by JKolasch
It became a common occurrence when I got off of work for my dog to be floating just outside the door, tail wagging, gently propelling him in a circle while he waited for me. Once I was outside, his body would quiver as his tail picked up speed and he shot toward me. His tongue licked my face as I scrunched up my eyes and lips, smiling. I knew he was licking at the taco grease just as much as he was licking because he was happy to see me. It didn’t bother me.
“Hey boy, I missed you too! You gotta stop coming to work, though.” I ruffled the fur on his head, causing his tail to fan even faster momentarily.
I motioned for him to follow, and I walked towards my car, anxious to get home and shower off the grease and smell he loved so much. He floated faithfully along behind me.
“Hey, Josh. Just getting off of work, huh?”
I turned, and saw Krystal, a coworker, getting out of her car. She was adjusting her hat, tucking a few stray strands of hair away. “Yeah. Shadow was waiting for me again. By now, you’d I think I’d start leaving him in the house instead of the yard.”
Krystal looked down, her face hidden beneath her hat, and fiddled with her nametag. Apparently, she was assured that she was in fact wearing her nametag, because she looked back up at me with a smile, her eyes partially hidden by her hat’s brim. She seemed to stare past Shadow and at me. “He does seem to follow you everywhere. He’s got a fitting name.”
I smiled, looking into Shadow’s brown eyes floating a few feet from mine, and playfully tugged on one of his ears. “He does, doesn’t he.”
Continue reading “The Day My Dog Learned to Fly – A story.”
Jacob Kolasch 