August 17, 2017

White Dog led Steve into the room. He was carrying Benson.  I reached up and he placed my errant boy into my arms. I wrapped my arms around him.

"Sweet boy," I said to him, "you scared the bejesus out of momma. I am glad you are safely inside."

This afternoon Benson was napping at the other end of the hallway in the bedroom as I worked. I could see him lying just inside the door. Later he disappeared from view but I assumed that as he often does that he had shifted to lie at the foot of the bed by the dog door.

At treat time when he did not join the White Dogs, I got a bit concerned (call it momma spidey sense). I went looking for him. He was not to be found. I peeked out of the patio door and did not see him in the yard so I went to check the kitchen and front sun porch where YoYoMa slept. Not there.

I went out to the back deck and stood looking. THERE he was, far back against the end of the yard pacing against the wall through the bamboo. "Benson!" I called but got no response.  I could tell by his pace that he was not ignoring me but rather, confused. I called again and then sent Zsofia out to him. She woofed in his face but he did not stop his pacing.

He was too far out in the yard for me to totter out after him and it was late afternoon, the hottest time of day in Albuquerque. Fortunately Steve was due home in a bit over an hour.

Benson has been showing signs of dementia...of getting "lost" in familiar places...of being timid. But he always has managed to find his way inside...til now.

When Steve arrived, he went out directly and returned with my prodigal son. I held his hot body in my arms and let him drink his fill from my water glass. "Ben, you are dehydrated! You cannot wander outside without drinking. In fact I would rather you did not wander at all. I was so worried."

I sheltered him in my lap against my chest and he sighed softly as he listened to my heartbeat. I stroked his furs and kissed the top of his head. I felt him relax and then give himself over to an exhausted sleep as I sat unmoving so as not to disturb his calm.