(1) The Dog

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Summer seems like the perfect time to spend all day outside. I mean, what's stopping you, really? The heat, that's what.

Life in a semi-arid desert is less tanning and swimming, and more burning skin and swimming in sweat. That's not to say we can't have fun out here. Hell, some of my beat memories are from the summer! But when the heat is so hot you get chills down your scalp, it's kind of hard to spend all day outside as opposed to sitting beside a swamp cooler in front of the TV all day long. There's a careful balance to being outside, and in the words of Norman Maclean, a river runs through it. Literally.

It's more of a stream, really. You could easily walk across it when the waters are low. No need to caulk the wagons and float here, pioneers! But whatever you want to call it, I know it's a refuge in the scorching sun.

Along with the heat, summer brings with it an array of other challenges. Most notably, though, was the challenge of keeping my brothers safe. Young boys usually have a thing for getting themselves into trouble - these boys were no exception. When school's in, that's usually enough to keep 'em from getting too much in trouble. Add to that the cold weather and early sunsets of winter, and you end up not all that worried about them going too far. Summer is three whole months away from school, free to do whatever you want, and up to fifteen whole hours of sunshine to do it. 

Don't get me wrong, we don't live in a bad neighborhood. It's mostly mobile homes and old one-level houses, but it's not like we live in a bad neighborhood or anything. Still, there's always a creep on every corner, and I don't want my brothers out for too long all alone. That'd make them the perfect prey. 

Mom was usually able to hold down one job - only because they're always desperate for employees - despite the periods of weeks she'd take off. It was basically a part-time job, with how much time she took off.

I had a part-time job of my own. The aunt of an old friend owns a small bakery, and after expressing how I needed to get a job to save up so I could get the hell outta here, said friend notified me about an open morning position. Not a lot of high school students wanted to spend their summers waking up early for a job, but with my brothers sleeping in and lazing around most of the morning, it was the perfect position for me.

Yeah, sometimes nepotism isn't such a bad thing.

So that was how our typical summer morning started out, and come 11:00, I'd be getting home in time to see the boys sitting in front of the TV, sometimes a box of crackers or bowl of cereal in front of them as their eyes stayed glued to the TV in a hypnotic state.

I'd scold them for eating so close to lunch, Jase would say he got up late and so he wasn't hungry until then, and I'd tell him he better not waste his lunch while heading toward the kitchen to make some.

And that's when things really took off. Afternoon, a time when you've refueled, you're brain's awake but not fried, and you're ready to tame on the day's next adventure. Well, that's how it is for them two, anyway.

Sometimes they'd go get themselves into trouble; other times, they just bring it home.

This day in particular was one of those days.

The first week of summer hadn't even passed yet when Jason came trailing through the door, tracking in mud with a dog.

We don't have a dog. Or, at least we didn't. But lo and behold, some musty mutt found itself upon Jason's trail. One thing led to another, and it had found its way into our home and, soon enough, our family.

I stared at the dirty thing. It took a moment for words to find my mouth. "What is that?"

"A dog," he said. Jude didn't take his eyes off the thing even a second, always dragging his fingers through it's oily, matted fur.

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