I’m getting old, this used to be a lot easier. Domino thinks as he slowly moves his four paws one by one up the creaky wooden steps in the 1950s brick house he’s lived in his entire life with the Reynolds family. The elderly black and white spotted dog makes his way into the Reynolds bedroom, the morning sun shining through the sheer curtains bathes the room in an amber glow. The sun’s warmth beginning to increase the temperature of the room. Frank awakens to the need to expel a full bladder, and to Domino; whimpering to be let out so he too can expel his.
One by one Domino slowly makes his way down the stairs with Frank. Frank slides open the glass door and Domino trudges outside into the damp grass to do his business, as Frank does his as well. He makes his way to the kitchen and pours food into a bowl and changes Domino’s water. Frank lifts his head and sees Domino pawing at the glass door to be let back in, his dew soaked paw leaving muddy wet streaks on the glass. Frank lets him in and towels off his moist paws. He squats down to meet Domino eye to eye, scratches his head and under his chin.
“You’re a good pup.” Frank says gently.
Frank was Domino’s favorite. He’s been feeding him every morning for nearly two decades now. He always lets him outside, and pets him more than anyone else in the house. His wife Barbara seems to have gotten tired of Domino. He can no longer keep up with her on her afternoon jogs, and one too many late mornings have left him with no other option than to relieve himself on the hardwood floor and it always makes her mad. Walking upstairs to wake Frank up hurts his joints but it’s better than being yelled at by her again.
Once Frank ends the staring contest, Domino makes his way to the bowl of kibble Frank poured him. He takes a few bites, and laps up some fresh water before making his way to the large green lumpy dog bed and drifts off into a dog nap.
It’s a short dream, but in it he’s a young pup again. Running around the yard, playing fetch with Frank and their son Dennis, not an achy joint in his body. Frank lobs the tennis ball across the yard and Domino bolts after it, a streak of black and white. Running underneath the ball as it arcs in the air, its silhouette grows as it completes its parabola and gravity brings it back to earth. In an amazing calculation of physics masqueraded as instinct, Domino jumps and opens his long snout to catch it, brandishing his prehistoric dentistry. The exterior fuzz of the neon green tennis ball makes first contact with the enamel on his pristine young canine teeth; and the doorbell rings, dissipating his dream like cigarette smoke in open air before he can complete his hail Mary catch.
Dennis opens the door with his wife and son and makes his way inside, greeting Frank who was marching towards the door to see who would possibly be at his door this early. Behind Dennis on a leash wrapping itself around Dennis’s leg comes a fluffy little wheat colored Pomeranian. Barely the size of a chew toy. Domino thinks when he looks over at the disturbance.
“Hey dad, I know we’re early, we were going to stop at the dog park but we weren’t sure how he would be with other dogs yet, we figured we would just let him play with Domino.”
“Oh it’s no problem, we’re happy to see you, your mother is just waking up and getting ready for the party. Deandra, how wonderful to see you. Charlie! My you keep growing don’t you! And aww look at you, aren’t you so cute.” Frank says making his way through greeting the young family, seeing so much of himself in his son, beaming with pride at his beautiful family.
Dennis comes over to greet Domino and introduce the new dog to him.
“Hey Domino, buddy, how you doing?” Dennis says as he squats down and scratches Domino’s head and under his chin like Frank did this morning. “This is Mac, you want to say hi? Mac, this is my old buddy Domino. We grew up together.”
Domino looks up at Frank with tired eyes, and then to the young Pomeranian puppy. They sniff each other and the Pomeranian gives a quick yap, and smiles before quickly panting in excitement.
“Aww they like each other.” Deandra says, watching the interaction. “Charlie, go say hi to Domino.”
The young toddler stumbles over to the dog bed and nearly falls onto Domino before wrapping his arms around the old dog’s torso and laying his head against him in a surprisingly gentle manner for a child. This is nice, Domino thinks, but I really wish I could just sleep.
Barbara joins the small gathering with the excitement of a mother who hasn’t seen her son in months. She already has a full face of makeup and is fully dressed for the afternoon party.
Frank pours coffee for everyone as Charlie plays on his mom’s iPhone. Mac, the Pomeranian, is bothering Domino on the dog bed, trying to get him to play with him. The family exchanges stories about ongoing work projects and Charlie starting school soon.
They begin setting up for the party once they finish their coffee. Barbara is removing platters of hors d’oeuvres from the fridge as Frank pours chips and salsa into colorful ceramic bowls. Deandra places plates, cutlery, napkins, and cups in neat arrangement on the hors d’oeuvres table as Dennis makes his way outside to fire up the grill, letting both dogs outside into the yard as he slides open the glass door.
