James Etheridge

It was very early in the morning. The old dog had risen from his bed and walked as best he could over to nuzzle his human awake. His body hurt all over, especially in his belly, his sides and his back legs. The human stirred and spoke words that the old dog understood. “Hey, old boy, you want to go outside?” He sat up and rubbed the dog behind his ears. The old dog had two humans and had learned years ago that one was called Poppy. The other’s name was Mommy. He knew that Poppy was like him and that Mommy was like the other dog that had lived with them but was not there anymore.

The old dog made his happy sign with his tail and as Poppy rubbed behind his ears, the old dog felt a warm and comforting feeling deep inside, despite the pain. He felt that way whenever he saw or was around his humans. Poppy stood up, walked to the place where the floor went down, stopped halfway, turned and looked up at the old dog. The old dog walked slowly toward the human he loved so much, stopped and made his happy sign with his tail again. He stepped with his front feet onto the first place where the floor went down, then to the second place and stepped with his back feet onto the first. A searing pain shot through his back, legs and sides. He stopped and looked up at Poppy. He could barely see him. The old dog used to be able to see small animals from a long way off and could easily chase them down. He used to be able to run very fast and jump very high, but over time he had been able to see the small animals less and less and eventually not at all. He could make out shapes and see movements but not much else. It hurt him to walk, let alone run or jump.

The old dog heard Poppy speak in a gentle tone and he understood the words, “old boy.” His voice sounded strange and shaky. He made his happy sign with his tail and took two more steps where the floor went down. He stopped again and Poppy made a strange sound. He felt the warm human hand rubbing his head and his side. The old dog licked Poppy’s hand and took the rest of the steps where the floor went down until it was flat again. He heard a click and there was a blinding flash of light. As he tried to make out the shape of Poppy, the old dog heard him speak. “Come on, old boy, you want to go out?” he said. The old dog walked slowly and painfully toward the human’s shape and sound. He stopped at the place where Poppy or Mommy would move things with their hands at the wall. They would pull at a knob on the wall and a hole would open up. The floor went down only one place through the hole that opened up in the wall. He stepped on the place where the floor went down with his front feet, but when he stepped down with his back feet, the pain shot through his body again. His back legs gave way and he fell on his left side.

Poppy made another strange sound and fell to the floor beside the old dog. He cradled him in his arms and rocked back and forth, saying words the dog understood. “It’s okay, old boy, it’s okay. We love you. It’s okay.” Poppy repeated this over and over while making strange sounds the old dog had never heard him make before. He licked Poppy on the face and tasted salty water on the human’s cheeks. The hole in the wall opened and Mommy stood there. She made a strange sound too and sat down on the floor at the old dog’s right side. Poppy continued holding him and rocking back and forth while Mommy rubbed the old dog’s head and side. They were talking to one another in tones that the dog knew meant they were very upset, but he did not know what they were saying.

He eventually put his front feet down and stood up. He had to go outside and knew not to soil the floor on the inside. Poppy let go of him and the old dog walked slowly to the place in the wall where the hole opened to the outside. He turned and looked at Poppy and Mommy, who were watching him with very sad looks and water on their eyes and faces. He whimpered and pawed at the wall. His belly was full and hurting and he knew that he would not be able to hold it much longer. Poppy walked to the wall, moved things with his hands and opened the wall to the outside.

The old dog walked through the opening, crossed the wooden floor outside and stepped down onto the ground. He walked over to the barrier made of silver wire and poles. His back leg was too weak to lift, so he just knelt and marked his territory on one of the green plants next to the barrier. When he finished, he sniffed along the barrier and followed it all the way down to where the water ran on the other side. He had only been on the other side of the barrier once. It was when he was much younger and Poppy was standing on the other side with another human. He had jumped over the barrier because he wanted to be with Poppy. The next day there was a much higher barrier around the outside. It was too high for him to jump but only went down one side and along the back by the running water. The front barrier was still low and so was the one on the other side, although along the top of it were green leaves and vines. He knew he was not supposed to jump over the barrier and never had again.

The old dog walked along the back barrier, then turned and went back to the corner where the two barriers met. His sides and legs were hurting very badly and as he started up the hill his back legs gave way. He rested for a minute and then stood up. He started up the hill and his back legs gave way again. He knew that he would not be able to make it up the hill to the opening in the wall and the inside. He lay for a while in the cool shade and then suddenly had a realization. The sun was shining and the air was warm, but it was not hot and the brightly colored creatures with wings were singing and chattering. Today was a good day.

The old dog looked over his shoulder to his left at the low spot on the barrier. He pulled his back legs under him, stood up and walked slowly to the barrier. He sniffed the air and looked up. He knew that there was a good place on the other side of the barrier. He didn’t know how he knew, he just knew. The old dog crouched at the barrier and mustered as much strength as he could in his back legs. He put his front feet on the barrier, pulled up and jumped with his back legs. He did not make it over the barrier and fell back to the ground. Pain shot through his body and he let out a yelp. He looked around for Poppy and Mommy but did not see them. He stood up again and summoned as much strength as he could in his back legs. There was a good place somewhere on the other side of the barrier and he was determined to find it. The old dog put his front paws on the barrier, pulled up and jumped with his back legs. All four of his paws landed on top of the barrier and he dropped down to the other side. Pain shot through his body again as he hit the ground. He managed to stand up and walked along beside where the water ran. He sensed the good place ahead and began to trot.

The pain in his back and legs had eased and the old dog was moving easier. He kept his eyes ahead, looking for the good place. The day was bright and he could see clearly now. He heard Poppy calling his name in the distance behind him, but he did not turn around. The good place was just ahead. He could feel it and he knew it. He heard Poppy’s voice again along with Mommy’s, but he kept moving forward. He had never been this far away from the barrier alone in his life.

Looking straight ahead, he followed where the water ran. Suddenly he stopped. There was a shady spot beside the water, with light shining through an opening above onto a bed of leaves. He slowed and walked to the spot where the light was shining. The old dog circled around twice and lay down in the leaves. He looked up into the sky at the light. It was a good place and a good day. He laid his head on the ground and began to pant. He had jumped and moved as fast as he could and his back legs were aching and stretched past his face. His front legs were bent at the elbows and his wrists and paws rested on his nose. He kept breathing heavier at first, then slower and slower. He heard Poppy’s voice and then Mommy’s call his name again. They sounded closer but far away at the same time. The old dog was very tired. His head and legs felt too heavy to move. He could feel himself getting sleepy. The old dog took a deep breath, let it out slowly, closed his eyes and drifted away.