I decided to go to the nail salon and spend a most needed hour or two just sinking into the big black leather massage chair giving my muscles a much needed rest. I thought, I’ll just sit here, close my eyes and not even engage in the idol chit chat that’s going on around me. Most women can find anything to talk about, and today was no different but I just wanted to relax. I plunged my feet into the foamy, hot, swirling foot bath, pressed the massage button and took a really deep breath. Just as the thought of relaxing started to settle in, I opened my eyes for a moment. I began to focus out the salons' front window past the young girls who were just having their nails dried and trying to figure out what part of their body they would like to have pierced. I could see the local tavern awning across the street and the two way traffic that was so busy right in front of it. Every time the light would change, the traffic would stop but the leaves would whip up and around and the trees would lean and sway. This was pretty typical for a north east November afternoon but what wasn’t usual was the little dog I saw tied to the post in the front of the tavern. I would get glimpses in between the traffic and I realized the little dog wasn’t alone, he was with what appeared to be his owner. A woman in very high heeled boots and Capri pants. At first I thought, she’s tending to him, she’s going to untie him and they’ll be on their way. But then I saw her stumble. I looked at the clock. 2:30 pm. Is she drunk? Would she tie this little dog to the post and go in and drink? Did she work there? She’s patting him on the head and giving him some small morsel of food, I think. She turns, stumbles and heads back into the tavern where the door shuts and there the puppy sits in the wind and the whipping leaves, in clear view of my relaxing pedicure.

I close my eyes. I feel the water swirling around my ankles soothing the savage beast within. I realize everybody is paired up but me. The salon is quite busy and it’s going to be some time before my pedicure begins. I take a few deep breaths and open my eyes. There’s the little dog again. I look at the clock, 2:40 pm. Did she come outside again while I had my eyes closed? Is she still inside the tavern? Does that puppy look cold or is it me? Why do I care? Why am I paying such close attention to this little dog. Surely its just some lady who had to stop inside the tavern to make a call, get some smokes, grab a quick late lunch. She’s going to come out and untie the little puppy and they’ll be on their way. Just then a young man was walking down the corner. He comes upon the little puppy and stops. He looks around and begins to pat her on her head as she wags her tail appreciatively. The young man looks around again and goes on his way. Two young mothers with their little children were now coming down the corner. They stopped when they saw the puppy. They seemed to have a long conversation as each mom picked up their child. They looked at the puppy and went on their way. Just then the tavern door opened and an older man came out. He’s making a cell phone call. He’s leaning down to pet the puppy. The puppy wags her tail again most appreciatively and the tavern door opens again. There she is. I look at the clock 3:00 pm.

Finally one of the girls comes over and asks me what color I want to use. I’ve already picked out a really cool shade of pink and she proceeds to bring my sore tired feet back to life. I close my eyes, but I can’t relax now. I can’t get this little puppy out of my mind. I open my eyes and look at the clock, it’s 3:15 pm. I glance out the salon window again expecting to see the puppy but she’s gone! I’m ecstatic. Finally she took him home.

Not so. Apparently she moved him from the post in front of the tavern to a parking meter a few feet away but still in direct view of my pedicure. Now, the puppy is so close to the street I fear she will get hit by a car but I notice she is tethered so tightly that she couldn’t go into the street if she wanted to. What she wants is to not be tied to this parking meter and she wants to sit down in a warm, safe place. I can tell because she keeps trying to but then she gets up. My guess is the ground is really cold and so is she. I finally accept that the puppy's owner is not going to be taking her home any time soon. The puppy's getting colder, she’s getting more numb. But not me. My eyes are causing my heart to bleed for this little puppy but now I have to move to get my manicure. I feel somewhat more anxious because now, I can’t see her. I’m hoping that by the time I’m done, they’ll both be gone. No such luck. My manicure was finally over and according to the clock its now 4:00 pm. This was indeed one of the longest manicures and pedicures I’ve ever had. The nail salon, needless to say, is doing very well.

