Unwelcome Dental Advice

Okay, so this week I’m doing something a little different. This is a short story I wrote for my wife, Meryl, after we lost our dog Zack. I’ve been writing several other short stories for something I hope to publish soon. This is a far different experience in writing than I’ve ever accomplished before. I do hope you enjoy.

“Brudder!” Zack – who preferred to be called Zacky – called out, running. Zacky was, even among his breed, a small Pomeranian. His strawberry blond fur flowed as he ran for the fox-faced Pomeranian nearly fifty yards ahead of him. His milk chocolate nose glistened, and his mouth was agape as he breathed hard in a full sprint. Zacky had been searching for his brother for over three years, never once giving up on the idea that he might find him. And here, of all places, in their homeland of Pomerania.

Doug – who often went by Douggie – tilted his head in curiosity at the rapidly approaching diminutive Pomeranian. “Zacky?” he inquired.

Finally reaching his destination, Zacky let out a series of excited yips and barks. It had been so long! With his fluffy, yet short, front legs, Zack reached out and tapped at Douggie to ensure he was truly there. Doug merely reacted by pushing his brother away and sitting down matter-of-factly.

“I knew I’d find you here!” Zacky gleefully squealed. “I knew I’d find you in Pomerania!”

It lifted Doug’s heart to see his brother. “How long has it been?” he asked.

Zacky stopped for a moment to sit down and catch his breath. He never did have much stamina. “Like three years, I think. Oh, Douggie, so much has happened!”

Doug was noticeably taller than Zack, and leaner. His face was shaped like a fox, and the dark red around his eyes accentuated his foxlike features. His snout was long and slender with a jet-black nose at its tip. Doug’s tail curled over his back as he stood. They were in a wide-open field surrounded by lush green trees. It must have been fall because the leaves were beginning to turn color and falling from their respective trees into neat little piles all across the land. Off in the distance, other Pomeranians could be seen, playing gleefully with one another, leaping, running, and drinking from streams.

“Well, go on,” Doug said, walking over to Zack to lick his face. “Don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me everything!”

They began to walk toward the other Pomeranians and Zacky unfolded the harrowing tales of what had been happening over the last few years. Zacky’s steps were careful, as he’d had issues with his bones popping out of joints, but he seemed to walk well enough to keep up with his longer legged brother.

“It’s been really busy, brudder! When you ran away, Mom got super upset and couldn’t even look at a picture of you without crying. After a few months, when she was finally convinced you were never coming back, she found another brudder who looked a little like you, but he’s so weird. His name is Teddy, and he likes to thrash around and bare his teef – which he only has four of – when he’s excited. He’s got a lot more black in his hair than you do. I guess he’s okay, but he likes to barrel into me when it’s time to eat. Speaking of eating, Mom and Dad put us on a diet, and now we only eat twice a day! We don’t just get a huge bowl of food anymore! It’s why I’m so fit!” Zacky pranced around his brother, showing off his lean form, but Doug still thought he was small and squat. It was probably because of all the hair. His brother sure was fluffy!

Doug stopped for a moment to lift his leg and piss on a nearby bush. “Mom replaced me?” Butterflies took flight from the bush they’d been resting in, disturbed, now, by the splashing yellow water.

Zacky sniffed around for a moment and, once he was satisfied with a spot that seemed free from other dogs’ scent, also peed on the same bush. “I don’t think she replaced you more than she was looking to fill the void she had from when you ran away. Even Dad was upset.”

“Huh,” Doug chuffed. “I didn’t think Dad liked me all that much. You’re his favorite.”

A smile as big as the Grand Canyon crossed Zacky’s face. “Yeah, I love my Daddy a lot. He always sneaks me extra snacks when he thinks Teddy ain’t looking! They get us these freeze-dried chicken pieces that we just love! And meat tube!”

Doug shook his head. “Same old Dad. You know, he did the same thing when I was there. I always saw, but I never did say anything. I knew I was Mom’s favorite, so it didn’t matter. What else has been happening?”

