The Rooster

Yesterday morning we had one of our neighbor's rooster in our back yard. Thank goodness I saw him before I let The Kids out. I was going to call Security about it, to have them deal with it [I was still in my bathrobe at the time], and then decided I'd jump in the shower and get dressed and go over to the neighbor's house myself. So, I did. And, the whole time kept The Kids locked in the bedroom so they wouldn't be able to look out the kitchen window and go absolutely ballistic about the rooster being in our back yard.

I could see the neighbor getting into her vehicle as I walked up the block - her driver was getting in - obviously, they were getting ready to go somewhere. I yelled, "Wait. Stop!" and approached the car. The driver rolled down his window and I said, "I have your rooster in our back yard." He didn't understand a word I was saying. He got out of the car and opened the back door so that I could talk to the woman in the backseat. I told her I had her rooster. She looked at me - totally clueless - and said, "No." Ahh, yes, I do, too. "I have your chicken." She said "no," again. For whatever reason I had my camera with me and showed her the picture of their rooster. She realizes what I am talking about and says, "Ahh. Okay." No. It is not okay. "We have dogs." She says, "Yes, yes." Lady, do you realize what is going to happen to your pet rooster if I let my dogs out - in THEIR OWN back yard?

I said, "You need to get your rooster. He cannot be in our back yard." The woman said, "No. I have an appointment and I will be late." I responded, "If you do not get your rooster, you will not have a rooster." [And, no, for the record, I never would have let The Kids attack the rooster, but the woman's nonchalant attitude was almost too much.] She finally agreed and instructed her driver to follow me so they could get the rooster. It was all of a block away - and as I walked into our driveway the driver came within inches of running me over! Asshole. And, you too, lady. I have no kind words for your actions. "I have an appointment and I will be late." To friggin' bad.

Another neighbor, who we do know, who lives next to this woman, has told me about how they wanted two German Sheppard puppies but instead got the rooster for their kids to play with [who does this!?! gets a rooster as a pet?!!], and how Westernized the woman is even though she is Saudi, and how well she speaks English, blah, blah, blah. Well, she played pretty dumb as far as her English goes, yesterday, and she certainly didn't seem to be at all concerned that she was inconveniencing me by having her children's pet rooster in our back yard - and then with her driver all but running me over in my own driveway...

The driver got out of the car and came into the back yard and started chasing the rooster around. Poor thing. He ended up in the pool. Who knew rooster's could swim? [I certainly didn't know that. Heck. I didn't even know they could fly! But how else could it have escaped and gotten into our yard?] The whole while I was thinking, "Great. I don't have to worry about The Kids getting the rooster. He is going to drown in our pool." He didn't. And the driver caught the rooster. I supervised. Had to. Thought for sure the driver was just going to set the rooster down, outside of our gate, and drive off, instead of taking the rooster home and putting it in their back yard where he belongs [obviously he doesn't want to be there - or he wouldn't have been in our back yard, right?].

This morning, I did do a quick yard check before letting The Kids out. I really, really do not want to see the poor little rooster attacked by a Great Dane and a Standard Poodle, but for goodness sake, lady. Put your big girl panties on and take some responsibility. Next time I won't be so nice about it. I will call Security. This is "city" living, not rural farm country. What you are doing with rooster in your back yard anyway is beyond me - but, much better that they have a rooster than two German Sheppards.