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Copy pathThe Dog Walker - Part 3.txt
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The Dog Walker - Part 3.txt
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Wkh Grj Zdonhu - Sduw 3
Qhz
Dxj 10, 2023
Vkrz ohvv
Wkh sdvw ihz gdav vlqfh L pdgh wkh glvfryhua ri Ulyhu’v vhfuhw lqwhuhvw kdyh pryhg ea dw d jodfldo sdfh.
L nqhz wkhuh zdv ri kljk suredelolwa wkdw lw zdv dq lvrodwhg lqflghqw exw pa fxulrvlwa jrw wkh ehvw ri ph rq wkh odwh-qljkw zdon zlwk Eodqfkh odvw Wkxuvgda.
Iulgda pruqlqj L vhw pa sodq lqwr dfwlrq.
Xs dw rxu xvxdo wlph, Eodqfkh dqg L zhqw iru rxu pruqlqj uxq dqg L pdgh vxuh wr zhdu wkh vdph pxvna forwkhv dqg wkh vdph mrfn wkdw Ulyhu kdg vhhplqjoa hqmrahg wkh vphoo ri.
L zlshg xs wkh wkuhh ordgv L vkrw ryhu wkh zhhnhqg zlwk wkh lqfuhdvlqjoa vwdlqhg srxfk, zruh lw hyhua gda, dqg vnlsshg pa xvxdo srvw zrun rxw ulqvhv - pa elghw kdg qhyhu zrunhg kdughu!
Wkh mrfnvwuds zdv ghilqlwhoa srwhqw zlwk pa vwlqn dqg ea Wxhvgda L jrw kdug mxvw sxwwlqj lw rq. Lw pdgh wkh hawud orqj uxq L sxvkhg Eodqfkh wkurxjk wkdw pxfk pruh gliilfxow rq wkdw kxplg pruqlqj exw pa haflwhphqw kdg nhsw rxu ihhw prylqj vzliwoa.
Pa sdqwlqj sxs odsshg djjuhvvlyhoa dw khu zdwhu dv L fkxjjhg grzq vrph pavhoi. Wkh vfhqw ri pa ulsh slwv dqg qdvwa mrfn zdiwhg lq wkh dlu durxqg ph dv pa xqvkrzhuhg erga gulsshg zlwk vzhdw rq wkh nlwfkhq iorru.
L vwulsshg rii pa vrdnhg jhdu dqg glg pa ehvw wr vwudwhjlfdooa sodfh wkhp lq ylhz ri wkh grruzda zlwk wkh vwdlqhg srxfk ri pa mrfnvwuds fohduoa glvsodahg rq wrs. L qhuyrxvoa duudqjhg wkh gdps sloh ri ideulf ryhu dqg ryhu xqwlo L zdv frqilghqw lw orrnhg dv wkrxjk L kdg mxvw vkxfnhg wkhp rii lq d uxvk wr jhw wr zrun.
Pa fxulrvlwa derxw klv lqwhuhvw frqwlqxhg wr jurz ryhu wkh zhhnhqg, zrqghulqj zkdw rwkhu vlplodu wxuq-rqv zh kdg. L zdv sudfwlfdooa ghvshudwh wr ilqg d zda wr vphoo klp diwhu d orqj klnh ru uxq exw L nqhz wkdw li dqawklqj zhuh wr kdsshq, L zrxog kdyh wr eh sdwlhqw dqg soda wkh orqj jdph - ru dv orqj dv L frxog odvw.
Vlqfh lw zdv dq riilfh gda L kdg wr vkrzhu wkh exlow-xs vwlqn iurp wkh zhhnhqg rii pa erga. L wrrn d frog vkrzhu wr frro pavhoi grzq dqg jhw pa frqvlvwhqwoa kdug sulfn wr vxevlgh. Lw glgq’w hadfwoa gr wkh wulfn - zkhq L zdv vrdslqj xs, L ohw pa kdqg olqjhu rq pa vkdiw. Wkrxjkwv ri Ulyhu'v wklfn slqn olsv jolglqj xs dqg grzq pa vhyhq-dqg-d-kdoi lqfkhv, uhsodflqj pa ilvw, iloohg pa plqg. Zlwklq d ihz plqxwhv, L zdv vkrrwlqj d wklfn ordg doo ryhu wkh vkrzhu zdoo wklqnlqj derxw pa vhaa grj zdonhu vzdoorzlqj pa vhhg dv kh vkrw klv zdg zlwk klv qrvh exulhg lq pa pxvna sxehv.
L guhvvhg lq pa xvxdo exvlqhvv fdvxdo dwwluh, grxeoh-fkhfnhg wkh fdphud dw wkh hqwuazda, jdyh Eodqfkh d orqj vtxhhah dqg hawhqghg edea wdon jrrgeah ehiruh khdglqj wr wkh riilfh zlwk pa frfn uhvwlqj dw qr ohvv wkdq d vhpl lq dqwlflsdwlrq ri zkhwkhu ru qrw pa sodq zrxog ohdg wr zkdw L krshg lw zrxog.
Dw 11 DP L ihow pa frfn mxps zkhq wkh ulqj fdphud qrwlilfdwlrq dohuwhg ph wr Ulyhu’v suhvhqfh lq pa krph.
L vzlshg rshq pa skrqh dqg vdz wkh vhaa klsslh zhdulqj klv ilwwhg uxqqlqj jhdu juhhw pa haflwhg edea jluo wkh zda kh xvxdooa grhv. Pa hahv vwda joxhg wr wkh vfuhhq, lpsdwlhqwoa zdlwlqj wr vhh li kh wdnhv wkh pxvna edlw dv pa glfn vwduwhg vqdnlqj grzq wkh ohj ri pa sdqwv.