It’s almost over, my afternoon of relaxation. The only thing left is getting my eyebrows waxed. I go into the Waxing Room and get comfortable on the table. I close my eyes and I hear the very quiet preparations that lead to the one, two, three rip and then breathe again routine. One, two, three rip and then breathe one more time and then, we’re all done. Time to pay and be on my way. I exit the Waxing Room and go to gather my belongings. I sit for a moment and look out the window. There’s the puppy. The clock says 4:30 and that’s just too long. I start to hear something that sounds like my voice speaking to anyone who will listen. It says “I’ve been here since 2:30 and that puppy has been tethered to that parking meter and I’m really getting upset about it.” Before I know it, everyone is looking at me and then rushing to the window. I hear “what puppy” and “where is she?” My lips are moving again and now my fingers pointing “right there”! That poor little puppy has been left there…” and as my voice trails off, she emerges. The owner of the puppy. All at once the nail salon owner says “OH!” I know her” She’s a drinker! She drinks in there all the time”. Before I could react, another one of the salon workers walks out the door and crosses the street. She approaches the puppy and bends down to comfort her. She wags her tail appreciatively. The woman now is engaging in a conversation with the salon worker. I then find myself walking out the door and across the street to help. I really do want to help. As I get closer I realize this is no puppy but an older dog. She was shaking like the leaves she was standing in. Her owner was saying “I love my dog” but she was clearly drunk. I asked her if she needed a ride home and told her she shouldn’t keep her puppy tied up for hours out in the cold. She started to argue with me about how long she was there. My heart was now in my shoes. Not only was this puppy in serious trouble, but so was her owner. By now, a few others had come out! of their establishments to see if they could help. Apparently they had seen the puppy as well but needed what I needed in order to speak up…a little confidence. Finally, she untied her dog and started to stagger away. One of the neighbors who had been in the area said he knew her and that she was heading in the wrong direction. I decided to get in my truck and just as I began to cross the street, a young woman with an apron approached me. She asked “Did you just say something to that woman about her dog”? I said “Yes, she had him tied up for hours”. The woman said “I know, I called the pound to come and pick him up!” She said “We have to stall her”.

Stall her. That was funny. I didn’t think she’d go very far. I was right. As I turned the corner, there she was, puppy in arms. She was talking to an old lady who was walking with a cane. She looked like she was crying to her. She was a wreck and the dog was still outside. I decided to pull over and signal to her to come over. At first she said no and then thought better of it. She came right over and I told her to get in the truck. I blasted the heat on high and started to peel away the layers of this onion. I knew I wasn’t getting “involved” but I did want to get her home. I knew I wasn’t going to “save” her, but I did want them safe. I asked her where she lived and she told me. She said what she really wanted to do was to go drink beer and that if I wanted to take her fine, if not that was fine too. I began to take her and her dog home.

I’ve never seen a more sorry looking dog. She was a small black and white terrier with cloudy eyes and long nails. She never barked or growled, ever. I took her at one point to help the girl get settled and she was as light as a feather. She finally stopped shaking and I was relieved. Before I could put the car in reverse a man with few teeth and a leash was approaching my truck. I realized he was from the pound and he meant business. I rolled down her window and the two of them began a conversation that went something like this:

Man from Pound “Is that the dog?” “Good, I was looking for her, I heard she was tied up outside for hours!” “Is this your dog”?

Drunk Girl “Yes its my dog. I love my dog!”

Man from Pound “Did you leave her tied up outside for hours because I’m hear to take her from you!”

Drunk Girl “How could you!?” she says to me.

I say "I didn’t call him, I’m trying to help you.”

Man from Pound “If I see this dog tied up to anything for any period of time, I will take him away from you. You will get summoned! Does your dog have a license? Let me see it!” “Next time you want to go out and get drunk, leave your dog home!”

She shows him the license and then he pounded his feet away. I put the car in reverse, turned around and headed toward her house. She lived a quarter of a mile away. On the way, I decided to ask her what the problem was. She was clearly drunk and I asked her if she was an alcoholic. She said “Yes, but no body cares in AA.“ I reassured her that she needed to go to the meetings and that she needed to get sober. She said she knew and that I was right. She said that my bringing her home meant more to her than I could know. I thought, no, I would appreciate it too if, God forbit, that were me.

She was an attractive 45 year old. I thought ‘that’s too old to be acting out like this’ and that’s what I told her. I told her that leaving her dog outside like that was really unacceptable. Do what you want to your body but don’t abuse animals or other people. Common sense I thought. She seemed appreciative when we arrived at her front door. She asked me in. I declined. I told her I cared about her and her dog and I wished them luck.

As I drove away, I said a prayer for all the lost 45 year old women who would get drunk this afternoon and leave their dogs, children and husbands out in the cold. I prayed that they would find their way or at least get a ride back home safely to sober up.

Copyright © 2007 Maria L. Pomponio