My Newest & Most Noticeable Neighbor

All throughout my childhood, my next-door neighbors had so many pets over the years that might as well have been The Secondary Humane Society of Dothan. While some of their dogs were ordinary and unremarkable, I don’t think I’ll ever forget their two Dachshunds… nor will my parents. Those two hot dogs were yappers, and they barked day and night. As a child, I understood why my parents were frustrated with the boisterous animals, whose bedroom bordered the dogs’ domain. They endured the little guys for a few years and rejoiced when the neighbors decided to swap them for other fury creatures.

Now, I fully understand my parents’ past pain, because I suffer the same plight. You see, my bedroom window opens up to the interior patio of my apartment building. I live on the 1^st floor, and sounds from the inhabitants of the seven floors above me fall down the shaft and echo into my room. Thus, I hear every soccer game, every piece of fish frying, every baby crying, and every dog barking, Someone, I don’t know who, recently brought a brand new puppy home… and I mean, brand new. It cries in the mornings. It cries in the afternoons. It cries at night. I used to think that my neighbors were playing a cruel trick on me, lowering down their wailing puppy by a rope for it to hang in front of my window while I try to sleep. Nope! It’s just that loud. My hope has been that once it grows up, it’ll stop crying. Well, I’m pretty sure it’s growing, because it doesn’t cry as often as it used to because it’s learning how to bark. What a dream come true.

I think this puppy is causing me more harm than just sleep deprivation. I realized today that every time I see a small dog in the street, no matter how far from my apartment I am, I wrinkle my nose and grimace, wondering if that is the fury face of my torturer. I used to be a dog lover, but if this thing doesn’t quit, I can’t make any promises that I’ll be a dog owner ever again.

Ok, perhaps I’m overreacting a bit. But if you’re ever in Madrid, come hang out in my apartment for the day, and then you tell me if you’d live with Yapping Yonny.