Monday, September 14, 2009

A Pet Sitter's Story


"Hurry up! I’m winning!" yelled Eric.


"Wait, I can’t get my arm through the strap," replied Danny.


"I’ll take tiny inch steps. You better catch up quick."


"You better take bigger steps than that or I’ll be waiting for you all night to get there."


Eric and Danny raced each other down the road to a house three blocks from their home. Both had their knapsacks full of clothes and things for the weekend. They were going to stay at Aunt Sharon’s and help her with the job they both loved.


It was cool and so they both wore jeans with T-shirts, light jackets and sneakers. They nearly looked like twins.


"Hello, anybody home," they called jumping on the porch of a neat pretty cape cod house. A closer looked revealed that these boys weren’t twins at all. Eric who was the oldest had red hair and freckles and Danny had light brown hair and looked more like his mother, but both were the same height and liked the same kind of clothes.


"I’m in the office, come on in."


Danny and Eric walked through the short hallway and down the stairs into the den that looked like a library with cozy chairs inviting them to sit down, put their stocking feet up and relax. Aunt Sharon was sitting on a big soft brown corduroy sofa near the fireplace with her lap top, She had her left foot in a blue wrapping bandage propped up on a green stool. Two days ago, she had twisted her ankle walking her Shetland Sheepdog, Cissy, and so the boys were there to help her.


How are you feeling today, Sharon. asked the boys. Aunt Sharon couldn’t get use to the boys calling her “aunt” and so she gave them permission to call her by her first name.


I’m much better, thank you. This sturdy wooden cane of your great grandfather’s helps me to get around the house. I’m catching up on my business work.


Both boys knew all about Aunt Sharon’s business. She was the pet sitter of their neighborhood and some of the surrounding areas in Newport News. Most families had at least one dog, cat, bird, fish, or even Iguanas or ferrets. Aunt Sharon did them all, including two Llamas that lived near by. Also, there was a pony named Spencer, not too far away that had his own small stable painted red with white trim and a split door so that the top could be open. It was built behind the owners garage.


Neighbors would call Aunt Sharon several days before they went away on vacations, holidays or business trips. If they were new, she had a “meet and greet” session with them to get important information about the pet along with emergency numbers and permission to be on their property. Aunt Sharon had all the information stored securely on a business pet sitter’s web site and she had limited hard copies in her office, which at this moment were in piles on the floor , on the sofa and on her desk. The most important thing of course, was to meet the pets...........


(This story will continue. Any helpful comments would be appreciated. Thank You.)