“Well, Dad quit his job at the base and Mom got a new job in Al-buh-kwer-kee, or something,” Zacky went on to say.

“Albuquerque? Like in New Mexico?” he asked. Of course, he knew of it. Mom loved it there.

Zack smiled again. “That’s the one! It’s the place they used to go for Dad’s birthday, when they’d leave us with Gramma. They bought us a house in Al-buh-kwer-kee with a side yard where we go poopin’ and sister chases a ball.”

“That idiot Nola is still alive? I figured she’d have killed herself jumping off a building or eating silica packets by now!” The astonishment of that fact took Doug back. Nola had the capacity to be a brilliant dog. She was a white German Shephard and Boder Collie mix. Yet she had a tendency to do the stupidest things.

One time, Doug remembered, when Mom and Dad were out, she ate an entire bottle of Doug’s heart pills. How that wasn’t the end of her was beyond him. Nola was incredibly resilient. Or lucky. Doug hadn’t quite figured out which one it was yet. On more than one occasion she had done things that were potentially life threatening and managed to come out unscathed. Due to this, Doug tended to lean towards “lucky.”

Zacky continued. “Yeah, she’s still around. She’s going to be ten soon! Mom and Dad are throwing her a birthday party with some of their new friends in Al-buh-kwer-kee. There’s gonna be cake, and treats, and toys!”

“You don’t even like toys,” Doug said with a furrowed brow.

“Yeah, but… cake!” Zacky frowned. “Oh, also, I got puh-nuh-monia last summer.”

Douggie, who also often went by Dood, cocked his head in confusion, trying to sound out what his brother said in his mind. “Do you mean pneumonia?”

A smile from ear-to-ear crossed Zacky’s tiny face. “That’s what I said! I was in the hospital for almost two weeks. I could barely breathe. They said I had fluid on my lungs, and they fed me banana flavored medicine. I hate banana.”

“I’m sorry, Zack. That sounds like it was tough.”

“Yeah. I was in an air box thing for almost the whole time. But I got better! It scared Mom though. Almost as bad as when our old Dad put gas on that potato salad, and I ate it.” Zacky bowed his head, remembering how little he liked his other Dad. Mom’s new husband was much nicer. He loved New Dad so much!

Doug lowered his head and grinned. “Oh, I’ve missed you, brother.”

They continued toward the field of Pomeranians. The sky was blue and bright, and the sunshine felt good on Zacky’s face. Before running away, Zacky would just lie on the ground and bask in the sun. Next to barking at passersby on the street through their gate and licking Dad’s head, basking in the sun was one of his favorite things. Doug, too, liked the sunshine, but he was more a creature of comfort. He preferred to lie on the couch or on a chair or stare out the windows and greet Mom when she came home. Admittedly, despite his predilection for those comforts, he loved Pomerania.

As they approached the field, the other Pomeranians stopped playing and came to greet the newcomer. There were short Poms, tall Poms, teacup Poms, and other variants. All of them looked as happy as could be and barked at one another, chasing each other through the endless fields. One merle coated girl approached and greeted them. Her bottom teeth stuck out with a slight underbite.

“Hey, Doug! Who’s your friend?” she asked, high stepping around him.

“Betsy, this is my brother, Zacky,” he replied, giving his brother a curt nod.

Zacky, slightly shy, merely performed a play bow, but a smile still covered his shorter muzzle.

Betsy rubbed up on Doug’s cheek and winked. “So, you’re the Zacky that Doug’s been yipping my ear off about!”

If Zack’s face could change color, it would have been beet red. “You’ve been talking about me?”

A sad expression came over Doug, and he hung his head low. “Of course. You’re my ‘brudder.’ I’ve always wanted to tell you…” he paused for a moment, and even Betsy could sense the tension in what he was about to say. “I… I’m sorry for the way I treated you when I was still home. I never meant to be mean to you.”

