//------------------------------// // Dog Dealings // Story: The Shy Driver // by Wiz Ahmad //------------------------------// Soon, Jack left to work as an engineer. Mom worked part-time from home on the computer, so Fluttershy was pretty much alone. To take some time off, she stayed in the backyard, observing and talking with the birds and the squirrels, and tending to the flowers on the porch. A little while later, Lorraine came back out onto the porch with some lemonade, as the weather had warmed up quite a bit – it was late June, after all. She noticed the plant bed and gasped. “Did you tidy up these plants and tend to them?” she asked Fluttershy. Fluttershy, who was chatting with a blackbird at the moment, turned to see Lorraine on the porch. She came softly flying down. “Yes, I did tidy up those plants. You know, I couldn’t just leave them like that. Plants need care, love, and food, just like animals and humans.” “I do agree,” Lorraine replied, handing a mug of lemonade to Fluttershy and pulling up a deck chair. “I actually like gardening, I just got caught up in sewing too much. I used to be a seamstress, until I retired to spend more time with my children.” Her face lowered. “I apologize for not taking care of the plants, I forgot all about them.” “It’s okay, Lorraine,” Fluttershy replied with a reassuring smile. “I forget tasks, too. So, how did your family come to be, and what are your goals?” Lorraine’s mouth formed a tiny O of surprise that Fluttershy, being her shy self, would ask such a question. But she went with it. “Um…well. I once was a fairly popular seamstress, making fabulous dresses and jewelry. I briefly considered interior design as a second career path, but didn’t have enough motivation. Anyways this rich ditzy girl asked me rudely for the most luxurious dress I could make for her wedding. She married Jack, but he divorced her less than a year later when he found out that she was embezzling in her part of his business funds. He found me, and apologized for what happened. It was love at first sight. We then married and I later gave up my business to focus on raising my children.” A tear rolled down Fluttershy’s cheek as she smiled. Interesting. Lorraine caught sight of the tear and opened her mouth, but Fluttershy responded before she could say anything. “I was just recalling one my friends, Rarity. She’s just like you were. She loves fashion and high-ranking profiles. And she’s a seamstress – in fact, the top one in my hometown. I…I just wish you could meet her.” After drinking up their lemonade, Lorraine and Fluttershy watched two back-to-back episodes of The Suite Life On Deck and ate a good lunch. As the noon hit, Fluttershy made one choice that would change her life on Earth completely. “Lorraine – I mean, Mom?” she called out. “I’m going for a walk. Is that okay?” “All right, Fluttershy, just don’t wander too far. You don’t know this area too well,” Lorraine replied from upstairs, then blushed. Did she just call me her ‘mom’? “Um, thanks,” Fluttershy replied in her usual quiet, slightly timid voice. She opened the front door and stepped out onto the front porch, and for the first time got a good look at the world she lived in. Walking down the steps and onto the driveway, she couldn’t help but observe the intricately well-designed metal carriage parked on it. It was amazing, with shiny wheels and a large rear space. Except, there was no apparent way to drive it forward or backward. There were no rungs to attach to a saddle or any of that sort. Leaving the “metal carriage” behind, Fluttershy stepped out into the street and looked up and down the block, trying to form a map in her mind. She turned left and walked down the sidewalk, trying not to step on any garbage she came across. As many people were away at school or work there wasn’t much to see, so she continued walking, until she came upon a much larger street. Here, lots of those “metal carriages” were out and about, zooming past her at amazingly fast speeds. Rather than run and hide, she simply sat on a bench, and observed the traffic for a full half hour. Through this new “lens”, Fluttershy learned about how traffic lights work, how each group took turns to avoid confusion and collisions, and gave people chances to walk as well without getting hit. Why can’t we have traffic lights in Equestria? she thought, walking back up the road to where she started from. She passed the house and proceeded in the other direction, getting a little excited upon seeing a park up ahead with trees and flowers and leafy bushes. However, it came to her immediate attention when she heard the sound of loud barking and shouting…and spanking noises coming from one of the houses. Fluttershy sneaked over and observed quietly from a front first-floor window…and couldn’t believe what her eye were seeing. A woman had apparently gone crazy with her two Doberman Pinschers and was beating them with a wooden spoon because they wouldn’t stop barking and begging her. “Get out there, and shut up, you annoying mutts!” the lady shouted and physically kicked the two poor dogs out the patio door into the grass. Then she marched out after them and began shouting again. Fluttershy couldn’t take it any longer. She flew around to the back of the house and began stroking and comforting the dogs as soon as the woman turned to reenter her home. The Dobermans were in bad shape, with an untended cut in one ear for one and a painful toe for the other. Instantly Fluttershy’s concern turned to distress and anger. “How dare you treat these poor animals this way!” she declared sternly to the woman’s back. The woman turned, noticed, and tried to close the door, but not in time. BAM! Fluttershy launched a firm slap, flicking the latch open with such force that it nearly broke. She shoved the door open and stomped her hoof hard on the tiled floor with a loud bang! that made the woman twitch, just to show her strength and anger. “Now listen up here, missus,” Fluttershy began, her voice thick as the blood filling her face. “If you really loved your dogs, you’d never treat them that way. It doesn’t matter what they’ve done to you, just look at your