The Underdog Part 3; Life on the streets


When warm sunlight tingled his sensitive nose, our Browny, opened his still sleepy eyes and he could see Raggy, already busy rolling in the dirt, a sanitizing routine to get rid of fleas and other parasites, it is equivalent to modern baths in spas, and after a thorough roll, when Raggy was satisfied that all the fleas were either squashed or left in the dirt, He shook his body from nose to tail and happily approached Browny.

Still sleepy, Browny didn't take long to get infected by his excitement and after stretching his hind legs and giving a good scratch at the back of its ears Browny asked Raggy in a language only a dog  could understand, "What now?" 

Raggy had no plans, for he had very little to do as a small dog, he would wait in the pipe till he felt hungry and when he did feel hungry he would go in search of food and eat the best that is on the offer. Roaming around the streets of the city made raggy kind of an expert in leftover foods. He knew exactly where the best meat parcels are dumped or where the best hotels throw their trash and if he is lucky he gets the whole meal of meats packed in containers.

So our two little friends Browny and Raggy went to search for their breakfast. Crossing gullies and chasing an unwary cat who was so busy and engrossed in a self-cleaning ritual that she could only notice them when they were in pouncing distance and leaving everything aside, she took to the higher ground and after reaching a window sill and climbing atop a window outlet. She then purred her dissatisfaction at these unruly dogs' performance, mocking them at their missed attempts. 

For Raggy, a dog's instinct to chase a cat was innate and when he saw the cat busy cleaning herself, he could not resist the game of chasing her down. At last, when she was out of reach, Raggy looked at Browny and gave a dog laugh encouraging and teaching Browny the game of chasing cats. 

Soon these unruly friends came to the backyard of the hotel, where aromas of different recipes that were prepared tingled their noses and bellowed the fire in their bellies. What shall a dog do, when such a good smell tingles his nose, well they immediately darted in the direction of the dumpster, and to their surprise, the dumper was filled with all the savory leftover food from last night. When they were busy in engorging their latest loot. Unaware of the shadows that lurked behind. slowly these shadows moved further and further and when they passed the eating noses, it was Raggy who first noted the danger, and without a second to spare he barked a cautionary bark to awaken his friend from his hungry stupor, urging him to run away.

Although shadows intended to pursue these food robbers from their area, the aromatic food from the dumpster had made some of the shadows leave the chase and focus on the food in front of them. discouraged by the comrades' weak tummies the chasing shadows took the decision to turn back and get to the dumpster and focus on the food.

Disturbed by the friend's bark, and hearkening to his friend's call, Browny ran with his tail between his legs, and while he was looked back often to see the shadows chasing he ignored the one that was running besides him and on looking around as the shadows diminished in the background, he abruptly stopped in between his run, half tumbling and barking at this stranger. This bark of Browny, made Raggy come back, and upon seeing a bitch that stood trembling and confused, looking at Browny who was growling at her incessantly. He came and barked Browny down, then enquired after the bitch. Who gaining some courage narrated the episode of how she was enjoying food in the dumpster when Raggy and Browny surprised her and upon seeing then how she hid among the pipes until the shadows appeared and how she escaped with them.

Browny calmed down after hearing the story and stood shaking, his was the first chase, they would never again be caught off guard like that. The streets were ruthless and when warm blood soothed the nerves, Browny warmed up to the bitch and they decided to stay together for there is security in numbers. As the sun burned their ears and made their tounges sweat the gang of three marched in unison to their place.

 ****To be continued.


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