“You were never mean to me!” Zacky yipped excitedly.

But Doug knew better and shook his head in disagreement. “No, I really was. I started fights with you, I bit you, and I snapped at you. I just… I just wanted to tell you that… well, that wasn’t ‘me.’ That was ‘sick me.’”

With a hop, Zack bounced over to Doug and started licking his face and eyes. “It’s okay, brudder. I knew that wasn’t really you. It’s why you ran away and came to Pomerania!”

“Pomerania..?” Betsy whispered in Doug’s ear.

But he shushed her with a mere glare from his foxlike face. It was a skill that even he knew he possessed, to hush someone with a glare. “Come on, Zacky! Let’s go meet everyone and play!”

Together, they trotted along the fields, yipping and barking at every other Pomeranian. The fields were lush, and Zacky made sure to enjoy playing in the piles of leaves. There were dog treats everywhere, and Doug showed his brother all of his favorite ones. When they ate one of the treats, a new one appeared in its place. Pomerania truly was a magical place!

There was a stream nearby, and when Zacky got too warm, he’d go lie in the shallows and let the water cool his belly. This was also the most delicious water he’d ever had, and he drank and drank until his little belly got full. He was surprised to find that after shaking off the water, his coat was immediately dry, and he didn’t have that smell of wet Pomeranian. Magical indeed! Doug seemed content to merely wait around for Zacky to explore all of the new and exciting places here, opting to spend much of his time with Betsy. Was Betsy his girlfriend?

Zacky often thought of Nola as his girlfriend. He knew they weren’t truly related, so it wasn’t gross or anything. He sure did miss chasing her around the house and trying to mount her, despite the fact that she was nearly three times his size. He also knew that doing so made both Mom and Dad smile and laugh. They’d watch as his little strawberry blond mass of fur bounded across the house after her, and Nola would scamper away, hoping that her bed would keep her safe from his advances.

It never did.

Zacky would persist by play bowing and biting at her haunches. Sometimes he’d get a good hunk of her leg and he’d thrash and thrash, as violently as a Pomeranian could. This was the thing that made Dad laugh the most, and Dad would film the act, later posting the videos to something he called “Insta-gramps.” There were also many videos of him and Doug begging by standing on their back legs, putting their front paws together, and waving them about. Basically, anything they did that got them snacks, both Doug and Zack knew to do often. They were smart like that.

Days went on in the magical land of Pomerania, and Zacky enjoyed spending time with his errant, runaway brother. The two of them chased each other through the fields, the streams, and the leaf piles. It was good to have Doug back, and Zack was happy at the change of heart he had. In his mind, Pomerania cured his brother, made him less grumpy. It actually eased Zack’s own heart coming here. He hadn’t been feeling well in the days leading up to his trek. His heart had been heavy, and he often found it difficult to breathe. Mom and Dad had done everything they could, but Zacky knew that the only cure would be to find Pomerania and find Doug.

Even though he loved it here, Zack did often have thoughts of home. One day, while playing in a field with Doug, Betsy, and a few new friends, Zacky stopped and looked to his brother.

“Douggie?” he asked, pointing his little snout at the ground sadly.

Doug paused and trotted over to his brother, licking his ears and eyes. “What’s wrong, Zack?”

Zack looked up at him with his little brown eyes. “Do you ever miss home?”

“Well, of course I do. I miss Mom. I even miss Dad.” Doug could feel his heart swelling.

“Why don’t we go back? Don’t get me wrong, I like Pomerania, but…” he paused for a moment, and Doug could see tears in Zack’s eyes. “But I miss Dad. I don’t think he can go on without me. And, of course, I miss Mom. And Nola. Even Teddy.”

“Zacky…” he began, but then he felt something. There was a sudden urge to go back to the field where Zacky first came for him. “Do you feel that?” he asked.

His brother felt it, too. It wasn’t just an urge, it felt mandatory. “Yes, what is that? It feels weird, like I’m meant to be in that field where I found you.”

