A few days ago I got out of class early and headed home to watch the end of the Celtics game with a friend. As the E line approached Boylston Street Station, a young girl, maybe two years old, runs right under my nose and along the yellow strip that separates the tracks from the waiting platform. Her mother sprang out from the side of my view, and we both threw ourselves into catching this little girl before she fell onto the tracks. I didn't even care that I had no idea who this young girl was, and I didn't care if her mother would be at all mad by a stranger grabbing the arm of her baby. But thankfully, we both had the same idea in mind: get this girl as far from the tracks as possible- and then put restraints on her. As we jumped onto the E line, the young mother proceeded to bend her young girl over her knee and give her a spanking. The baby just laughed, having no idea what just happened in her life. My heart had never beat so strong as it did at that moment. I couldn't stop talking about it the whole ride home.
***
Just a few hours ago, two friends and I decided to walk down to the esplanade to sit by the water and soak up the cool summer-night air. We were about half way there when we saw a man across the street fall onto his dog and injure his ankle. The dog yelped and the man yelled out in pain, or embarrassment. Who knows? But it was quite clear that the man blamed his dog for what happened. We waited for the signal to cross us and by the time we were coming toward him, it was clear he was intoxicated.
We passed by the man but before our heads were facing forward again, he was ripping the leash up into the air, pulling harshly up on the dog's throat. It was horrifying. I became stuck in my stance like when ocean waves pack your feet into the sand on the shore. I couldn't leave. He began to beat the dog with his fist and then, loosening his grip on the retractable leash, swung the hard contraption at his dog, trying to teach him a drunkard's lesson.
Thankfully, I didn't have to confront this alone. Just ahead of me, I made eye contact with a couple that had seen the entire episode from the other direction of the sidewalk. The middle aged couple slowed down and the man stepped forward. By the time I was within earshot of their conversation, the drunk yelled, "It's none of your God damn business!" He looked as if he were going to get violent with the man so I decided to stay out of his bubble. I stood on the sidewalk as if I were just another Boston college kid lingering on Mass Ave. Once he saw me, I asked what his dog's name was. I figured, I may as well be nice so that he doesn't rage against me. And I let the dog lick my hand, just incase of a "like father, like son" situation.
The dog licked me and I thought about how sick that dog must be and quickly wiped the back of my fingers on the back of my jeans. The drunk man didn't seem to equate my intentions with him to the encounter he was also having with this other couple. Thankfully for me too, because he began to threaten the man, repeating, "I'm gonna kill you. I will kill you. I'll do it." His wife took her phone out of her purse quietly and dialed for help.
My friends asked me to leave, because it wasn't the best situation to be involved in. I felt like we had better odds of helping the man and limiting his violence by keeping a crowd around. All that I could picture was the dog being pulled off into traffic because of his drunk owner. I could imagine that he is probably not properly cared for on a daily basis. And even worse, would he endure a lifetime of abuse? I couldn't leave my feet. Not until he started walking away.
And we all followed him, but a few steps behind. He didn't even seem to notice for the first few seconds. He walked on, one leg still limping from his fall. Then he turned again and threatened to kill the kind man. He told him, "You can't be treating you dog that way, not infront of me."
The drunk yelled back. The man stood his ground. Then the loser walked on. He reached his front door on Beacon Street before the cops came. I watched the older man follow him up to his building from a safe distance behind. Once he was in, I could see the man making a note of what the address was.
I really hope that dogs finds his way into a new home. These sidewalk encounters are bad for my heart.
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