Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: POUND (07/15/21)
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TITLE: The TV and the Kindle | Previous Challenge Entry
By Corinne Smelker
07/22/21 -
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I slammed the blind down, strode into the living room and turned the TV on. It was after six in the evening, so I had missed the mayhem and mania headlines, thankfully. Now it was the final ‘feel good’ story of the night.
“And finally, Laura is reporting from the Animal Defense League, where city officials have a message for city residents.”
The camera turned to the gorgeously attired and impeccably coiffed Hispanic reporter. “Thank you Ted. I am standing in front of the city pound tonight with an appeal from its director. ‘Stan, what would you like to say?’”
She thrust her mic into the face of a middle-aged man. I barely noticed him, I was totally distracted by the puppy he held in his arms. “Well, Laura. As you know, with the country coming out of lockdown, we have had many people return or drop off their animals, mostly dogs, saying that now they are returning to work they don’t have time for them. First off, you do have time for them; dogs sleep on average 12-14 hours a days, so guess what they do when you’re at work? Sleep!”
Laura looked bemused but then said, “Secondly?”
“Secondly, we know some people don’t have a choice and we want to help. But in order to help, we need your assistance.” He looked into the camera lens and I could swear he was staring right at me! “And so we have an incentive going for the next fortnight. If you come in and are approved, we will waive the normal £45 (forty-five pound) fee, and you can take home your new best friend for free.”
I angrily grabbed the remote and clicked the TV off. No fair tugging on heartstrings like that! I was done with TV for the night. Thanks a lot, Laura and the 6 o’clock news. Ambush people much?
Still feeling unsettled, I chose instead to read. I had just downloaded some freebies to my Kindle, so opened a book that looked promising. “Huck” by Janet Elder. I was drawn to the title, thinking it would be about Mark Twain’s beloved Huckleberry Finn.
The second paragraph read, “But no talisman was as powerful as a dog named Huck.”
What the heck? I banged the Kindle cover closed and threw it on the coffee table. I threw up my hands and yelled, “Why? Why are you doing this to me?” Even though I knew it was ridiculous, I looked up at the ceiling, “God. Stop it!”
The resultant silence was resounding, and relentless. That’s when I realized just how quiet my house had become. Like all old homes, it creaked and groaned, but it was missing the snores, the snuffles and the snorts of a canine. “I’m not ready yet,” I half-heartedly said. I didn’t know that I would ever be ready, but obviously the universe, no, God, was telling me the opposite.
I dragged myself from the couch, went into the garage and rummaged around until I found my toolbox. As the dust motes played around in the last rays of the sun, I pounded nails in the doghouse that had been owned by my best friend for 10 years.
In the morning, I’d drive down to the pound, plunk down my forty-five pounds and find my new best friend. Who knows, I might even call him Huck…
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