The collage of people #2

The Dog walker

George stood patiently at the door around eight o'clock, as he did every morning, waiting for someone to answer it. He was quite old, hitting around his mid-70's. His face was drooped with wrinkles, and a pair of thick spectacles sat on the bridge of his crooked nose. He wore a plain black coat with large pockets on the sides. On top of his grey head sat a red, worn out baseball cap. George was a pretty small man, with a bit of a hunch in his back. He seemed like any average old man, but as soon as the lady answered the door with the two white dogs by her feet, he seemed to a have a more youthful and happier glow to him.

Every morning, George would take the dogs for a walk around the neighborhood. They were gorgeous dogs, both looked like rough collies, only smaller. They had white coats and red snouts. And if you ever got a close look at them, you could see the paleness of their blue eyes. But what really made them unique was that they were therapy dogs. Seniors around the neighborhood would come to the house and visit these dogs, taking them out for walks. George was the most frequent visitor, for he loved the dogs, and you could tell they enjoyed his company.

George kneeled down and fastened the leash on their collars. "Stay." He told them. They remained seated, wincing with anticipation. It was amazing how obedient these dogs were. They wagged their tails with excitement, their blue eyes wide and bright. "Hi, Gaia." He greeted the taller collie, stroking her snowy fur. "Pan." He patted the head of the smaller collie. Then, he got up on his feet, waved good-bye to the lady and headed out onto the side walk with two collies trotting beside him.

They continued to walk along the side walk until they came upon a red stop light at the cross. The dogs halted as soon as George did, as if able to read his thoughts. He reached his hand out to pet their heads. Gaia's snout nuzzled against his fingers, and Pan licked his hand. George felt so grateful to have these dogs accompanying him every morning, since his son had recently moved out to live outside the city. Not only was he lonely, but he missed having that sense of purpose as a father to guide and lookout for his son. However, meeting up with these dogs in the morning helped him overcome his loneliness for a little bit. To George, these dogs were more than just friends, they were his children, and he treated them as if they were. He walked them, played with them and brushed them. Just being with them made him feel like he was once a father again, recreating that sense of purpose and usefulness he had lost.

He looked at the two dogs and smiled, their heads looking up and staring back at him with big, sky blue eyes. Then, turning his head back up, he saw the red light change green, and the three of them walked across the street reaching towards the next block.