It started with a dog whining. It was supposed to be a quick trip out the door for a quick pee and then right back inside.
Carmela, Kiko, and I headed down the four flights of stairs. On the way down, I worked at getting the leashes set in my hands, but I was not holding the leashes well when we reached the door.
This was the door to a back staircase, so there was no window in the door. It usually wasn’t an issue. Without thinking twice about it, I pushed the door open.
It happened in an instant.
The other dog started barking. Kiko yanked on his leash and went running toward the woman and her dog. The leash went flying out of my grasp with a sickening snap, and the pain started immediately. I knew instantly that my finger had broken.
Then, cradling my left hand to my chest, and wrestling with Carmela’s leash in my right hand, I set off to rescue the neighbor from the pursuit of Kiko. Luckily, Kiko has a loud bark but is not interested in actually attacking. He chased the woman and her dog, and I think maybe even caught up to them, but he did not attack. Through whatever maneuvers she did, somehow, Kiko’s leash got stuck under a tire.
Now, I assessed the situation. I took Carmela over to where Kiko was. Mind you, her whole mission this whole time was to go say hi to the neighbor, When she pulls the leash, there is FORCE there. So, I was struggling quite a bit.
We got over to Kiko and I started trying to get his leash unstuck with only one functioning hand. I was using the same hand that was gripping Carmela’s leash, which was pulled taut with her efforts to go say hi. So, next thing I know, I dropped Carmela’s leash and she went charging to the neighbor and her dog.
At this point, I was trying to breathe, almost hyperventilating, in my efforts to fend off the pain, corral my dogs, and somehow get back upstairs to my apartment.
I had not brought my phone with me for this outing.
Looking around, I saw that my neighbor, bless her soul, had Carmela calmly sitting alongside her dog and was standing there and patiently waiting. With some effort, the leash came out from under the tire and we were able to go over and collect Carmela without further excitement.
Now that I had both dog leashes in my good hand, I went to the front door of the building. I called my husband from the call box, but he did not recognize that it was the front door. So, we went in, up in the elevator, and back to the apartment.
I yanked off my ring before my finger got too big. Then my husband drove me to the ER. Sure enough, it was a spiral fracture. It took another year of healing and a surgery to correct my hand…and the finger is still slightly crooked. But that is another story for another day.
I was floored by the kindness of that woman that day. She must have seen from the first instant that I was hurt. She had every right in that instance to be angry and screaming at me. Instead, she apologized and helped me. It was exactly what I needed in that situation. I already was berating myself and embarrassed enough. I was in pain and struggling to gain control of a situation that was out of my control. She empathized and helped. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers.
This post is a part of the 14th annual Slice of Life Story Challenge. After a few years away, I am challenging myself to write every day in March this year, along with an amazing community of other bloggers. You can find our writing linked up on the Two Writing Teachers blog.
Wow, a memorable story. I’m glad it is in the past. But it is so powerful that the woman who could have been panicking, threatening you, berating, was instead turning into the helper you needed. Such a lovely decision- may we all try to be our best selves in difficult, even frightening situations.
Whoa what an experience! HArd to decide what to call it! Scary? Heartwarming? Painful? A bit of all, maybe!
Having two dogs (golden retrievers) of my own, I resonated with your dog story and the adventures and injuries that can happen in an instant. I felt the drama and panic in the pace of your post. And as quickly as it happened, the healing sounds like another long saga.
Wow, what an ordeal! I’m so glad your neighbor was the understanding sort and didn’t make a bad situation worse. I’m glad the ordeal didn’t leave you with more than a slightly crooked finger–whew!
This is a beautiful metaphor for life. We don’t always see that others are hurting and we are too quick to judge. We should all be like your neighbor who noticed your pain and chose to be kind instead of judge. Your story is so warm and full of the beauty of good people in the world.
I’m glad your neighbour reacted kindly. When I am walking on the forest trails behind my house I often run into dogs who are enjoying some time off-leash. I do get a bit nervous but trust that if the human has decided to let them off they must be trustworthy. A few days ago I grabbed the leash of a Black Lab that had run away from a little girl. No broken finger for her though, thank goodness!
Andrea, I am tense and my brow is furrowed as I read your Slice. Oh my! It took me a minute to realize this was not this week…LOL So glad a slightly crooked finger is all that remains of this ordeal.