Walter

THE WONDROUS SMELL OF GRASS

Codger loved how the world smelled after it rained. The rain refreshed everything, making things smell better.

As they walked home from the train station, they passed the park he loved to run around in. He knew that his owner wouldn't allow him to run in it because of the rain. There were areas where the water had pooled and others where the earth was bare and muddy.

When he was younger he'd run through the newly rained grass and the ensuing mud. Rolling in it and soaking up its beautiful scent as much as he could.

His owner hadn't been as happy as he was in his rolling adventure and had paid the price when they'd gotten home by being forced to take a bath.

He never minded being wet. Whenever they would pass a large body of water, he would wash himself. So taking a bath hadn't bothered him too much, it had been the awful smelling shampoo as his owner had called it, that he hadn't liked. He did not know what sham was and couldn't understand why anyone would want to wash themselves with its poo. He never saw his owner using it and didn't understand why he had to.

After being towel dried, he'd spent the next two hours rubbing up against everything in the house to help remove that awful smell. When he'd finally been let out, his first course of action had been to find the first patch of dry grass and roll in it to help give himself a nicer scent.

Now whenever they walked past a rained upon field, he held back from rolling around in the mud and grass. One awful smelling bath had been more than enough for him.

They walked past the great tree where the little boy who hid behind the plants lived. He marked his spot again on the tree and they continued towards home.

He and his owner rested after eating. He dreamed of large open fields with the welcoming scent of wet grass. His legs twitched only once as he drifted off into slumber.