Some who wander ARE lost...

The story you are about to read is true. No names have been changed, because everyone is innocent, including yours truly. Please be advised that the story has a happy ending.

Here's how it began...

Mom and I got up Wednesday morning for our daily constitutional. The day was cloudy, but not cold or rainy, and all the spring smells were in full swing. We were doing our usual loop around the neighborhood, and we came to an intersection, to cross the street heading back home. Mom always makes me walk in the crosswalks, something about me being "unpredictable," and this day was no exception. So, as we started out across the street, I was quite surprised to see a yellow school bus heading in our direction. I expected it to stop, but when I realized that wasn't going to happen, I pulled with all my 14 pounds of might on the leash, to drag Mom away from the bus. It was enough to keep her out in front of the bus, but not enough to keep the bus from hitting her and knocking her over. She dropped the leash, and I ran as fast as I could to try and find help. I looked back to see a bunch of neighbors on their phones, and taking care of Mom, but I knew I had to go find Mama.

I ran and ran, through the woods and across a raging river, and in a few minutes, I found (what I thought was) our building. I thought, in a few minutes Mama will realize we've been gone a long time on our walk, and will come out looking for us. She'll see me waiting outside, and I'll take her back to where Mom is. Well, I waited and waited and waited for hours. I was lying on the pavement next to the building when someone tried to come up to me. I may have told them a little too gruffly to leave me alone, that I was waiting for my Mama, and it was an emergency. They kept their distance, but they didn't go away. They brought me some water, and just watched me for a while. Then they made some phone calls. After a while, a car pulled up, and it looked kind of familiar. I backed up, thinking it might be someone trying to take me away from my post, but then I took a whiff--Mom! and Mama! But...how...huh??

I was curious why we were leaving the building, but I was too happy to see Mom and Mama to worry about it right then. I gave Mom a full sniff-down, and decided that she was bruised and bandaged in some places, but nothing seemed missing or broken. We took a short car ride and then pulled into another building that looked just like the one I was waiting at. Turns out there is another building in Takoma Park that looks just like ours, and I had spent nearly seven hours waiting at the wrong building! I was still a little shaken up from the morning's events, and tired from running all that way, but Grandpa was there when we got back, and boy, was he happy to see me!

Anyway, back at the house, they explained everything to me. Mom got hit by the school bus, and called Mama to come help her while some nice neighbors called an ambulance and the police, and made sure she was ok. They rode to the hospital together, where the doctors and police proclaimed it a miracle that she wasn't seriously hurt. Meanwhile, they called everyone to let them know they were ok, but that I was missing. Grandpa couldn't sit still knowing I was roaming about the People's Republic, so he headed down here to help look for me. Mom went home to rest, and Mama and Grandpa went out to put up signs--look, I'm famous:
Then they drove around, asking neighbors, tromping through the woods, and generally panicking. Eventually, Mom got a call from the Takoma Park City Gardener, who is actually a very nice guy, and I wish I hadn't growled at him. Mike, if you're out there, I send my sincere apologies, and I'd be happy to chew up your socks any day. He said he'd been watching me for a long time, and that he called a co-worker who he thought might know what to do, and it turns out she had been eating her lunch in the park, and had seen the sign with my handsome visage. They decided it must be me, and called Mom.

It was a joyous reunion, as I said, and I would have written about all this sooner, but I've spent a lot of time sleeping off the trauma of it all. So, that's the whole story, uncensored. Now, I must be going to get my evening belly rub--let me tell you, there's nothing like getting lost and found to get your moms to do anything you want!