reflection. Look at it!” Cringing, the woman turned to see her reflection on the shiny polished tiled floor, and her frustrated face was replaced with one of regret and thought. “Do you see that?” Fluttershy continued, her voice lower but still serious. “That’s the root of all this trouble. Investigate yourself, and then you’ll find the true solution that will last for all time. When was the last time you did something for them that they enjoyed? Did you set proper limits for what they were allowed to do and not allowed to do? When was the last time you visited the park with them and played ball? How about controlling your love of cider?” The woman sighed, sat up, and sighed, tears spilling out of her eyes. “I…honestly don’t know what to do anymore. I’ve tried everything with them...Brian and Lily…I also am struggling with an alcohol addiction I’m trying to eliminate. I…I’m really sorry. I thank you for this actually, I kinda need it. You can take care of them.” “No,” Fluttershy replied, softening her voice. “I’ll show you the best way.” Over the course of about an hour, Fluttershy showed the woman (who introduced herself as Pat) the basics of dog handling, exercising her levels of kindness and demonstrating how to deal with energy levels, dominance, discipline, and exercise. After a few sessions were over, Fluttershy made one final statement. “Um, can I take them to the park?” “Sure,” Pat replied. “Just be careful, as they have a tendency to snap at people.” “In that case, a socializing session is in order,” Fluttershy announced, grabbing the leashes from a hook on the wall and clipping them onto Brian and Lily’s collars. Holding a tennis ball with one hoof and the leashes in the other, Fluttershy flew out the front door, and headed off towards the park as she intitially wanted. But no sooner did a teenager walking home for lunch pass by them then Brian and Lily started jumping, barking, and snapping. “Stop!” the boy pleaded, and Fluttershy had to use all her strength to yank on the leashes to pull them back. When they persisted, she had no option but to direct her infamous “Stare” at them to get them to behave and calm down. Remaining calm yet assertive, Fluttershy continued on to the park, where quite a few of people were playing and running around nearby. That’s when she realized: the park was across from the school! This wasn’t going to be easy. Leading the dogs into a wide open area of the park, Fluttershy then proceeded to begin training and teaching them how to behave. What began as a simple game of fetch soon turned into a learning process of assertiveness, submission, and psychology. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the school kids to notice and want to run over – even though trespassing outside of the school property boundaries during recess was strictly prohibited. “Um, guys?” was all Fluttershy could get out as she hustled the Dobermans behind a large tree. But the kids kept coming. Thankfully there were two people who noticed – a child care worker…and Carter. Hidden behind the tree with the two dogs, Fluttershy’s ears pricked up at the conversation. “Come here now, kids! I told you not to—” the child care worker began. “But there’s—” “No buts! You come here now or I’m telling your parents about a good detention time!” The kids ran back onto the school property, and Fluttershy peeked out from behind the tree. Carter was still standing there, his eyes wide with shock. Fluttershy paid no attention and continued her routine with Brian and Lily, re-enforcing positive behavior and correct mannerism with each person that passed by. When another person came by walking their dog, Fluttershy then stopped to ask him to partake in her ritual. Slowly but surely, Brian and Lily stopped behaving in a dominant-aggressive manner. Wow, Fluttershy, you got some animal talent, Carter thought as he took one final look before heading off back into the school building. At last the sessions were over. Fluttershy, Brian, and Lily all drank water from a fountain, then they walked home. Now that Brian and Lily’s energy levels had been greatly reduced, they would be less likely to start an in-home riot. “So you see?” Fluttershy proudly announced as she entered Pat’s home. “They’re now spent, so there is hardly any energy left in them to start a riot. It all really comes down to when and how much, concerning exercise, discipline, and the affection you give them – in that order. If you mix up the order, then it won’t work out properly and you’ll be back to square one again.” “Thanks for helping me out,” Pat said, giving Fluttershy a box of cookies as a reward. “Oh you’re most welcome, Pat,” Fluttershy replied with a smile. “Thank you for the cookies.” With that, Fluttershy flew back home, just as the clock struck 2 p.m. Lorraine was sitting in the armchair in the family room – and she was not happy. “I know, I…I was away for much longer than I expected,” Fluttershy said sadly. “I…I just…aw!” Lorraine was not at all fazed by her cute shy voice. “Tell me what on earth you were doing out there.” “Well, I walked down to the main road and stayed there for a while, then I came back up and heard some loud disturbing noises from one of the houses…” Fluttershy slowly rolled out the whole story of how she confronted Pat, shoved the truth of the matter in her face, and took a big first step to rehabilitating Brian and Lily. Lorraine sighed and shook her head. “You should have done it in a nicer way. But actually, I do know Pat, and she has been a problematic person in this neighborhood. I guess that you sometimes must resort to tough love when push comes to shove. Thanks for caring for the dogs though, I was worried about their condition and how Pat would treat them. So it looks like your special talent is nature caretaking and rehab, right? And did Pat give you those cookies?” Fluttershy nodded, still upset at her actions to speak. “Come here, let me—” Lorraine began, but Fluttershy already climbed onto her lap and embraced her in a big furry hug. “Mom, I love you.” Lorraine blushed and shed a tear at those words. Fluttershy actually called her as her mother, and even said that she loved her.