A Guard Like No Other

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“Good day.”

A ritualistic smile forced his lips apart as he opened the door for a man with a briefcase. The door was pulled, shut again as he resumed his perfect stance, legs shoulder-width apart, hands crossed behind his back, gaze focused into the distance, ignoring a fly with an unusual interest in his face.

If it was me, I would’ve swatted it. I often wish I had his restraint, but then I suppose that was why there were two of us on night duty. I yawned and stretched as the lights came on, golden orbs suspended in the air. Just him and me now, and the cat in the basement. No one knew where it had come from, but it was there one day, a fat tabby with glossy fur, mewling away contentedly. Everyone loved it except me. I couldn’t stand the sight of it. Always been more of a dog person myself.

The stairs seemed longer than usual. Maybe it was me growing older. I descended one step at a time, wary of the slippery tiles. The pungent smell of disinfectant clung to the air. The cleaning lady had been around. A nice woman, though a tad too friendly at times. The homemade biscuits she brought around were mouth-watering, but the endless monologues on what the secretary was doing in the boss’s office had grown rather repetitive.

I stepped down onto the padded passageway leading to the vaults. This was my favorite part of the rounds. The leathery feel of the padding was delightful, its brilliant red surface split into a mosaic of a thousand tiny cells. I resisted the urge to stretch myself out and sleep off the weariness of the day. It was darker near the vaults, the narrow passage lit by a single lamp, its surface clouded with grime. My eyes ran along the walls, adjusting quickly to the dimmed lights. That was when I saw it.

Amidst countless rows of grey, was a single vault door hanging wide open. A shadowy figure stood silhouetted before it, back bent, rifling through its contents while a large sack lay spread on the floor. Finally, I thought to myself, a moment of excitement in my dull existence….

I rushed toward the figure, intent on bringing the intruder down. The man spun around at my approach and a look of abject terror flashed across his face. I suppose it was my face that scared him. It happens with some people. The intruder dodged aside at the last second and raced past the vaults and into the passageway, with me in hot pursuit. He slipped on the fifth stair and fell heavily on his bottom, howling understandably.

The commotion compelled the guard upstairs to appear. The intruder tried to scramble to his feet but the guard subdued him in no time. As he reached into his pocket to call the cops, I gave him a sideways look. He grinned and reached down to stroke my head as he said the inevitable.

“Good boy.”

By Ruwimal Pathiraja

Featured Image Courtesy: https://bit.ly/2JF9Mov

 
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