A night in the life

Every night I’d pull the ladder off the wall and scale Jacob’s ladder, perching precariously at the top away from the wet dog odor below in the kennels.

Not much of a view from my perch. There was Mama Castillione’s back parking lot door and the bright red Toyota dealership sign positioned a little further down the mini highway. From my position I was facing a dark sinisterish sand lot with a broken down truck left to rot in its own misery. Finally, to my right, down the uncomfortably narrow kennel walkway, there was the cemetery.

Above me there was an eternity of stars; most hidden by the suburban pollution. Orion was bright tonight, a wintry character easily picked out by his flashy belt tied around the dark tunic of night. Below me, tonight I had two Labrador Retrievers, one Jack Russell Terrier, an some poor creature resembling a poodle, with it’s kinky curls pulled back into a pink silk ribbon, the lady said that it was a cock-a-poo, I just called it a mess.

Where was Tasha anyway? I absolutely refused to do another stitch of work until she came. Tired, too tired for a high school junior some said. I earned my naps and that was good enough for me.

Some nameless love song I might have heard before drifted from inside the kennel. Maybe I’d heard it before…probably.

“Let the Romeo’s walk.” I repeated numbly. The view was just too much to pay close attention. Mama Castillione’s was doing well tonight, with all those self-important people in their shiny cars. I’d had enough of the sights for a while. Although heights weren’t the most frightening thing, falling was.

Safe and sound in the kennel all was quiet. It was a simple uncomplicated evening. For once, life seemed to slow its pace and let the Romeo’s walk. Above the dog odor above Orion’s belt, Eternity halted and took a short glance at the creatures it held in its grasp. Maybe it smiled. I didn’t care. As far as I was concerned it was just a night in the life.