Conversation with a stranger

Snow blanketing field sunk into grass tussock making undulating dimples, the hollows filled with violet blue shade, the hummocks sparkling with a deep cactus like fur of ice crystals from the previous nights frost.

Emerging from between blackthorn and bramble where the path narrows a stranger picking his way over thick cracked ice encasing the muddy ochre clay puddles.

Coming forward in a greeting manner a ginger dog with yellow eyes and a pink nose on a leash clipped to a red harness came towards me smiling its thin tail swaying happily. 

“He’s friendly” said the man. 

"Ah yes, I see." I said, stroking the dog's smooth head. 

“The other one is afraid.” He pointed to a smaller dark bundle of fur in the shadows under the bushes.

The smaller dog was sniffing about, looking happy enough with occasional glances in our direction.

“They are rescue dogs.” Said the man

His rimless spectacles glinted and bald head had a shine to it in the bright sunshine. I was wearing a wooly hat, warm scarf and mittens and thought he must be rather chilly, the wind having a bit of a bite.

“Oh right, have you had them long?” I asked.

“A couple of years now.” he replied. “My daughter got them, she is a veterinary assistant. This one comes from Hungary, he’s a Hungarian hound.”

The ginger dog wagged its tail and leant against my leg and I patted and smoothed his warm fur as I listened to the man and the little black dog sniffed about in the leaves lurking under the hedge.

"Yes, my daughter lives with us now.’ He carried on speaking. “She and her husband can’t afford a house at the moment so she is staying with us and he is staying with his parents”

“Oh that isn’t ideal for them.” I said.

“No, not really.” He said. “She has to travel forty miles to work each day and last night when it snowed the roads were so bad it took four hours to get back.”

“Yes, it’s bad when the snow comes suddenly at rush hour the roads get clogged up and nobody can move.” He shook his head. “She was so tired and stressed when she got home. She works so hard for those animals.”

I nodded sympathetically. “It must be a rewarding job though, to help animals in need.”

He smiled. “Yes, it is. She loves them all. She’s always bringing home some stray or injured creature. That’s how we got these two.” He gestured to the dogs.

“They’re lucky to have you.” I said.

He shrugged modestly. “We do our best. They’re good company for us too. We’re retired now, so we have plenty of time for them.”

We walked along the path together, chatting about dogs and weather and other things. He told me his name was John and he lived in the village nearby. I told him my name was Alice and I was visiting my sister who lived on the other side of the field.

We reached a fork in the path where we had to part ways. He thanked me for the conversation and wished me a good day.

I did the same and watched him walk away with his dogs.

I felt a warm glow in my chest as I continued on my way.

I had just had a pleasant conversation with a stranger.

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