Lost and Found K-9

My family and I laughed as we opened the door to our house, returning from our bowling outing.

My mom walked to the back door in our kitchen and went outside. My dad, little brother, Hans, and I heard a grating noise as my mom pushed our cats’ old cage out of the way across the back porch, so that she could open our porch gate. Then she moved away our outside table, then a chair. It was all a way to try to prevent our dog, Kuna, from escaping.

"That was loud." commented Hans, just as the back door squealed open.

We expected the sound of clicking claws against hardwood floor and heavy panting from Kuna, or some hurried lapping of water from his water bowl. Instead, we heard my mom huffing down the hallway. She came in with a bewildered and worried expression on her face.

"He's not there!" she said, almost in amazement.

"Did you call for him?" my dad hurriedly said.

"No." my mom admitted.

Dad pushed me out of the way as he almost ran out back. A second later we heard him bellowing "KUUUNAA!" over and over again. "Geez, dad can be loud." I said, as I peered up at mom with a look on my face that said "I hope he doesn't wake up the neighbors."

Five minutes later, we heard the back door slam as my dad came back in. He barged, with his eyebrows furrowed, past Hans and I, and out the front door with mom following him. Hans and I heard their cries for him and smacking noises. We usually called him by smacking our lips and calling "Kuna, come here boy!"And slapping our thighs or clapping our hands. They did all of that, but he didn't come.

I ran my hand back and forth over our smooth wooden side table. I looked down at my little brother who was laying on our couch and sucking his calloused thumb. He stared back at me with big brown eyes. I sighed, still looking at him, and said "I hope Kuna's OK."

Just then, my dad stormed back in, my mom scuttling in after him, just missing being smacked in the face with the door."Do you want to come with me Hanako?" Dad said amazingly calm, but I could hear just a note of worry and fear in his voice.

"Yeah, sure. Where?"I replied.

"To look for Kuna."

My lip trembled as I said “He-he's not coming?"

"NO!" my dad burst."Sorry." he said dismissively, replying "Go get the flashlight."


I ran into my dad's bathroom and, opening the cabinets under his sink to get the flashlight, my eyes stung as my vision blurred with tears. I brushed them away impatiently as I plodded to put my shoes on. As I slammed the door to my dad’s car, I thought How could this happen? Dad rolled down my window for me to flash the flashlight around. I called "Kuna!"And so did dad.

We went all through Shelbyville that night, calling for Kuna, and flashing the light around to maybe be able to see him. When we reached one neighborhood, though, there was a sign that declared "Neighborhood Watch: We are watching you!" At that point, I got a little nervous. What if they thought we were robbers and we were looking for the richest house to rob and they called the police? I purposely shone the flashlight on the ground, anywhere Kuna could hide, but definitely not on the houses! Now that I think back on it, I think it was pathetic of me. When I glanced at the clock in my dad's car, it was 11:00! Then I started to fall asleep. My head started to nod and my eyelids closed, before I suddenly shocked them open thinking For Kuna, for Kuna!

Then dad said "You falling asleep?"

"Oh-oh, oh no!" I said, awakening from my sleeping perch on my hand.

"Don't worry, we'll go home." he said, and turned the car around.

No, NO! I thought frantically. But Kuna! was the last thought I had before I fell asleep.

The next 7 days were numb for me and my family. It was a treat for me to go to the animal shelters, but deep inside I knew what we were here for. To cheer me up, whenever we went to the animal shelters, I'd get to go see the puppies. I felt joyful, like I had found treasure, but it was still there, that knowing of what we were here for.

Do you know that feeling of when you find treasure, but then don't know what to do with it, or when its in books? Well, I finally felt that feeling when we lost Kuna and went to the animal shelters. But there was just the tiniest fraction of me wanting Kuna to be gone, gone forever, so that we could get another dog, but now I scorn that selfish desire.

Mom made some awesome posters and fliers to post and give around the neighborhood, and other places where lots of people go, like Wal-mart or the barber shop. Hans, mom, and I went around the neighborhood, battling the wasps in the bottom compartment of peoples mailboxes, which just so happened to be the place we put the fliers in.

Oh, those looking days...

One Saturday morning, on what would be the 8th day of Kuna missing, I woke up to somebody banging on our door. I was still sleepy, my sight was blurry, and my thoughts were all fuzzy, so when I woke up I didn't know what was going on.

I blinked my eyes a few times, and my thoughts became a little clearer.
Who-who, who’s banging on the door? I thought.


Finally my mom woke up. She shook her head and mumbled my thoughts exactly: “Who's banging on the door?”

She put on her glasses and got out of bed. Me and my little brother, who had woken up, followed her.

As we went down the stairs I thought Could it be Kuna?...

“Wake up!” yelled the person at the door. “We think we found your dog!”

I squealed, and all of us ran down the stairs.

Once we got to the door, my mom yanked it open.

A blonde woman stood there, and I recognized her immediately. She was my friends mom, who lived down the street. My friend, whose name is Elizabeth, was chasing after a brown dog in the street. Our dog!

“Kuna!” My mom cried out happily.

Kuna trotted towards mom, oblivious that Elizabeth, My little brother, and I were chasing after him.

Once we got to Kuna and Kuna got to mom, we hugged him and gave little cries of excitement.

“You silly dog!” we said, but we still loved him.

After that we called my dad and broke the news to him. He was so excited! So were we

And Kuna is with us now, forever and always.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 02.06.2010

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