It was after daylight savings time began and almost light enough to see the ducks in the water near the sidewalk. I stopped to look, and when I began walking again, I saw a furtive figure slip behind a large bush in the park. My impression was that it was a slight person dressed in white and wearing a turban. Experts say you should follow your instincts in uneasy situations, so I was definitely on the alert. I put my cane on notice to be ready to strike if the need arose. I argued with myself that no Eastern foreigner would wear a white turban at 6:45 in the morning if he were up to no good. He would be too easy to identify. The split rail fence was another deterrent for mayhem, because it would be between me and the assailant. My ears were focused on the leafy bush as I walked steadily forward.
Suddenly a series of fierce barks burst from the bush. It was a little yappy dog that thought itself as big as a horse. The rebuke was short and swift.
“NO!” hissed the woman.
I could see then why she wanted to shush the dog. She was dressed in a white robe with a towel wrapped about her head. Evidently she had come from a house across the road, letting her dog use a public bush instead of defiling her own yard. What I did probably would not pass an etiquette test. I smiled sweetly and wished her a good morning. I got what was coming to me – total silence from under the white towel, a woman who wished herself anywhere but where she was.
