On this new article series, I share some fond mother-daughter adventures. This story is when the fire department had to save the day when I was still a teenager.
NOTE: This article was written by Alicia D. Baqueroalvarez & Edited by J. Marcelo Baqueroalvarez.
Adventuring With Mom Series (Part One):
Mother’s Day is here and although it’s the first without my mom I believe I’m starting to turn a new corner. The first article that I composed was a combination of sadness, pain, and loss but there are so many wonderful memories with Mom that I would like to share with others. In anticipation of this I’m starting a series of stories called Adventuring With Mom that will highlight the light-hearted, interesting, but mostly hilarious aspects of being a recipient of Patricia Espinosa’s “blood flowing through my body” as she would declare with sinister glee and a smile on her face. I hope to create enough recollections that I may create a book filled with them someday but, for today, I want to simply share the smiles and laughter. Let’s begin.
Looking forward to watching a movie together!
In 1993 a lot of great movies were showing in the theaters. This is when Schindler’s List, Menace II Society, Groundhog Day, and Jurassic Park were making cinema history, but it was Philadelphia that caught my family’s interest one late Saturday afternoon starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. I honestly can’t remember exactly who was going to see the movie that day, but I remember Mom and I had made plans to drive over to the Lloyd Center Regal Cinema Complex just as soon as we finished one quick and easy errand. At least that’s what we believed.
I worked at several places when I was young including Chez Jose East, Grill, and West (the latter was sold to a different owner), Suncoast Motion Pictures (merged with Fye), but by far my most challenging job was as a kennel worker at a low-income veterinarian called Peninsula Dog and Cat Clinic on N. Interstate Ave. in between two areas that are called Arbor Lodge and Overlook in Portland, Oregon. I could do an entirely separate article on everything I did at that clinic but, for the purposes of this story, it could be time-consuming.
Not only did I work at the clinic at least twice a week after school, but I was scheduled to clean the kennels every other weekend and this fateful Saturday was part of my weekend to clean. Cleaning entailed a great deal than what it sounds like. I had developed a system after almost a year managing things at the clinic. Soak and wash all the dirty feeding bowls; wash, dry, fold and stow all of the pet beds, blankets, towels, and rags; machine sanitize any used syringes in the exam room; clean and sanitize all cages; change litter boxes; administer prescribed medications and injections (if needed); divvy out clean water and food (as their diet directed); give lots and lots of loving to the dogs and cats and, of course, help dogs use the bathroom in an outdoor enclosure called a dog run. Here is where chaos and destiny will meet.
Mom thought that things could go faster, and we could make it to the movie showing early, if she helped me out this one time. Afterall, we both thoroughly enjoy movie trailers. Who doesn’t? Back then you couldn’t select your seats in advance online. Cell phones didn’t exist. If you didn’t want to sit in the neck break or nosebleed areas of the theater, you better get there early. I knew my mom was like-minded in work ethics. She managed a school cafeteria, daily. I was confident that we could successfully knock everything out in half the time it took me alone. I wasn’t anticipating…Kelly.
Thank you to all who reached out, the tea sets have been delivered, most messages we received were Direct Message
The adventure develops
Oh, my goodness! Kelly was one of our regular stays and she was the cutest miniature terrier in grey. I had no qualms about letting her out to roam the clinic, freely. The clinic had recently acquired two unadopted kittens, too, that I had named Jim and Spock. Our clinic mascots, Homey and Mishka, didn’t even mind them so I let the kittens out to explore until Mom and I finished chores. Kelly didn’t bother any of the cats because she was more interested in using her adorable looks to get cuddles and pets and Mom wasn’t unaffected by her charm.
After what seemed like an eternity of giving Kelly all the attention I directed Kelly to the dog run. I opened the door to the outdoor enclosure and Kelly bounded past me with gusto and energy. As I redirected my focus on Kelly Mom had made her way into the enclosure, curious to know where all the dogs did their business. In all the excitement I didn’t look up until Mom had completely walked into the enclosure and I heard the door close.
Oh. My. God. No. I asked Mom if she had pulled the door closed or left it cracked open. Her eyes grew wide. She asked me why I asked, and I explained that the door automatically locked from the inside so if she did pull the door behind her, we were screwed. Her face said it all. We were stuck and panic was bubbling to the surface.
While I was looking skyward for answers Kelly happily burrowed into my lap, oblivious to our dilemma. Mom was calling on all her positive energy and began inquiring into what was located around the clinic. Under any other circumstances my teenage persona would’ve been proud to acclaim that Taco Time- home of the crispy chicken burrito- was right on the other side of the dog run. As my thoughts raced Mom sheepishly asked what the covered hole in the middle of the dog run was for and I explained that it’s where all the excrement went.
There was a hose neatly coiled up in a corner of the enclosure and when I noticed her gaze I explained that I used that to rinse everything down after I scrubbed the pavement clean. As she continued to remain eerily quiet my nerves got the best of me, and I squeaked what? “Well, Honey…” she began. “I’m going to have to use it soon.” I started to realize how unreal our situation was even as Kelly just happily galloped around me. I wondered if I was going to get fired if we could figure our way out of this.
