The UPS Truck Incident



“Finally!” I cried yanking a purple and red leash out of the back of the car. I handed Erin the purple leash. Erin’s face melted from worry to relief “Thank god, I thought I lost them.” she breathed.

Erin buckled the purple leash around Hannah’s neck and pecked her on the head. I clipped the red leash around Simon’s neck and rubbed him behind the ear. He looked up at me eagerly. His eyes dancing. He obviously wanted to get outside. “Do you know where we are going to walk Hannah and Simon?” I asked Erin.

“Probably just down the street, Erin replied. Not too far.” I nodded my head.

As we started walking the dogs down Erin’s long driveway, it fully hit me how hot it really was outside. The sun was beating down on my back. The air was muggy and humid. It felt like I was drowning in hot water.

“Is it just me or is it like 1,000 degrees outside?” I asked, looking over at Erin.

“I think it feels so hot out because we were just inside an air conditioned house for so long. I think we will get use to the hot air,” Erin replied. I looked forward at Hannah and Simon trying to take my mind off how hot it was. They looked like they were enjoying themselves. They were panting and trotting happily side by side. A big, rugged, dark yellow lab next to a small, petite, yellow lab with fur almost white. I smiled. Full siblings. who knew?

We turned right out of Erin’s driveway and started walking down the street. Suddenly a big, black, shiny, UPS truck pulled around the corner. Time stopped. It all happened so quickly. One second I was looking at that big, black, monster barreling around the corner, the next second I was ripped forward and falling toward the rocky road. I dropped Simon’s leash so I could catch myself with my hands.

I felt tiny rocks dig into my hands like pins. I quickly stood up and started frantically looking around for Simon. Where had he gone!? And there he was. A brown blur sprinting toward that big UPS truck. I looked over at Erin. Hannah was not as strong as Simon so Erin was still just barley managing to hold onto Hannah’s Leash.

“Hannah!” Erin screamed. Erin’s feet were flying across the ground as she tried to yank Hannah’s leash back. I looked forward at Simon. He had almost reached the UPS truck.

“Simon!” I yelled. It was a strangled cry in my throat. Could the UPS truck guy see him? would he get hit? Simon barked once. He was clearly saying to Hannah, HA, HA, HA looks like I got to the Ups truck first! This irritated Hannah. She clearly wanted to get to that UPS truck too. Hannah pulled harder on her leash. Erin lost her footing and was yanked to the ground.



“HELP”! Erin shrieked as she fell. I felt panic build up in my chest was Erin going to scratch up her face, break a bone, break her face? the possibilities were endless. I stood there paralyzed, afraid at what I might see when the dust cleared.

But when the dust did clear, I was amazed at what I saw. Erin was still holding onto Hannah’s leash! Erin was not on her feet anymore though, she was being dragged across the dusty ground on her stomach still clinging onto Hannah’s leash. Erin’s face was determined as was Hannah’s. They were having a world war three right now battling it out in the middle of the road. I could not stop myself. I burst out laughing doubling over in the road. I could feel the hot tar on my arms. I laughed hysterically trying to catch my breath. I looked up. Erin started laughing too, so hard that she dropped Hannah’s leash. Erin and I were now lying in the middle of the road laughing like hyenas. Good thing it’s not a busy road I thought to myself, or Erin and I would be flattened by cars. Then suddenly I remembered, Hannah!, Simon! I looked toward the UPS truck my vision swimming with tears.

Now that no one was holding onto Hannah’s leash anymore she was running full speed ahead as fast as she could toward the UPS truck. She was a small, white, blur. Simon reached the UPS truck first. It screeched to a halt. A few seconds later, Hannah also skidded to a stop in front of the UPS truck. They started barking. Not aggressive barks. These barks were Hello! Hello! how are you today! Erin and I were still laying in the middle of the road cracking up when the guy in the UPS truck yelled to us

“Hey!... are these your dogs?”

“YES!” we yelled back, still shaking with laughter. My gut hurt really bad but I did not care. This was by far the hardest I had ever laughed in my life. Even though I knew Erin and I should probably get up and go get Hannah and Simon I did not move. I felt so light, so bubbly inside even though my stomach twisted with pain from laughing so hard. So I did not get up, I just stayed lying in the middle of the road with Erin, laughing away, never wanting the moment to end.