I love running. It's the endorphins, really. They are an addiction to those of us who enjoy it. It keeps me in shape and the charity races are always fun. Every week I run at a certain park. It has wide paths, fields of seasonal wildflowers, and shade trees. Just like a gym or a bar, there are regulars. They are the people you see ever week or so with their dogs, children, and their cells phones.
Many people walk at the park while talking on their cell phones. That is what "Poodle Girl" does. I see her just about every day. She is a beautiful sight: dark, straight hair with soft highlights cut in a very trendy bob, medium brown mocha skin, and French manicured nails. I notice her nails because she waves at me. She wears fashionable sportswear complete with running shoes all to walk her black poodle and talk on her cell phone. Every time I see her she is on her cell phone. I had never seen her eyes. They were always hidden behind the large, trendy sunglasses she has. That is until the day it stormed.
It's summer in the southwest; it is mostly hot and sunny. We joke that we get our monthly rain in ONE afternoon because it comes down so hard and fast. It was on that afternoon I was jogging thinking I can bang out some miles before the skies opened up. I passed Poodle Girl going the opposite direction as me a few miles into my run. Her cell phone was in one hand, her dog's leash in the other. I smiled and waved as we passed her two fingers on the dog leash waved back. I kept going to my ½ way point, turned around to go back, and then heard the loud crack of thunder. The dark clouds were moving fast in the wind. It was time to get back, fast.
I sped up. More thunder, then the rain caught up to me like a wave at the beach. And down it came. The cool rain felt good, but the lighting and thunder were a concern. As I rounded a curve I recognized the black poodle on orange leash heading towards me on the path. I blocked her path which caused her to slow down enough for me to scoop up. This dog was shaking and my words of reassurance were only slightly helping. Thunder cracked again as lightning lit up the trees around me. I felt some warmth on my shin. Dam it! I held the dog out away from me and discovered she was a girl. My good deed for the day was rescuing this scared, peeing dog. But it was Poodle Girl's dog. And as I held this scared peeing pet at arms length away from me Poodle Girl rounded the curve, moving faster than I have ever seen her move.
She ran up and took her dog from me. "Thank you so much, she is scared of thunder." "You are welcome, I could tell, good thing she is light", I replied smiling. Lightning flashed and the ground shook with thunder. Little black paws started flailing and soon she was free again. This time she headed at full speed down a dirt trail that headed slightly downhill. Poodle Girl and I glance at one another, shared a shocked look and together gave chase. I knew this trail, it went downhill a short distance before it entered a thicket with a small covered park pavilion under whose concrete picnic table we found a wet, shaking dog. Just as we got under the pavilion the rain came down harder with a deafening roar. All around us the rain came down in sheets. All three of us were soaked to the bone. With a bit of irony, I pulled one of my water bottles from my hydration belt.
"Does she need any water? I think she lost it all on the trail when I caught her. She let loose her bladder on me." I looked down at my leg that was not washed "clean" from the rain. Poodle Girl looked appalled.
"I'm sorry, I think she is ok. She likes to be under something during a storm and I think this table is helping her. Oh, I'm Gina."
We shook hands.
I smiled and introduced myself, "I'm Chris. I know I often see you walking...what is your dog's name?"
Gina smiled, "Farah, like the actress." She looked around at the still pouring rain, "Is it safe to stay here?"
"Yes, pretty safe. We are lower than the trees on the hill and above the main creek bed. We might need to hang out here until the rain slows up." I hopped up on to the table top resting my feet on the bench. "Do you need to call someone?" I asked.
"Uh, yeah," Gina reached for her cell phone. She has placed it in her waist pocket of her black spandex pants. I tried to look away; is not polite to stare, but it was hard to not admire her waistline and her abs. Gina tapped her phone's screen a few times. "Looks like it is not ruined from the rain, but I'm not getting a signal." I offered her mine. "No, that's ok." She tied off Farah's leash to a bench and hopped up on the table top too. The motion caused some of her dark, wet hair to stick to her face. Gina squeezed out some water from two handfuls, then pushed as much of it behind her ears as she could.
"Have you ever been caught in a storm like this?"
"Yes, several times. I just find a place to ride them out." I turned and looked her way. "Do you need any water? I think I have a power bar if you need one."
"No, I'm fine. I am a bit cold from getting soaked." I can see why. Although she was wearing spandex pants, she was only wearing a sports bra up top. Her shoulders were covered in goose bumps. Nothing dispels the afternoon heat like a cool summer rain. I took my shirt off, wrung it out and offered it to her.