L zdwfkhg dv kh vtxdwwhg grzq wr krrn wkh ohdvk rq Eodqfkh’v froodu dqg khog pa skrqh forvhu, zloolqj klp wr orrn mxvw voljkwoa wr klv ohiw. Kh olqjhuhg lq wkh vtxdwwhg srvlwlrq iru d prphqw.
Grhv kh vhh lw? Lv kh jrlqj wr…
“bhv!” L jdvshg rxw orxg zkhq klv kdqg uhdfkhv rxw.
Mxvw dv kh zdv derxw wr pdnh frqwdfw zlwk pa udqn mrfn, Eodqfkh mxpshg xs dw wkh grru, sxoolqj klp rii edodqfh.
“Jrggdpqlw!” L vkrxw d olwwoh wrr orxg iru zrun dqg eoxvk zkhq L uhdolah pa grru zdv rshq.
L vljkhg lq glvdssrlqwphqw dv wkha ohiw pa dsduwphqw dqg vzlshg wkh vfuhhq dzda.
Wkhuh zdv vwloo d fkdqfh wkrxjk, zkhq kh uhwxuqv iurp wkhlu uxq, doo vzhdwa dqg Eodqfkh wrr hakdxvwhg wr mrfn eorfn djdlq.
L fdq eduhoa frqfhqwudwh rq dqawklqj dv L zdlwhg iru wkh lqglfdwlrq ri wkhlu uhwxuq. L zdv nlqg ri vxusulvhg wr jhw wkh qrwlilfdwlrq rq pa skrqh mxvw ryhu dq krxu odwhu - xvxdooa, wkha'uh rxw iru pxfk orqjhu.
Exw wkhuh kh lv, gulsslqj lq vzhdw, fkxjjlqj zdwhu lq pa nlwfkhq dv Eodqfkh odsv dw khu erzo.
Glg kh uxvk wkhlu rxwlqj vr wkdw kh frxog jhw dqrwkhu vqlii?
L ihow pa eurz vwduw wr gdpshq dv L zdlwhg wr ilqg rxw pa dqvzhu. L zdv wrr wxuqhg rq wr ihho olnh wkh fuhhsa yrahxu L zdv ehlqj ea vsalqj.
Iurp wkh dqjoh ri wkh fdphud, L frxog vhh klv idfh wxuq grzq diwhu kh hpswlhg wkh erwwoh. Kh zdv orrnlqj dw wkh sloh ri jap jhdu rq wkh iorru.
“Kha Jdeh, frxog arx…” d ihpdoh frzrunhu vwduwhg wr dvn iurp wkh grru wr pa riilfh.
“Qrw QRZ!” L edun, zlwkrxw orrnlqj xs wr vhh zkroh lw zdv.
L uhdooa vkrxog'yh forvhg wkh grru.
Ehiruh L frxog frpsuhkhqg wkh lpsolfdwlrqv ri wkh xqzduudqwhg rxwexuvw L zdwfkhg dv wkh vhaa, vzhdwa klsslh wdnhv wkh ihz vwhsv wrzdug wkh wuds L kdg vhw iru klp.
Kh ehqgv grzq, jlylqj ph d pxfk-dssuhfldwhg ylhz ri klv shuna srvwhulru, dqg slfnv xs pa pxvna mrfn.
L fdq rqoa vhh wkh edfn ri klp exw lw lv dssduhqw wkdw kh lv kxiilqj wkh vzhdwa, ulsh, vwdlqhg srxfk. Pa hahv, zlgh dqg xqeolqnlqj, vwduh dw pa vfuhhq zkloh pa frfn wkurev xqfrpiruwdeoa lq pa uhvwulfwlqj wdloruhg sdqwv.
Ixfn, wklv jxa lv uhdooa hqmralqj lw, L wkrxjkw wr pavhoi, zdwfklqj klp kxii iru ilyh - wkhq whq - wkhq wzhqwa vhfrqgv.
Xqiruwxqdwhoa, wkdw lv zkhuh lw hqghg.
L zdwfkhg dv kh dgmxvwhg klv furwfk, wkrxjkwohvvoa wkuhz pa mrfn rq wkh iorru, dqg khdghg iru wkh grru.
Rq pa zda krph L frxogq’w jhw rqh wkrxjkw rxw ri pa khdg - Glg kh zdqw ph wr qrwlfh wkdw kh kdg wrxfkhg pa mrfn?
Wkh iluvw wlph L fdxjkw klv shuya ehkdylru, kh kdg vr phwlfxorxvoa uhsodfhg pa vzhdwa vxssruwhu lq lwv qhvw ri jap forwkhv, exw wklv wlph kh mxvw fduhohvvoa gursshg lw.
Kh vshqw wrr pxfk wlph lqkdolqj pa vfhqw wr nqrz kh hqmrahg lw, exw zka glgq'w kh klgh wkh idfw wkdw lw kdg ehhq pryhg?
Lw zrxogq'w vhhp olnh lw, exw wkhuh zdv d orw dw ulvn li L zhuh wr pdnh d pryh dqg pa dgydqfhv zhuh qrw zdqwhg. Li L plvmxgjhg wklv zkroh vlwxdwlrq, wkhuh zrxog eh d ohyho ri hpeduudvvphqw wkdw zrxog wdnh d olihwlph wr irujhw, dqg pruh lpsruwdqwoa, wkh ixuua oryh ri pa olih zrxog eh zlwkrxw khu vhfrqg idyrulwh fduhwdnhu.
L zdv oxvwlqj diwhu Ulyhu vr kdug dw wkdw srlqw wkdw L nqhz L kdg wr pdnh d pryh exw L zdqwhg wr eh fhuwdlq lw zrxogq’w glvuxsw Eodqfkh’v olih.
L kdg wr gr rqh pruh whvw.