airborne scribd

8/7/2019 Airborne Scribd

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Airborne

“We don’t have to get a dog.”

“But I like to. I like to please you.””

“Oh.”

“Get a dog then. We have to name it airborne

though.”

She seems awfully certain about the name.

“Airborne?” I say with uncertainty. It doesn’t

rhyme with any words I know.

“Yes airborne,” and walks away, as though

certainty might leave her.

-1-



Still, I want to suggest other names for the

theoretical dog, we haven’t gotten yet. But as if

she can read my mind, somewhere else, she

insists.“Airborne.” And looks up to the sky. Like

sureness is only sitting there. Up and up.

I think I leave her there, I don’t want to fight her

on this, she has keener senses about dogs and

cats, and I murmur to myself:

“She watches cartons a lot. “ Like that’s a final

completion of her credentials.

“Alright, airborne it is.”

She doesn’t smile or grin, like she expects

acquiescence in certain spaces--and this is her

domain.

Few days before this, and while jogging up the

street to the park and the library there, I had

stopped to watch the fenced cocker spaniels, I

ran by everyday. I liked to tease all four of them

into a frenzy just to see them climb over each

other for attention, they liked to jump and bark

back at me like I was a sort of neighbor.

-2-



I felt like running with them everywhere, in

circles, and waves of mutual contend. But it was

just a feeling. We communicated well enough for

all five of us across the fence. And it sparkedsomething ignitable, equally in all of our senses.

Few days after thinking I can hold on to Pam

seriously, and bring some change into our boring

routine, I saw the owner of the four dogs in the

back yard doing some chores.

The owners are two lesbians living in the same

luxurious surroundings as everyone else. The one

I had spoken to before, was really very

attractive, but not in a style, you can be

comfortable with . I know I found her both

attractive and strange. Her arms and legs are

covered in tattoos, the hair cut short, with a

clever architecture. They’re both black,, and

there is this air about this one, like she can

escalate into a war quickly—if a male

approaches her. Not distasteful, not-distanced,

she just lives in her own little shell—and looks

out to the world in apprehension of its

comprehension of her-self.

-4-



I stopped running. She is easy talk to, and her

attractiveness moves ahead of her, in like a

curve, something you get to only observe.“You ought to give one of the dogs away.”

I say not really thinking of myself.

“yeah.”

She says as though she’d expected this.

I look strained at the four Cocker Spaniels. They

are across the fence, panting. And I’m not

thinking of Pam anymore. Or whether or not

she’ll stay with me-or may be I’m thinking I

have to replace Pam’s affection, for its so

fleeting, and these Spaniels are equally as good

with giving affection!

There’s a pause. I’m thinking.

“I’ll take one of them.”

“You’re sure?” She says good-naturedly.

There’s almost no contemplation in her-she’s

quick to receive my thought. She welcomes it.

It makes me bolder.

-5-



“Yeah, I’ll take one of them.” Boldly.

She can barely hide a smile, a know-it-all grin.

“OK, wait.”

I’m looking at the youngest one. She’ll probably

give me that one. It’s the naughtiest. Full of unrestrained energy. The others are solemn,

almost thoughtful.

The owner goes inside the house and comes back

with a collar and a leash, like everything is laid

out in a plan

“I want to give you this one.”

She points to a different one:

“ He’s a male-- the second youngest.”

I watch her as she puts a collar on this blonde

and reddish dog, with a proud stand. Almost like

a show dog he is--something intractable and

settled about him. Like he’s the most solemn one.

He stretches his body. Ready.

“He’s had all his shots, and veterinary visits.”

The owner says proudly, assuringly.

And puts the leash on him, and walk him across

the invisible door in the fence, hands the leash

to me, the dog walks straight out and looks down

the road

-6-



towards my apartment like he can detect where

my scents are coming from-scents curious and

fleeting to him. Permeable.

I am not sure if I’m following a strange schemeof things here, or am I driving this event all by

myself? My will must drive it. Or I’ll become

resentful, wanting to remove an already-

occurred moment.

The pretty dog starts toward my apartment. I

follow its footsteps.

He waits for me to unlock the metal security

door. He only looks up at me. Patient.

We jump into the apartment. He climbs the steps

and only stops once to wait for me to catch up to

him. He’s keen.

I call Pam:

“We got a dog.”

“What kind?”

“A beautiful cocker spaniel.”

“Boy or girl?”

“It’s a boy.”

“Great.”

“He smells.”

-7-



“Well, all dogs smell, you have to wash him.”

She sounds impatient. Like she wants to fly thedistance in between us, and do it herself.

“Wait for me.”

“I’ll wash him.”

“Be very careful, and dry him real good, we have

to go to the store and buy dog shampoo, and a

leash, and other things.”

“He’s got a leash.”

We really can’t afford to buy anything. She

knows this. But doesn’t care much about money.

I think regretfully: perhaps I shouldn’t have

gotten the dog.

“And food, you have to get dog food, and a dog

dish--go to k-mart or walmart.”

“And wait for me.” She emphasizes this. She

doesn’t want to be left out of this deal. Its her

domain again.

-8-



“Where is he?”

“Right here on the bed.”

“Good. He should be on the bed.”

Like I would have had it differently.“Did you get dog food? And a dish for water

too.”

“No.”

“You need to do that now. ”

She is bossy this way. But we enjoy this. Its like

we’ve built a community. And her bossiness is

innocent-complete. Meaning its like a break in

the midst of life’s cruelties. We’ve both suffered

a great deal , she gets to break a bit by asserting

herself with me.

She expects submission mostly because she’s a

female. I understand but quite don’t agree. I

prefer a balance.

Airborne doesn’t seem to mind my leaving at

first. But soon as I am out of the apartment, I

can hear him howl and scream.

The store is right around the corner, I still have

a car that works.

-10-



I hadn’t realized dog food can cost so mush. And

a tray of two shiny bowls for water and food. I

leave the store minus 20 dollars. Its ok, I won’t

mind it. When I return Airborne is still hauling.

He doesn’t like to be left alone. He greets thefood and water with approval, his nose confirm

their existence, their destination for him. He

walks by them. But jumps back on the bed.

Secure.

Pam calls every 10 minutes to check on things.

She knows I’ve got the dog for her. She keeps

telling me to pick her up early on Friday. She

always spends the weekends here.

“We have to go to pet-store as soon as we can,

together. Ok!”

“What for?”

“The dog shampoo, the flea collar.”

She has a long list of dog products we have to

get.

“We don’t have the money.”

She never says: “ Then why did you get the dog.”

-11-



Poverty is insane though. I can’t believe its

tentacles forbid having a pet!

airborne scribd

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