Maci the Lazy Dog #OurAuthorGang

 A short story by Erika M Szabo

Maci, the gentle giant

Margaret sat in her kitchen, staring out the window feeling the weight of the empty house. It had been a month since her daughter Wendy had moved out after getting married. The silence was overwhelming, and Margaret felt lonely. She had been so used to having Wendy in the house with her, and now she was all alone.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Margaret's heart leaped, hoping it might be her daughter coming for a surprise visit. But when she opened the door, there was a man in uniform with a package in his hands.

"Ma'am, I have a person-to-person delivery for you," he said, smiling. “You need to open the package as soon as possible.”

Margaret signed for the package and carried it inside. She carefully opened it, her hands trembling with excitement. She held her breath I awe when a soft-haired, cuddly St. Bernard puppy looked into her eyes. Margaret's heart melted as she picked up the little creature, feeling the small body’s warmth radiating through her hands.

On the puppy’s collar, there was a note in Wendy's handwriting: "To keep you company. Love, Wendy."

Margaret named the puppy Maci, which meant "little bear" in her native language. From that moment on, Margaret and Maci were inseparable. The affectionate little bear brought so much joy and love into her life that loneliness disappeared from her heart. They spent every minute together, playing, napping, and exploring the outside world. Margaret couldn't imagine her life without her little bear, and she was grateful for the unexpected gift of love from her daughter.

As Maci grew, so did the bond between her and Margaret. The St. Bernard grew into a gentle giant, always by her owner's side, ready to offer comfort and love whenever needed.

Maci loved taking naps on Margaret's lap or snuggling up close to her on the couch. And as she grew bigger and bigger, it seemed like she would never stop growing. By the time she was a year old, Maci had reached the size of a small lioness. But despite her size, she remained gentle and calm, never once showing any aggression toward anyone.

Margaret was proud of her fur baby and often boasted to her friends about what a great companion Maci was. She would tell them how the dog always knew when she needed some extra love and attention, how she could sense when Margaret wasn't feeling well and would stay by her side until she felt better.

One day, as they were out for their daily walk in the park, Margaret tripped and fell to the ground with a thud. She let out a cry of pain as she landed on her hip. But before Margaret could even think about getting up or calling for help, Maci was already by her side, offering her strong body for support.

"Thank you, sweet girl," Margaret said with tears in her eyes as she wrapped her arm around Maci's neck and carefully moved her legs. When she didn't feel pain, she held onto Maci and stood up. "I think I'm okay, I'll just a little sore for a few days," she murmured touching her hip. "I don't know what I would do without you," Margaret whispered to Maci as they walked home.

Maci may have been large, but in Margaret's heart, she was still that tiny puppy that had filled the emptiness in her home after Wendy had left. And with each passing day, their bond only grew stronger and stronger.

As Maci reached adult size, she became quite an attraction in their small town. Everyone loved her, and many would stop to pet her as she walked by with Margaret. But despite her size, Maci remained a gentle and calm dog. She never barked or showed aggression toward anyone, even when children pulled on her tail or tried to climb on her back.

Wendy would often ask about Maci whenever she called her mother. "How's Maci doing?"

"She's on the lazy side, you know, she naps a lot," Margaret would reply with a chuckle. "But I’m happy that she's such a quiet and good-natured dog. I would go insane if I had a constantly fidgeting, yapping Chihuahua like Mary.”

“Yes,” Wendy laughed. “I always wondered how that little menace could bark so loudly. His lungs must be the size of walnuts. Maci must be huge by now. She was four month old when I saw her and she was already big.”

“Oh, yes. She's grown so huge and I feel like instead of me walking her, she's taking me for walks," Margaret continued jokingly. "Sometimes when my legs hurt, I feel like I could just ride on her back as if she was a horse."

Wendy laughed at the thought of her petite mother riding on top of her giant dog. "As skinny as you are, she probably could give you a ride with ease," Wendy joked. "I miss you, Mom! I can hardly wait until next month to visit you."

"I miss you too! See you soon."

***

A week later, while watching a movie, Margaret heard footsteps and saw someone trying to peek through the curtains of the bay window. She straightened up on the sofa. Who could that be? She thought nervously when the footsteps were getting closer and closer to her front door. Her heart racing, she glanced at Maci, who slept soundly beside her on the sofa. As the doorknob began to turn and the door rattled, Margaret held her breath in fear.

She grabbed her phone and pressed 911. “Someone is breaking into my house, 19 Mulberry Street, and I’m alone,” she whispered into the phone in panic.

“I’m sending a patrol car right away. Stay on the phone,” the operator instructed.

Margaret put the phone next to her when suddenly, the door swung open, revealing a large man wearing a black mask. He had a knife in his hand and took a step toward the terrified old woman.

"What are you doing in my house? What do you want?" she whispered, trembling with fear.

"Where's your money?" growled the intruder. "Give it to me and I won't hurt you."

Countless thoughts raced through Margaret's mind as she cowered on the sofa. This man is going to kill me before the police get here. She grasped at the dog’s fur, who remained motionless, but Margaret noticed that Maci was watching the man under half-closed eyelids. She could feel the dog's muscles tensing as if she was getting ready to jump.

“It’s over there,” Margaret stammered pointing at the mantel. “I… I don’t have much, but it’s in there, in that red box.”

The man turned and walked to the mantel.

Maci slowly, without making a sound, got down from the sofa and reached the man with a few, soundless steps on the thick carpet. She stood behind the man, watching him.

The man reached for the red box, opened it, and jammed the handful of cash into his pocket with a grunt. “Where’s your jewelry?” he demanded, turning back, but took a frightened step backward hitting his shoulders on the mantel when he faced the huge dog. Maci opened her mouth showing two rows of teeth and let out a thunderous bark that vibrated through the house. The man shrunk back in fear. “Call this monster off!” he shouted.

Margaret stared at the trembling man and heard Maci’s throaty, threatening growl. “I wouldn’t move if I were you,” Margaret said, suddenly feeling safe and calm. She picked up her phone while keeping an eye on the man and her dog.

“Keep talking to him, ma’am. The patrol car will be there in a minute.” Margaret heard the voice of the operator. “Are you safe?”

“Oh, yes, I’m safe,” Margaret answered the operator’s question, chuckling softly. “My dog is holding the man hostage.”

Margaret watched as Maci stood motionless in front of the masked intruder until the man made a slight move. Then, the huge dog let out a deafening bark and with lightning speed, she jumped up and placed her enormous front paws on the man’s chest, her massive mouth open and lined with sharp teeth just inches from his face.

The man froze and whimpered in fright.

Margaret watched with satisfaction as the terrified intruder stood frozen. He seemed to be afraid to move a muscle, only his eyes darted between Maci and Margaret, begging for help.

As she heard the siren from the driveway and running footsteps, Margaret stood up, feeling a bit shaken but no longer scared as she watched her furry guardian keeping the man trapped. She snickered when she noticed the expanding wet spot on the front of the man’s pants, which was clear evidence of how terrified he was.

Erika M Szabo

https://authorerikamszabo.com

Erika loves to dance to her own tunes and follow her dreams, introducing her story-writing skills and her books that are based on creative imagination with themes such as magical realism, alternate history, urban fantasy, cozy mystery, sweet romance, and supernatural stories. Her children’s stories are informative and educational and deliver moral values in a non-preachy way.