Hit by a Car, part 1

Ding-dong! The bell echoed in my brain, disturbing all thoughts of paying the formidable stack of bills glaring up at me. Feeling better for the first time in a week, I raced to the door wondering if a friend was happening by. No such luck, I should have known anyway, friends just use the side door and don't bother knocking.

The tall young man wore a navy YMCA track suit and stood next to a girl with dark eye-liner; both looked lost.

"Do you own a brown dog?" he asked.

Brown dog? Dog. Harley! "Yes, I own a dog," I didn't think it was necessary to say she was really a red-wheaten color.

"I think we hit your dog," he said.

The girl tried to speak too, but I raced to the open side gate which should have been locked. "Harley!" I screamed, again and again. Filled with dread, I didn't know what to speak or think or do. Intense anger and sadness filled from my white-slippered feet to towel-dried head.

Then I saw her moving, slowly, toward me, favoring her right hind leg. When she reached me the blood near her soulful brown eye nearly sent me to tears. I wanted to scream, to cry out in agony, to pound my fists into the drivers car. How could he be so careless? How could he not have seen? She's a 62-pound dog!

I helped Harley settle into her kennel, her safe spot, before going back outside to talk to the couple.

"Are you willing to help cover any of the veterinary costs?" I didn't know any state laws, but that is what felt just and right to me. My dog is not just a pet, she is my friend, my family.

The girlfriend got defensive and started spouting something about the damage sustained to his car. Frankly, I didn't care what she thought, he was the person I was responsible to talking with as he was the negligent driver.

We exchanged numbers and he left.

But the excitement was far from over. My well-meaning hubby had accidentally taken my car keys on an out of town venture. We did have another car, but the battery was dead from the winter cold and not being used. I began dialing friends' phone numbers, praying that someone could help me.

I got through to my best girlfriend on the third ring. "Harley's been hit by a car and Jess is gone with my keys!"

"I'll be right there!"

You really do find out who your friends are. I could've called a half dozen others, I bet she's the only one that would have answered without listening to my message first.