a plan to get rid of him

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Christoph Rehage

not companions

At least the road was quiet. We walked past a bunch of cows who looked at me, at the Caboose, and at Werner in bewilderment. They probably thought we were companions. I had an urge to explain that we really weren’t, but I decided not to. They wouldn’t understand.

It was a hot day. We walked through fields and villages, and whenever I noticed a puddle of water or a fountain I stopped so Werner would be able to drink. I didn’t want him to believe that I was going to take care of him, but I didn’t want him to be dehydrated, either.

what they want

And still I wondered what he ate, and if he wasn’t hungry at all. Had he been able to find something to eat during the night? And what was his goal in all of this?

I thought of Nang, the dog from the Turkmen desert, and how I had cried when the shepherds had taken him from me. I thought of the dog family that had followed me in Turkey for two days. Their relentless pursuit had frustrated me so much that I felt relieved when someone threw sticks at them to make them go away.

I thought of Coco, Toto, and Gogra, my three cats who were waiting for me in an apartment in Tbilisi.

I didn’t need a dog.

the plan

And so I came up with a plan to get rid of Werner: I would walk to a small town called Agnita that had a few guesthouses. I would get a room, and then I would disappear for the night. This would surely make Werner leave.