I decided that our dignity was gone as I turned around to give Mom some kind of privacy, whatever that was while trapped inside an open top enclosure. As I turned my attention skyward, I could hear customers making their way through the Taco Time drive thru. I could clearly make out their words as transactions of money for food were made at the service window. Wait…
That’s it!! I became giddy and nervous as I talked excitedly to Mom about my idea to get the attention of the drive thru attendant and ask them for help. She readily agreed to it but- honestly- what choice did we have? I started by calling for help. Mom and I called out for help repeatedly. It didn’t take long before we heard a voice filtered through a microphone ask if someone was out there. I immediately raised my voice, careful to control my anxiety, and hurriedly told her this:
“Yes! Yes, we need help! We’re trapped inside the dog run at the veterinarian clinic next to your restaurant.”
I must sound insane. They’re never going to believe me.
“Do you need me to call the police?”
Oh, bless you. Whoever you are, thank goodness that you were raised to give some the benefit of a doubt.
“Yes! Yes. The door is locked from the other side so my mother and I can’t get out.”
A moment of silence. Of course. That’s to be expected under the circumstances.
“Alright. Give me a few minutes.”
“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!!”
A few minutes later…
“Hey! I notified the police, and help is on the way!”
“Thank you!”
The sound unlike a soft snicker and then, “You’re welcome.” I deserved that. I’m just glad that help will arrive soon. Mom smiles at me and I grimace a little bit. I can NOT let anyone learn of what has happened here. Especially my friends. I’ll never hear the end of it. As I ask how she’s feeling, we hear a siren in the distance.
The fire department arrives!
Well, that was fast. Another siren joins the first. Maybe an ambulance and a police car? Suddenly two more sirens combine into a literal cacophony of sound nearing closer to the clinic. I stand up and turn around as I stare upward. What on earth do they believe they’re responding to? A robbery?
The sirens are now steady and loud. I imagine four or six fire engines surrounding the Taco Time and veterinarian clinic and I start to feel a little sick. A voice coming from above my head calls out.
“Hello?”
“Uh, yes. Sorry. Yes, we’re trapped inside a dog run- uh, I mean, my mom and I are trapped inside the dog run on the other side of the wall where you are.”
Silence. Then another voice joins in.
“You’re what?? You’re trapped inside a dog run?”
“Yes. Well, it’s where we let the dogs run around- and…use…the bathroom. I work for the veterinarian clinic!”
I start to hear shuffling before a head sporting a fire helmet peaks out above the enclosure. The concerned look on the man’s face melts into a goofy smile as he says to his partner, “Well, this is a first.” My face turns scarlet.
“I’m sorry. The door locks from the other side and my mom didn’t realize until it was too late.”
My Mom simply smiled sweetly up at the fireman and reassured him that we couldn’t figure out any other way to get out. I think the sight of Mom inside the dog run with me was the biggest reason why the fireman instantly regretted his comment and hurried off to investigate. Well, Mom and maybe the sight of Kelly’s cuteness. I’m just saying.
After a few minutes the fireman returned and informed us that the lock on the clinic’s front door wasn’t something that he could pick so he was going to have to break the windowpane closest to the doorknob to gain access. Tears of frustration and anxiety squeezed through my squinting eyes as I told him to go ahead and that I would just have to explain everything to my boss and ask her to take the repair costs out of my pay.
Mom rubbed my shoulder and reassured me that it would be alright, and I believed her because it was my mom telling me this. A few minutes more and we heard the door unlock and a fireman decked out in firefighting gear swung the door open and I could see another fireman walking through the clinic behind him. Holy- Homey and Mishka! Jim! Spock! They can’t get out of the clinic!! I hurriedly asked the fireman about the cats and if he saw them and he immediately reassured me that all four felines were accounted for. In fact, they all froze for a minute after he opened the front door before the kittens headed for the laundry room and Homey just stared at him. As he passed the front desk Mishka cried out a hello and he looked down to see a beautiful tortoise long-hair cat. He removed his glove and briefly pet her head.
Join me for some tea
We were free, but it was not quite over
Once the fireman patched up the broken glass with scotch tape and cardboard Mom and I finished offering our gratitude to all the firemen involved and said our goodbyes. I made the awful and awkward call to my boss, Dr. Rebecca Scott, and recited everything that had taken place. Surprisingly, she didn’t charge me. If anything, I think she thought it was funny. A very dry humor but, nevertheless.
In the absence of all the excitement Mom and I suddenly just burst into laughter, tears running down our faces. No one would believe us. Our experience felt one of a kind, truly. By that point the movie had started at least a half an hour ago and, honestly, we were in no hurry.
I can remember when Mom and I creeped through the darkened theater, looking for our seats and the familiar faces of the family. I saw my brother…or maybe my sister…and we both settled into our seats for the rest of the movie, but the plot was difficult to get into while our thoughts settled. Afterward, we told the family what had happened and, as you can imagine, everyone laughed and laughed because it just had to happen to two troublemakers like me and Mom. Simply put, Mom and I were always a strange mother-daughter duo but that is what made me love her even more.
Fast forward to 2020 which is the last time I saw my old boss, Dr. Scott, and she was still doing veterinarian work at a different clinic. Time ages our memories and I don’t think she remembered me anymore, but I explained to her that my Navy career was a success in part because of a lot of the things she taught me when I worked for her. Then I handed her my personal challenge coin and told her that I just wanted to thank her for that. She smiled and I believe some memories came back to her because she asked me if my last name was Espinosa and I told her that it was before I married. It was truly good to see her again even if we couldn’t experience the kind of meaningful conversations that I had with her when we worked at Peninsula Dog and Cat Clinic.
My next article will be something intended to help our transitioning military and veterans. You won’t want to miss out! Please comment and subscribe so you’ll be alerted when new stuff posts. And, to all mothers with love in their hearts, know that you are cherished. Every day. HLC