Mysterious Manifestation

As a single parent, raising 2 boys, I thought we should have a sturdy shelter dog in our family, so I snook over to the ASPCA after work one evening, "just to look". What was waiting for me there would change our lives for the better and even save our lives, eventually.

There were 3 of them, little tan puppies some breeder dropped off as damaged and doomed to have Dermoid Sinus...not breed-able stock. I had never heard of a Rhodesian Ridgeback until then, but the research I found did not even live up to the breed a little bit! They may have been bred to tree lions in Africa, but they are the most loyal, loving, intelligent dog in the hound family. The closest comparison in the hound family would be the tenacious Dachshund, bred to dig out BADgers in Germany!

It is obvious, by now, that I brought that big-footed puppy home and we named him Cisco. I now have a lifetime of memorable stories and wonderful memories about that hound dog and here's one of them.

Cisco could "fly" over our chain link fence or bowl the boys over when the front door opened, so the neighbors were all acquainted with and fond of him. We lived at the bottom of a steep hill with a big dip in front of our house. We'd sit and watch Cisco lay in the yard "in wait" mode, till a certain car or truck would come along and have to slow down. Some trucks, belonging to his "buds", would slow just enough to let him jump in the back, then take off uphill, giving him some kind of thrill, I suppose. But cars had to be raced, since he couldn't help himself to a ride, and he won every time!! Of course the neighborhood game began by "racing Cisco" up hill, and he could beat even the fast cars in the first quarter! He was big and fast and while I gritted my teeth and prayed, he kept winning.

Now most people, by now, wonder why I didn't tie him up, so let me tell you. I bought one collar after another,(denting an already empty pocketbook), even the one that was a choke chain with spikes inside! If he couldn't break it, he got smart and would lay down, loosening it, then just slide his loose skin over his head with his paw, collar and all! If you know your dogs, you know all hound dogs have lots of loose skin!

Then he'd just "sail" over the fence to freedom, which was no problem for him, the neighbors, or even us, but the city dog catchers (or non-catchers in his case) were being driven mad because of his prowess.

And since they could rarely catch him, I was the next available/responsible party who was ticketed. I had to work - usually 2 jobs - so life would go on for us.

Of course these things eventually catch up to us and I was no exception. One day, they came to my door to arrest me for unpaid dog tickets, and Cisco went to jail, too,(Doggy Jail), leaving my then 9 and 10 yr. old boys in charge of the house...ALONE, overnight!!

By 8am the next morning I was chained to a whole squad of women I had just spent the night with and shuffling to arraignment court to be hanged. I was humiliated, worried sick, missing work, dirty, and petrified, to say the least. In the courtroom, we all had to maneuver around this chain to sit down as the judge called out our names, our crimes, and then pass sentence on each of us. Each woman would have to stand for this further humiliation, to be sentenced, as down the line they were pleading to manifestation, shoplifting, manifestation, assault, manifestation, burglary, manifestation, and when my turn came I was given time served for DOG TICKETS, while the whole courtroom burst into laughter and His Honor had to bang his gavel for order! All I wanted to know was, WHAT IS MANIFESTATION???!!

Someone finally caught their breath from laughter and informed me. I quietly thanked God for my blessings and called someone to pick me and my "partner in crime" up from our respective jails.