Early Morning

Her Magazine, February/March 2013
I won my first ever short story writing competition in October 2012 and the prize was to be published in Her Magazine. It is a story about a dog and a business woman. The bio was printed with the short story. 

Sarah painted a confident picture in her designer tracksuit. With her honey-streaked hair swept up in a pony-tail, she jogged with meaning.

As she jogged through the neighbourhood, contentment set in. It was for her, a form of meditation.

She turned the corner, and tripped.

“What?” She looked down to see a small scruffy-looking dog. It didn’t have a collar on and looked lost.

Two brown eyes stared up at her. She glanced around the street. It was dead.

She looked at her watch. It was 7am. Too early to knock on people’s doors.

“Guess I’ll have to take you home.” she said.

She let the dog roam around her small courtyard. It relieved itself.

“Oh, you’re a boy.” She said.

Sarah went inside and filled an empty container with water. The dog lapped it up. She checked the time. 7.15am. She figured around 8am she would start searching for the dog’s owner.

“I have to get ready,” she said to the dog, “I have work.” She closed the back door and went inside. She peaked out of her lace curtains and could see the little dog sniffing outside.

After her shower, she decided on a black pencil skirt, with a crisp white shirt, and black peep-hole shoes. She straightened her hair and smiled at the mirror. Lipstick and understated eyes and she was ready.

She looked at the time. 7.50am.

Sarah went outside and the little dog was lying down. His tail started wagging when he saw her.

“Ok,” she said “Time to find your owner!”

They walked down the street as an old woman clad in her PJs and dressing gown was putting out her trash.

“Is this your dog?” Sarah asked. The woman shook her head.

Curtains parted and muffled giggles followed from two little faces that were pointing and laughing at the little dog that was lifting his leg by their letterbox.

“Come on!” said Sarah, mortified to be seen with an animal that relieved itself in public.

At a block of flats, Sarah knocked on one of the doors. An elderly woman with wispy grey hair shuffled to the door in her pale pink slippers.

 “Oh, what a gorgeous dog!” the old lady exclaimed.

 “He’s lost,” Sarah said “Any chance he might belong to anyone here?”

 “No dogs allowed here dear. Only cats.” She said pointing at the bony black cat curled up on a chair.

Sarah looked at her watch. 8.15am.

“Phone the SPCA,” said the old woman “They open at 10am. I used to do voluntary work there - until my hips started playing up.”  

“Thanks.” Sarah said.

Back at her townhouse she shoved a few papers into her briefcase. She had an important meeting at 9am.

 The dog looked at her with pleading eyes.

“I’ll come back at lunchtime.” she said.

“Sorry,” she added “It’s the best I can do.”

The meeting went exceedingly well. The team was impressed with her latest marketing strategy.

At 10am Sarah phoned the SPCA and arranged to drop the little dog off at lunchtime.

As she ate her chicken wrap on the way home in the car, some of the stuffing fell out on to her white shirt. Her lunchtime had been ruined due to the wanderings of some dog.

When the little dog saw her, he greeted her at the gate.

“It’s okay,” she said “I’m home.” He came up to her and tried to nestle into her legs.

“I’m in my work clothes!” she said, backing away. The little dog looked hurt and lay down.

At the SPCA the little dog was put in his own cage. On his left were three Rottweiler puppies. On his right a young Whippet dog. The little dog whimpered.

“You’ll be fine,” Sarah said, realising she was convincing herself as much as the dog.

She drove straight back to work. Although she was flat-out that afternoon, she kept thinking about the little dog. What if the owner didn’t find the dog? Would anyone want a ratty-looking older dog? Didn’t most people want puppies?

Sarah decided to phone the SPCA at 2pm. No-one had called about the little dog.

That night she found it hard to settle. Would he be warm enough in his cage? Would his puppy neighbours keep him awake?

At work the next day her mind couldn’t help but drift to the little dog. At 10am she called the SPCA. Nothing yet, they said - but sometimes it takes a few days, they reassured her.

She decided that if the dog wasn’t picked up by the end of the week, that she would offer him a home. It felt like a big decision. She was thirty-three years old and had had no dependants up until this point. She wasn’t even sure she wanted children. She was thriving in her marketing career and loved her busy life in Auckland in which she could do as she pleased.

Two days later the SPCA called. A man had phoned up. The dog belonged to his sister, who was in her seventies and was going through the early stages of dementia. She had simply left the backdoor open and the little dog had escaped.

“We had a good chat with the owner’s brother,” the SPCA volunteer said “He has decided to take on the dog. “

Sarah was surprised to feel her heart breaking a little. That little dog had made a big impression. She had somehow been opened up to the world of dog ownership. She decided to wait a few days to see if the feeling passed. If it didn’t, then she’d return to the SPCA and see what dogs were up for adoption.

By Friday it was clear that this urge to take on a dog wasn’t going to pass. It both annoyed and excited her.

On Saturday morning she headed to the SPCA. There was now just one Rottweiler puppy, the young Whippet dog remained and there was a little Shih Tzu as well.

The Shih Tzu immediately came up to her when she stood in front of its cage and licked her hand. Sarah melted.

 “That’s Lacey,” said one of the volunteers. “She’s just a year old. Her previous owners have a toddler and twin six month olds and found managing a dog too much.”

 “Hello Lacey!” she said. Lacey gave her another lick on the land.

At 7am, two weeks later, Sarah was walking Lacey. She enjoyed starting her day with a walk with her new furry-friend who she had bonded with immediately.

Lacey had become part of her life fast. She even came to cafés and sat outside with her drinking from a bowl while she sipped lattes. She was so lovely to come home to after a hard day at work. Which Sarah hadn’t known before – she’d just accepted the pressures of work as part of her life.

Lacey helped her slow down. It was a mutual relationship which both dog and owner both benefited from. Something that wouldn’t have happened had she not stumbled across the lost little dog.

Biography

Lynda Jessen-Tye writes short stories, articles, poetry and is a keen blogger. She wrote a column for two years for the Nelson District Parent Centre Newsletter called New Mum On The Block. She has entered several short story competitions and is currently working on her first book. She lives in sunny Nelson with her husband, their seven year old daughter, a dog and a cat.

Plunket Bonanza November 2012

I shared a stall with my friend Trish today at the Plunket Bonanza, in Hope. It it is the first stall I've had in eighteen months, so it was great to get back on the (painting) horse again! Trish sold some nursery flags but I didn't make any sales this time round. I still had fun getting ready for the stall and it got me painting again - I'll be going into a few more fairs and markets this Summer! Below are some of my new art pieces as well as photos from today's Plunket Bonanza. It wasn't quite the right venue for selling my art as it was primarily second-hand baby gear and children's clothes, but it was easy to set up as the table was provided and it was all indoors.

Mapua Easter Fair 2011

I sold four paintings and two rock paintings at this years Mapua Easter Fair. Below is the art painted for the stall. It was a grey and slightly damp day but as always a relaxing atmosphere. It was great to have Trish on the stall too selling her owls and broaches.