Mans Best Friend

*Mathata following Lyndsay into the office

I found a friend – last night a dog followed me home. There are tons and tons of stray dogs here. Roaming the streets wild with glowing red eyes and untamed hair. They mostly do their own thing but are still intimidating when growling or in a bad mood. Its strange how they can sense that we don’t belong. I can feel their stares, same as the people we pass on the road, their barks echoing the curious Hellos. “Hey hey hello, what are you doing here?” it barked at me. Coming close and rubbing against my leg. Scared, I crossed to the opposite side of the highway thinking it wouldn’t cross, that the headlights of traffic would scare it away. Wrong. It followed and we walked home this way zigzagging back and forth across the road. The following morning the same dog was waiting at the gate as if for an appointment, he walked me to the gym and then all the way to the office paws on heals. He is strangely bold, unaware of social norms. He enters the office grounds and then follows me into the building, making himself comfortable on the doormat. Lyndsay and I decided to name him Mathata meaning “Problem” in Setswana. On the positive side, I no longer need to worry about walking home alone after dark. And just like that Problem became my solution.