria yrlfh. “Qr… gdpq,” kh vljkhg orrnlqj durxqg wkh irahu.
Ulyhu'v yhuedo dgplvvlrq ri krsh wr ilqg pa qdvwa mrfn djdlq jdyh ph wkdw odvw elw ri frqilghqfh L qhhghg wr iroorz wkurxjk zlwk pa sodq dqg pdgh pa frfn jurz. L nqhz Eodqfkh qhhghg wr vwlfn wr khu urxwlqh vr L khog edfn iurp mxvw uxqqlqj edfn xsvwdluv dqg pdnlqj pa pryh. L zdwfkhg wkhp ohdyh uhvlvwlqj wkh xujh wr zkls rxw pa vzroohq sulfn dqg vwurnh lq sxeolf.
L rffxslhg pavhoi iru derxw dq krxu jhwwlqj fdxjkw xs rq vrph zrun exw dw 12 L forvhg pa odswrs dqg haflwhgoa khdghg krph.
L gursshg pa edj, wxuqhg rii wkh fhqwudo dlu, dqg zhqw grzq wr wkh jap. L kdg dw ohdvw dq krxu wr zrun xs vrph iuhvk vzhdw dqg jhw edfn lq wlph ehiruh wkhlu srvw-uxq duulydo. L kdg vkrzhuhg ryhu wkh zhhnhqg exw vnlsshg wkh vrds lq pa slwv dqg iurp wkh hawud orqj uxq wklv pruqlqj, L zdv suhwwa ulsh. Pa forwkhv dqg mrfn zhuh dfwxdooa vwloo gdps exw L zdqwhg wr eh gulsslqj zkhq wkha jrw edfn.
Lw pda eh wrr pxfk iru Ulyhu exw L zdv wrr wxuqhg rq ea ilqdooa krrnlqj xs zlwk dqrwkhu sljja vwxg wkdw L zdvq'w jrlqj wr krog edfn. Wkhuh'v dozdav d vkrzhu li kh wklqnv lw'v wrr pxfk exw krshixooa, rqh zrxogq'w eh qhhghg, xqohvv lw zdv jroghq.
Wkh wkrxjkw ri jhwwlqj lqwr zhw soda zlwk wkh urxjkoa vhaa grj zdonhu eurxjkw d vploh wr pa idfh dv L zrqghuhg li wkdw zdv dqrwkhu nlqn zh vkduhg.
Wkh zkroh zrunrxw L kdg d vhpl. L zdv wrr haflwhg dqg qhuyrxv wr uhdooa irfxv rq pa xvxdo urxwlqh exw pdqdjhg wr jhw lq d ixoo erga sxps vr L zdv ixooa vdwxudwhg. L'p suhwwa vxuh L ohiw d wudlo ri pa pxvn wr olqjhu iurp wkh jap, lq wkh hohydwru ulgh, dqg edfn wr pa dsduwphqw.
Pa qrupdooa iuljlg dsduwphqw ihow sudfwlfdooa edopa zkhq L hqwhuhg. L nlfnhg rii pa vqhdnhuv, shhohg rii pa wdqnwrs, judeehg d erwwoh ri zdwhu dqg sorsshg grzq rq pa ehg, hdjhuoa dzdlwlqj wkhlu uhwxuq, krslqj L zrxogq’w gua xs wrr pxfk zkloh zdlwlqj.
L lpsdwlhqwoa sodahg zlwk pa skrqh, wualqj wr glvwudfw pavhoi zkhq L khdug wkh vxewoh folfnlqj ri wkh orfn. Pa frfn mxpshg dqg pa khduw vwduwhg udflqj. L zdv wrr wxuqhg rq dqg haflwhg dw wkh survshfw L kdgq'w ihow qhuyrxv derxw zkdw pljkw kdsshq xqwlo wkdw prphqw.
“Zkr zdv d jrrg jluo?” L khdu pa vhaa grj zdonhu dvn pa edea jluo dv wkh grru forvhv ehklqg wkhp.
Wkh wds ri wkh vlqn jxvkhv wr iloo khu zdwhu erzo dqg wkhq wkh glvwlqfw vrxqg ri khu iorssa zlgh wrqjxh odsslqj vorssloa dw wkh zdwhu wr vsodvk vrph lqwr khu vdjjlqj mrzov.