Mac is running around the yard in circles, yapping with excitement in between each stick or dog toy he picks up as Domino lays down in the now sun dried grass. Attempting to drift off into sleep, a loud voice disturbs his attempt.
“Eyyyyyo Dennis!! There you are! How you been? It’s been forever!”
“Uncle Jack! What a surprise!” Says Dennis as he greets his big burly Uncle Jack with a quick man hug. “Grab a beer, the cooler’s over there, we got millers just for you.” Dennis says motioning towards the garage.
“Ah you know me too well!” Uncle Jack says, sauntering through the gate grabbing a chilled brew from the ice.
Walking back with the dripping can he looks over in the yard at the black and white patch, “Domino still kicking huh?” Uncle Jack says matter-of-factly, cracking the champagne of beers and sipping the foam coming out the top. “I’m surprised your dad hasn’t put him out of his misery yet.”
“Yeah, he’s pretty slow these days,” Dennis responds sullenly, “but he’s still enjoying life.” He adds with a quick uptick in candor. “Look at him basking in the sun, can’t take that away from him yet.”
Uncle Jack looks at Domino laying in the grass, takes a big gulp, exhales with refreshment, and belches before shaking his head. “It’s sad, I know. You’ve practically grown up together, but he can’t live forever. You don’t want him to suffer. You have to say goodbye at some point, I find it’s best to do it while he still has some dignity.”
Dennis’s smile fades as he looks at Domino laying on his side in the grass. For the first time he notices the gray fur on his face, his labored breathing, him resting his aching body from two decades of dedicated companionship.
“I’ll talk to my dad. But quit being a downer man, it’s supposed to be a party.”
Barbara opens the door, leans out and says “Dennis, Jack, my friend Artemis is here, can you help her bring her bags in?”
“You betcha.—Absolutely.” Dennis and Uncle Jack say in unison as they make their way inside, their voices muffling behind the sliding glass door as it closes.
Domino stands up on all fours and watches them go inside and hug other family members inside who’ve just arrived. He looks around and sees that Mac has found a stick he really likes and is now chewing it to oblivion in the back corner of the yard. Domino looks the other way and notices the open gate Uncle Jack forgot to close after getting his Miller high life. Moving so slowly that his movement is nearly imperceptible to the humans inside, Domino walks through the gate and for the first time in his life, is unleashed outside of his yard.
He slowly makes his way through his neighborhood. Trudging through a number of empty backyards, ducking under wooden fences, no one seems to notice him. Until he saunters through a bush and finds himself in the backyard of a bald, goateed man smoking a cigarette looking right at him.
Stamping out his cigarette, Matthew calmly starts whistling and calling: “Hey buddy, come here.” In between small gentle whistles and clicks to get the dogs attention. Domino senses the kind soul and begins walking over to meet him, Matthew senses the same, and does the same.
Domino greets the man who scratches him on the head and chin, just like Frank and Dennis do.
“Hey buddy, what are you doing out here all alone?” Says Matthew as he pets him and looks around his neck for a non-existent collar. When he doesn’t find anything he runs inside to grab a bowl of water and food. The only food he has are cheese sticks and beef jerky, which he quickly grabs. Running back outside, worried he would be gone, Domino sits waiting patiently.
As Domino snacks on this rare human treat, Matthew logs onto his computer and checks local community Facebook groups for any lost dog posts. Finding none, he takes a picture of Domino and makes a post himself.
“Hey everyone! Found Dog Alert!
I live on S——r Ave and this black and white spotted dog, (see above picture), walked into my backyard. He seems pretty old, likely someone’s family dog, he walks pretty slowly so he can’t have gone too far. Please let me know if you know him or are his owners! Will drop him off if needed.
I will take him to a vet in a few hours to check for a microchip, but right now he’s safe and sound with me.”
After clicking submit, Matthew looks over at Domino on the porch finishing the last of his string cheese and beef jerky. After lapping some water, Domino makes his way to the middle of the lush, sun-filled grassy yard, and lays down amidst the tiny green spikes to bask in it. Full of warmth, in the peace and quiet, he is lulled into the familiar blanket of unconsciousness, falling back into the earlier dream; playing fetch with a much younger Frank and Dennis as a young pup full of energy. Frank throws the tennis ball and Domino’s eyes track the small dot in the sky, heart rate increasing, as it arcs across the yard. As the ball succumbs to gravity, its silhouette getting larger once more, Domino makes the same unconscious physics calculation as before, the ball completing its transit across the yard; he jumps. Opening his jagged toothed mouth, completely airborne, he sinks his teeth into the peach fuzz of the neon green tennis ball.
