Dog in a Stroller

[Skylacticon]

Hey guys. Happy new year. ☺️ I came up with this little short thing, and I thought I’d post it. Hope you like~

 

🚌💨

8:45AM. 105 bus.

Another day, back to the commute. The bus is jammed with people, hurrying to fit inside on their way to their daily endeavours. What to do. There’s no wifi at this stop, and I don’t pay for data. If I play 2048, it’ll kill my phone battery. I glance around, waiting for the bus to move. There’s a woman sitting to my right with a pink stroller, with a little fluffy white Pomeranian inside. I hide my amusement. Sometimes people bring small dogs to our store, some inside strollers. Sometimes they put them in the cart, which makes me unsettled, since the bars must hurt their feet.

“huh’gxXN!-uhhh...” 

There’s a guy sitting next to me on my left, tan and dark-haired, wearing a brown leather jacket and a grey scarf. He looks up impatiently towards the front of the bus. I check my phone. 8:46.

The dog is so calm. I can’t help but smile. Should I sneak a picture to show my friend? No. No, the lady would notice.

“hh... nxGt!-uhh....” A few short, dry sniffles. The guy sees my gaze hovering in his direction, the bus jam-packed. “Sorry,” he breathes. I look over at the dog, and then him, and then feel a wave of sympathy. I let my gaze drift back to my hands in my lap.

The bus starts moving again. The guy next to me leans against the wall at the end of the row of seats, his face casually resting against the back of his hand. The bus stops again. More people squish in at the back, making people move forward at the front. The lady pulls the stroller with the dog closer to our row, the wheels almost running over my feet. I feel the guy squirm a little in his seat, but there’s no other space inside the bus. The little dog looks like it could be smiling, panting with its little tongue out. I so badly want to know it’s name. It’s so, so cute.

“xxGg!-huh... huh’mnxXgt! ‘Scuse me...” a grumbled whisper. In my peripheral vision, I can see the guy rubbing his nose, or trying to do so subtly. From a tiny peek, he’s rubbed it rosy red. He looks up again impatiently, toward the front of the bus. He’s wearing a small black stud that reminds me I forgot to put on earrings today.

The lady scratches the Pomeranian on top of his tiny adorable head, to which it squints its eyes happily. The guy clears his throat, trying to lean further left. Then, he turns his head fully away. “huh’tchGGn! *snf*” Ow. That sounded a little bit painful. The people standing near us move away a bit.

The poor guy looks down in embarrassment. His sniffles aren’t so dry now. His frame seems to shiver with uneven breaths, however he tries to control it. Quickly, frantically, he pulls his grey scarf over the lower half of his face. “‘rrschhm!” His shoulders shudder as he ducks into the cloth. He looks miserable as he emerges, his long nose red and his lips parted. He catches me looking again, and sniffles dismissively. “Sorry.” he swallows. “‘S the dog. *snf*” He explains in a deep, gravelly voice, not meeting my gaze.

“Oh. That’s ok. Bless you.”

“*sdf*...” He closes his eyes. His dark eyebrows furrow a little. The rims of his nostrils are tinted a deep pink, and his nose wrinkles. He clears his throat again and keeps glancing toward the front of the bus. “*snrf* God...” Tired and frustrated, the guy starts to stand, - damn - but just then the bus starts moving again and he sits back down. Quickly, he buries his nose under his scarf again. “hrrschh! huh’ischhmff! ah... sorry.” He croaks, sniffling stuffily. “Ohh...” he sighs quietly. 

I reach into my purse and find something that I think will help. Discretely, I hold out a half-full packet of Kleenex to him. At first he doesn’t see, so I poke him gently. “Hm?” His eyes, now looking pink and watery, glance down. His irritated gaze softens a little. “Thagk you.” He utters nasally, sounding a little flustered, but grateful. He takes out a tissue and blows his nose, trying not to make too much noise. “Ugh.” He emerges and wrinkles his nose. Then quickly, his fingers come up to pinch his red, flaring nostrils shut- “huh’nxXgck!-unhhh... *snrf*” he wipes his runny nose with the folded tissue, and rubs his nose hard. 

“Allergies, huh?” I say, not knowing why. Good. Yes, that’ll make it less awkward.

He’s quiet for a moment, his cheeks going a bit flushed. “Yeah. *snf*” He clears his throat, and sighs quietly. For a moment I think he’s about to say something because his mouth opens slightly, but then his eyes squeeze shut. I hear a soft gasp and he turns away, clutching his scarf to his face. “h’rRSCHhioo! *snrf* ughh...” It’s too sudden to fully smother, sounding painfully restrained and itchy. Then quietly, but unmistakably, “‘scuse be. *snf*”

The bus comes to a halt at the next bus stop, where some people filter out. The guy clears his throat again. “I gotta go...” He says softly. “Thanks again,” he gives me a grateful nod, our eyes connecting for a second. I grin shyly. Quickly, he stands, and hurries off the bus.

[glitter_]

Aw 😍 that was so sweet. Thank you for sharing. Loved it

[ID2006]

Really enjoyed this

[AntheaHolmes]

Oh this is so cute. I'm allergic to dogs myself.