[In my first 'Showcase-Sunday' publication I revived a story about a man, a dog and karma.]

On a beautiful early sunny morning

Spring is in the air, finally the clouds are gone

Walking the neighbor's dog

"Hey Coop, did not know you had a dog? Aw, he is so cute!", it is Froy Sheynkeyt, a young woman from our neighborhood. Most women from this region of our small-town seem to dislike her. The men on the other hand seem to appreciate her quite a lot though.

"He is quite old is he not?", she asks as she pets him on his little furry head. That seems to please him as his tail is wiggling like crazy. "What's the name of this little old fellow?", another question, will I be able to answer it, without saying something stupid? You see, when behind a computer keyboard I do have time to think about the words I type. And in real life there is no [CTRL]+[Z], or in the worst case: [DEL] [DEL] [DEL]! "His name is Veydal, but he does respond to that as much as to Fido, as he is quite deaf. When you whistle though he still jumps to attention right away.", I answer calmly.

Now in my mind I am begging myself not to explain how to whistle. Because that involves something that is known as 'to blow' and that could backfire in a bad way. Especially when I get nervous talking to a beautiful young woman like Froye and start to mix up words and sentences. It has happened before, I know why I am cautious in allowing myself to speak my mind freely. How could I mess up such a 'whistle' explanation, you might ask? Well, instead of merely saying "You know how to whistle don't you? You just circle your lips like this and blow...", I would probably at least mix up the words 'blow' and 'whistle'. And this is not even the worst case scenario thinkable.

So far, so good, and while Froye starts to talk in a flood stream of angel like tones, I think about her atoms. The electrons that construct her must be whistling all day while they hold her together. Legs that go all the way up to her armpits with her wearing an everlasting smile to match. How can one not be happy about meeting her? But according to a bunch of women in the neighborhood she's up to no good. With her short skirts, her tight shirts and her high heels. Dunno, she seems like a kind human being to me. Even her hair must be happy, dancing in the sunlight while she walks. Anyway, while I stand here listening to Froye the dog is pulling quite strongly on his leash. Quickly I take a look around, and it seems there are no other dogs nearby.

Normally I do not unchain him when we take a walk in the park, but hey, it is a lovely day so far, what could go wrong? "Go on then Veydal, enjoy yourself for a bit...", and while saying that I release him from his chain. "Is it allowed to do so here in the park?", Froye asks a bit worried. "Yeah, guess so, not a sign saying I can't.", and I almost vomit hearing myself act like a total prat. Really, who says stupid cocky stuff like that and why does it come out off my mouth! Froye is looking at Veydal doing his thing. "You might not want to watch him all the time, at some point he will kind of sit down, that is when you might want to look the other way.", I gently warn her.

Froye starts laughing and all of a sudden all the birds start to sing and the leafs on the trees have never looked more green. Sunbeams light up her aura and it is just me, or did wings appear on her back? "They sniff around a lot, don't they Coop?", Froye says as she follows the discovery path of Veydal. "For Fido it must be the best, him almost being blind and deaf. He is close to 15 you know, extremely old for a dog like him." And while I tell her my mind is wandering off. What if we were like dogs, I'd probably be sniffing her everywhere by now and she'd be doing me. It is like saying 'hello', and I do my best to prevent myself from telling her my current thoughts.

"Go on then, sniff her, I know you want to.", now I hear in my mind an old dog cheering for me like: "WOOF WOOF". We kind of do that sniffing thing as human beings too, actually. Well not like sniffing arses and the procreation parts, but things like skin and hair. Not with just anybody, that would be weird and probably not appreciated when done so in say a store to an unknown person. Woman do smell at babies a lot though, don't they? It must be something that humans do too without being totally aware of it. Would dogs know they have the urge to sniff at arses and genitalia? And would they think things like: "No, no, noooo, I don't wanna sniff there, oh nooooooo, snif snif snif, too late..."

"Don't you think so too Coop?", jaiks, lost a few sentences there, that damned male autism lite. Well, maybe wiggle my head a bit, you know like those dog puppets that people have in the back of their cars, with their head all loose? This cannot fail, as it will give the impression that I am actually considering what she told me, but still in doubt. But before I have to say something stupid I am rescued by good oal' Veydal.

Apparently he is frolicking about quite a bit as Froye seems to notice: "Look, he found something he really seems to like the smell of! For an old dog he is still quite lively is he not?" Oh man, what a lovely day this is, have not said a dumb thing, my face-skin did not turn red yet and all my words seem to make sense. There is hope, I might have been blessed after all. "Ha ha ha, look at him go Coop, he is rock 'n rolling all over the grass!", says Froye with a laughing voice while she points at him.

For a brief moment I decide to take my eyes out off heaven back to earth for a bit, it must be fun to watch, as I have never seen him behave like that. And I start to laugh too, that old grumpy going wild on the grass, just look at him. He's rolling back and forth, twisting and turning on his back, sniffing a bit at that spot and hey there he goes again, it is indeed fun to watch.

And just before I want to ascend back into Froye heaven again I start to notice something that has me doubt my luck again. Because while Veydal is going all nuts on the green his dark black-grey fur starts to turn into a medium brown color. "Oh my Coop, should he be twisting and turning in that heap of poop like that, I think you better leash him again quickly.", Froye says while looking shocked at the scene in front of her eyes. "Seems like you have a shitjob to do next Coop, wont hold you up any longer, good luck, hope the rest of your day will be better..."

That is the last what I hear Froye say as she walks away 'click-clacking' on her high heels. As panic strikes me while I try to get Veydal back on his leash. No rest for the wicked aye, so my luck did not seem to really have turned for the good...

Yep, karma's a bitch.