Allen and Isabelle

Each paragraph starts with the next letter of the alphabet.

Allen Colter, a brawny, balding man of forty, kept a meticulously tight schedule every day. He housed close to twenty animals in his home. In order for him to keep up with his living quarters and work schedule, everything had to be cleaned, in its place, and functional.

 

Before he ate breakfast or even took a shower in the morning, he made sure all the cat boxes were cleaned, the puppy pads were changed out and the floor mopped where mistakes might have happened. His cats and dogs were well fed and cared for. Their coats shined and their teeth were healthy.

 

Cats were his favorite companions. They snuggled up to him in the bed, giving him a sense of security and love. He never met a woman who could make him feel so needed.

 

Dogs, on the other hand, were his protection from nosy neighbors, and they gave him a feeling of parenthood. He disciplined them as if they were children and not animals.

 

Everyday, Allen never forgot to take the dogs for a walk. They bonded closely to him and learned to mind when he had to correct them for barking or chasing the cats.

 

Fridays were especially fun. That was his day off from work and he took all five of the dogs to the park. Taking the leash off them, they were free to run and play. He threw Frisbees and tennis balls for their enjoyment.

 

Gradually, the cats and dogs became older as time passed quickly and the exposure they had to other animals caused them to develop problems that needed a vet's care. One can’t always count on their pets to stay healthy.

 

Hair started falling out of one of his older dogs, Rex.  He found out that the poor animal had contacted Mange Mites. Fur just disappeared off his body as if the poor guy had chemotherapy. It took medicated shampoo and oral medicine to take care of that problem.

 

***

Isabelle McDonald, a shy, mousy little woman, was the veterinarian’s assistant who helped diagnose problems with animals. She didn’t actually own any animals of her own, but sometimes she would foster abandoned ones in her house. Many stray dogs, feral cats and abandoned pets were dropped off at the office until they were adopted.

 

Just to make sure they were well taken care of, Isa would give them antibiotics, flea baths and ear mite medication before bringing them to her home. Most of the time, she would only keep an animal for two weeks, if that long.

 

Knowing that she didn’t have any long-term commitments with these poor souls, Isabelle was still free to travel.  When she wasn’t fostering abandoned animals, she left home on occasion to visit the place she liked best, the big city zoos.

 

***

 

Leaving the female cats at home, Allen decided to start taking his male cats to the vet to be neutered. They were attempting to spray the corners of all the rooms to mark their territory.
 
Money was tight during the Christmas season and he figured that neutering the males was cheaper than the females. He didn’t count on the females getting pregnant. Most of the time, they stayed indoors anyway. It was entirely too cold outside for them to explore unknown territories right now.

 

***

Nearly hitting Allen’s car on the slick road, Isabelle made a sharp right turn hitting a tree on the way to work. Snow was coming down quite heavily and she didn’t know what to do about calling a tow-truck. She saw her regular animal hospital client stop his old Buick, Isabelle had avoided, to see if she needed any help. She noticed two cat-carriers in the back seat, with cats yowling quite loud.

 

“Oh dear! I really messed up your car, didn't I? ” Alan asked, “You work at the animal clinic, don’t you?  I am going there now; I’ll give you a ride.

 

“Praise the Lord it was you!" exclaimed Isabelle, "I don’t think I could hitch a ride all the way to the office carrying these two big ‘Toms’ in the car. I’ll find something there for your kitties, to compensate your help, if you can lend me your cell phone to call the wrecker service."

 

“Quit worrying about paying me. I am the cause of your dilemma. What did you say your name was? Don’t you have a husband that takes care of those things for you?” he asked."

 

“Right now, I am quite single. Oh, my name is Isabelle and if I remember correctly, yours is Mr. Colter. I guess I haven’t found the right guy. Most men I have met don’t like cats or have allergies. It is futile for me to try and find a husband who can tolerate animals the way I do."

 

“Sure you haven’t looked everywhere? I have a house full of dogs and cats. I love animals. There are probably many men like me who would be lucky to find a girl as pretty and talented as you are,” Alan had a wide grin on his face as he started up his car.

 

“Talented?” she asked. No one had ever told her such a thing. She couldn’t play an instrument or paint. She was terrible with knitting needles or a crochet hook. Why did he tell her she had talent?

 

“Until I met you in person, I would think about how you were so precise with your diagnosing. The vet never told me what was wrong with my dog but you knew. You were the one who looked at his skin sample under the microscope and determined it was mange. You were the one who found the ear mites.”

 

“Veterinarians can do just so much, Allen. They have to do the surgeries, the amputations and so many other things that they depend on the technicians to carry a lot of the load. That’s why I went to school to learn to do this. I really enjoy working with animals,” said Isabelle, loving having this conversation with a sweet man like Allen.

 

***

 

When they arrived at the clinic, a tow truck was called to retrieve Isabelle’s car from the tree, the cats were put in cages to have surgery and Allen decided to stay and watch all the work being done.
 
X-ray machines were run; I V tubes were inserted; oxygen masks were strapped on. The clinic was quite an interesting place.

 

Yesterday, he felt quite content with his life as a single man, living with his treasured pets. Now, everything had changed. He wanted to become more familiar with Isabelle who enchanted him with her kindness and knowledge of animals.
 
Zany times followed after that day. Their combined lives had fun in the park playing with the dogs and shopping at Petsmart and Petco. That’s where Isabelle and Allen found fancy cat toys, cute doggie clothes and interesting chew bones to keep the pets busy. They had to distract their four-legged children so that Allen and Isabelle could become lovers, marry, and have human, two legged children of their own

Reviews

[Deborah Leah Krempa]

A very cute story. Thank you for sharing. Debileah