On the rooftop, Lawrence stood, hands nestled in pockets, as the evening breeze gently embraced him. Cody, his canine companion, engaged in a comical quest to catch his elusive tail. " Cody stop that, you'll fail miserably at it." Lawrence gently reprimanded amidst laughter, and Cody, seemingly unfazed initially, halted abruptly. His ears drooped, portraying an unexpected melancholy.
"Aww, Cody, buddy," Lawrence crouched down, locking eyes with the forlorn dog whose persistent whimpers persisted, unsatisfied with the apology. Lawrence knew he had to concede, "Okay, I'm sorry. Chase your tail to your heart's content, alright?"
Cody barked and started panting in excitement. "Good boy," Lawrence declared. Cody barked again, evoking a smile. A wistful sigh followed, prompting Cody to grow worried. Attempting to decipher his owner's sudden mood change and distant gaze, he began proding him with his snout.
It's nothing, Cody," Lawrence answered, but the dog, undeterred, took on an attentive posture.
Lawrence smiled and crouched down again to resume the motion of running his hand through Cody's fur. There was a warmth in his eyes as he did so.
"I was just wondering what it would like to have a family, to belong to one, you know?"
He paused.
"You would like that, wouldn't you?"
Cody barked in reply.
Nodding slowly, Lawrence directed his gaze to the open skies.
"Let's go downstairs, Cody," he said, returning his gaze to him.
********
As the children approached with eager anticipation, a jubilant chant of "Uncle Lawrence, Uncle Lawrence" enveloped him, eliciting a radiant smile.
"Yes," he responded.
"Can we play with Cody?" one of the children asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.
Lawrence glanced down at Cody, mirroring their enthusiasm. The dog panted, barked, and executed zoomies, redirecting attention to Lawrence.
With a tender smile, Lawrence knelt down to share a quiet moment with Cody. "You know, sometimes, you could just say no to play." He said softly.
Cody whimpered, then barked, finally sitting down and gazing at Lawrence with his big, soulful puppy eyes.
"Uncle Lawrence?" another child called expectantly.
"Yes, you can," he answered, sparking cheers from the children.
"Come, Cody, let's go," a child beckoned.
Wait a moment," Lawrence called back, and a hush fell over the children, though their enthusiasm remained. "Be careful," he cautioned.
"Yes, Uncle," they chorused.
"Don't tug at his tail."
"Yes, Uncle," they replied, but one chimed in, "But why?"
"He'll bite, Lawrence wanted to say.
"It'll hurt him." He said d instead. You don't want that, I'm sure. Do you?"
Heads shook, and some replied, "No, Uncle."
"Good, you can go now."
"Yay!" the children cheered.
"Cody, let's go," another child urged, but Cody remained still.
"You don't want to?" Lawrence inquired, noticing Cody's fixed gaze.
Cody stared, and Lawrence smiled. "Yes, Cody, you can go." Cody stood up suddenly, barking with excitement.
YOU ARE READING
A CAST OF PAIN (Closed For Editing)
General Fiction25 years go down the drain when series of dreams, supposedly forgotten parts of her life, memories spring up. They're painful but by implication, consequential. What does she do with the memories that seem to cause so much pain . Jojo, a happy go...