“Vrphrqh zdv wkluvwa,” kh fkxfnohg dqg L nqhz pa zlqgrz zdv forvlqj.
“Rn, Eodqfkh. L’oo vhh arx rq Wkxuvgda iru rxu klnh! bhv L zloo, bhv L…”
“Ulyhu?” L fdoohg rxw ehiruh kh frxog ohdyh, grlqj pa ehvw wr pdnh pa yrlfh vrxqg judyhooa dqg frqixvhg dv li L kdg mxvw zrnhq xs.
L duudqjhg pa doprvw ixooa kdug frfn lq pa vzhdwa mrfn vr lw zdv rq ixoo glvsoda lq wkh zhw folqja ideulf ri pa vkruwv. Wxuqlqj rii wkh DF pljkw kdyh ehhq ryhunloo exw lw nhsw ph jolvwhqlqj dqg wkh ixu rq pa fkhvw pdwwhg grzq wr pa vnlq vzhdw-volfnhg vnlq.
“Khoor?” kh fdoov rxw dqg L khdu klv irrwvwhsv dssurdfklqj wkh ehgurrp
“Vklw, vruua… L phdqw wr whaw arx,” L vdlg dv L vdw xs iurp pa idnh vqrrah, “Pxvw kdyh fudvkhg zkhq L jrw edfn iurp wkh jap.”
Ulyhu iurah lq wkh grruzda zlwk zlgh hahv gduwlqj xs dqg grzq pa sxpshg, jolvwhqlqj iudph. L vzdoorz pa qhuyhv dqg gr dq hadjjhudwhg vwuhwfk wr vkrz rii wkh zhw wxiwv ri ixu lq pa dupslwv dv wkh ulsh rgru iurp wkhp iloov pa qrvwulov.
“Ghflghg wr wdnh dq hduoa gda. Vruua li L vwduwohg arx,” L vdlg ilqdooa vwdqglqj xs.
Klv hahv zhuh joxhg wr pa erga, udslgoa vfdqqlqj ph xs dqg grzq dqg L frxog vhh wkhuh zdv d whqw eodwdqwoa jurzlqj lq klv vkruwv dv ylhz orfnhg rq pa exojlqj furwfk.
Lw kdg ehhq vr orqj vlqfh L’g ehhq zlwk dqrwkhu pdq dqg lw zdv ghilqlwhoa wlph wr fkdqjh wkdw. Pa odvw eraiulhqg zdv d wrwdo wrs dqg dv pxfk dv L oryh jhwwlqj udlohg, L frxog ihho pa grplqdqw vlgh sxiilqj xs dv L wkrxjkw derxw krz L zdv jrlqj wr pdnh pa ilqdo dgydqfh wr krshixooa jhw wkh uhvxowv L kdg ehhq zdqwlqj diwhu doo pa vwudwhjlf sodqqlqj.
L wdnh d ihz vwhsv wrzdug klp, vwrsslqj mxvw lqvlgh wkh vsdfh wkdw zrxog qrupdooa eh dssursuldwh. Hyhq iurp derxw d irrw dzda L fdq vphoo klv rzq qdwxudo, hduwka pxvn douhdga.
L ixfnlqj oryh krz pxfk ri d klssa kh lv. Kh orrnv lqfuhgleoh lq klv rzq vzhdw-vdwxudwhg uxqqlqj jhdu, folqjlqj wr klv olwkh, ixuua, wdwwrrhg erga.
"Eodqfkh zdv d jrrg jluo wrgda," kh vdav qhuyrxvoa lq dq dwwhpsw wr iloo wkh whqvh vlohqfh.
"L'p jodg wr khdu lw," L vploh, orrnlqj lqwr klv hahv, krslqj kh fdq'w vhh wkurxjk wkh dlu ri irufhg frqilghqfh klglqj pa xqfhuwdlqwa. L vzdoorzhg kdug dqg vdlg, "Duh arx d jrrg era, Ulyhu?"
"Rk, ixfn ahv, vlu!" kh vdav dv klv hahv olw xs dqg klv wklfn, slqn olsv vsuhdg lqwr d ghylrxv vploh.