Betsy, the merle Pom approached them and placed her paw on Doug’s back, nodding. Then she did the same to Zack but gave him a lick on the muzzle. “Go. It’s time.”

Confused, Zacky shook his head. “Time for what?”

“Time to go home,” Doug replied with a smile.

Together, they made their way to the clearing. Doug trotted along, trying to keep it slow so that his brother, whose legs didn’t work nearly as well, could keep up. Zacky, whose tail had been broken early in life and didn’t curl up like other Pomeranian tails, moved as fast as he could without running, his tail swooshing from side to side. When they made it to the outskirts of the clearing, Zacky looked behind him and noticed that the field where they’d spent their last few days playing had melted away and was replaced by a dense wood. He could no longer see Betsy, Phillip, or any of the other dogs he’d been playing with. A sudden fear filled his heart, but the urge to keep going was too strong.

Doug eventually stopped and turned to Zacky who now had tears streaming down the side of his face. “We’re… we’re not in Pomerania, are we?” Zacky asked.

With a heavy heart, Doug returned to his brother and put a paw on his shoulder. “No, but we’re going someplace much better. Look!”

Ahead of them, in the clearing where Zacky emerged only days ago – but felt like a lifetime to Doug – appeared a wide rainbow that covered the horizon. The view was spectacular, and neither Doug nor Zack could ever remember seeing such vibrance. A series of shapes came into view: there were two distinctly human shapes, a large dog shape, and one that could only be another Pomeranian.

Zacky took a sharp breath in at the sight, and once he could make out the shapes, reared his head back and darted for the figures as fast as he could. Douggie, too, sprinted as fast as his legs could take him.

“Brothers!” a familiar goofy voice called out.

“Brudder and udder brudder!” the Pomeranian yipped. It was Teddy, the “new” brother Zack had spoken of. Doug didn’t believe he looked anything like Teddy, but he smiled nonetheless.

Nola and Ted ran as fast they could to meet Doug and Zack halfway. Even though Teddy had never formally met Doug, Doug felt as though he knew Teddy as well as he ever could. Nola, on the other hand, was far more excited to see her brothers, and yowled as loudly as she could in her big dumb German Shephard voice. After a moment of playing around with each other, they turned back to the rainbow, where the two humans finally came into view, and Zacky’s heart leaped.

“Dad! Mom!” Zacky shouted.

Douggie, too, yipped and squealed. “Mom! Dad!”

The rainbow shape behind them disappeared and the clearing suddenly shifted into a portion of street with a single house upon it. Their parents, tears streaming down their faces, picked up Doug and Zack, kissing and hugging them for as long as they could. Eventually, they turned to see the single house behind them. It was the last house that Doug remembered living in, and Zack had lived with him.

It was the house where Zack remembered firing off what his parents would later affectionately call “the poop rocket.” That house was where he would sit on the green chair with the Star Wars pillow on it and his dad would, in his interpretation of Zacky’s voice, say that Zack was “the Captain of the Millennium Falcon.”

 It was the house where Ted, when his parents took him in, sat in the windows for days, waiting for his former owner to come back, until realizing that his new parents loved him more than the old ones. In that kitchen, they learned of Teddy’s overwhelming desire for snacks, and would watch as he thrashed about, making the silliest noises that ever came out of another Pomeranian.

It was a house where Nola would play catch with Mom and Dad and jump so high after bounced balls that it made her mom wince in worry. Her dad trained her how to fetch and follow other commands. For as dumb as she acted in life, her dad would always admit that she became a lot smarter when he entered the picture.

It was the house where Doug stole a piece of chicken during the housewarming party, and nearly snapped anyone’s fingers off that tried to pry it away from him. Even though Doug wasn’t an angry boy, the tumor on his brain made him act out. Doug felt so much remorse for the ways he acted because of it.

It was a house full of memories for all of them.

It was their forever home.

For Doug and Zack.

Or Zack and Doug, depending on who you ask.

Gone too soon.