If there is something paradoxical about fear, it is of the fact that – It’s someone else’s strength. Whenever people talk about fear, one quote they often use is that: ‘’The things we fear most are not real, they are like fogs’’. I might slightly agree with them on this, but on the other hand, what they fail to realise is this: fear is not just an abstract experience, but they are sometimes real. Like, they are there on the physical! Just like that of dog’s teeth.
I still remember quite vividly, some of the ‘crazy’ incidences I have had with dogs in the past, while growing up.
One of such notable one is that of a particular afternoon, I was returning back from school, primary school, to be precise. There was this mechanic workshop I usually pass by, where different cars were packed, ranging from Volvo, Mistubuchi, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and many other brands. What I didn’t realize on that day was that, under one of those cars parked, two big local dogs, I think they were respectively of the male and female gender. Did I forget to mention that the mechanic workshop was by a roadside? Yes it was.
As I was saying, that particular hot afternoon, I was on my way back home from school, when I sighted the dogs beneath one of those cars, from afar. I pretended as though I didn’t see them, and I began to walk briskly. Thinking about it now, I feel the dogs thought I was trying to steal one of the cars parked (foolish dogs, a small boy like me), as I came closer, they started following me, I took to my heels than Bolt (don’t believe that), that made the dogs more mad, because I have just validated their suspicion of me.
They started barking so loud, while they chase me, and there was I shouting, Mummy!!! Daddy!!! Yeeeeh! I was almost caught up with, as they try to bite my butt, until I heard an authoritative voice shout far behind my ears ‘’Jackson! Jackson! Ruby! Ruby! Come back here” that was when I looked behind me, I discovered they were no longer chasing me.
Hot tears began to fall from my eyes, as I relive from the pain that I just escaped getting my butt bitten by two monstrous demons. From that day until now, whenever I see dogs I give them enough social and physical distancing.
As if that was not enough, few months after that incident, I was sent on an impossible mission by my Dad, to go and deliver a particular package to the house of a church member, who owned quite a number of dogs. I tried giving him several excuses why I shouldn’t go, like: “Erhm… daddy I’m not sure they would be home today‘’. My Dad would give me rebuttals like: “Don’t worry I have called them already, they are home’’. Ha! It is finished, no, I’m finished.
I got to the gate of the house- the annoying aspect is that the main house is far from the gate- I knocked with my heart on my hands beating, then the dogs inside started barking( I thought they were in their cages) , that’s the issue with them!
They are just too overprotective. I knocked harder, no response, I placed my hands into the pigeon hole on the gate, where I could open the gate from outside. Luckily it was not locked, I slowing opened the gate, and I then saw dogs running towards me on a very fast speed like I’m one of their lost gone lover coming from the sea. I jammed back the gate swiftly, I ran back home in case they jumped over the gate. Getting home, being ashamed to tell my Dad that I couldn’t the deliver the package due to a dog chase, I had no option but to lie that they were not around.
My dad sensing that there was more to this than it was (sharp guy), since he had sensed my reluctance to go in the first place. He then ‘requested’ we go back together (you dear not reject such request coated with a command). We got there and he ordered me to open the gate, I did and there were the ‘crazy’ dogs running towards me again, I ran back into my Father’s arm with a loud wail.
In his bid to try to teach me to be ‘courageous’ as a man, he shook me off his arms as he literally dragged me towards the house, while I wailed louder, at that moment I observed that the dogs stopped barking, they seemed to have felt sympathy for me, seeing that they were the cause of my predicament( psychopaths’)
Presently, I love dogs from afar, but I dislike them when they try to come close. I hope to own one someday in future, maybe to help me get over my fear for them, but until then, I will still continue to maintain social and physical distancing whenever I see them.
Wow
This Soo nice
😂 😂
I’m sure it wasn’t this funny when it happened. At some point or the other, most people have had issues with a dog. I was fortunate to learn early enough that if you appear calm, you might escape being chased.
Well done 👍
Hahaha you can only imagine khadeejah! It wasn’t funny at all. That’s true. Thanks so much for reading.