On Accident

The other day after picking Ezra up from school, we were driving by some houses and a little cat (like a teenager cat) ran out in front of our van. Because it was a neighborhood and a school zone I wasn't going very fast but I hit the brakes so I wouldn't hit the reckless little guy and waited a second before proceeding. I didn't feel like I hit anything but when I looked in my review mirror I saw the cat struggling to drag itself across the road. It was my first time ever hitting an animal. I pulled over, trying to figure out what I should do.
Asa was sitting closest to me and said, "What is it Mom? What happened? Why did you stop?" He has my talent for asking several questions all at once.
"Well Asa, I think I hit a cat."
"Hit a cat!! Did you kill it?"
"Umm, no. It is trying to walk." I said as I watched the cat in the mirror. About then I noticed three dogs standing on the sidewalk watching too. A big whitish/yellow dog, a medium size scruffy black dog and a little dashoundish brown dog.
As a child I loved the cartoons about animals, especially about dogs. There was one in particular about five stray dogs who had a lot of adventures together. My favorite was the dog with the red bandana.

I read books like "Amazing True Dog Stories" and would have liked, "The Dog Who Rescues Cats: the true story of Ginny." So sitting there in the car I watched the dogs looking up and down the road checking for cars before they cautiously approached the cat. I imagined them being friends even though dogs and cats aren't supposed to be.
Asa asked, "What is the cat doing now?"
"Well, I said, there are a few dogs walking out toward the cat."
Asa craned his neck to look out the back window but couldn't see much. "Why?"
"I think they are going to save the cat." As I said this the white dog carefully scooped the cat up in his mouth and they all quickly trotted over to a clump of bushes. I imagined them getting the cat some water and nursing it back to health. That is they way I explained it to Asa anyway.
Later I told the story of my first roadkill to Joseph. When I got the part where I told Asa that the dogs were saving the cat he said, "Yeah, saving it for later."