The dog sat quietly watching the ducks come in closer and closer. The man waited. In years past the man would have shot by now. 40 Yards, 30 yards, 20 yards. The man still waited, the dog barely whined, so hard to wait. Finally at about 15 yards the man moved. he man moved slowly and in the jerky movements of the old man he was. The Ducks saw the movement and flared. Click as the safety goes off roar of the shotgun. The dog watched anxious for the sight of a duck dropping. Click and slide noises as the gun is racked agin the roar of the gun. The ducks are flying hard and away now 30 yards away. Again the gun is racked again the roar. The dog whined again and settled back a little. The man did not hit ducks to often anymore. Very rare this season for the dog to get to go pick up a duck. Disapointment but still a great time with the man.
The man watches as the ducks fly and sighs. Just as he is about to turn and set the gun down he sees the duck start to falter. The dog hasn't missed a thing and leans forward watching. The duck is definately falling, now some 200 yards away. The dog and the man watch in unison as the duck falls into the field on the other side of the pond. The old man said "Gus" and the dog left for the bird. Out of the hut and down thru the mud into the pond. The dog wasn't fast anymore. As a young dog he flew, as a 12 year old he hobbled as he started out untill he got into an old dog rythem, a very gentle lope. The mud slowed him down further. The water was cold but not a problem for him after so many years. Quietly he swam creating a wake even at his age, through the decoys. The dog knew where the duck had landed but didn't know if the duck was truely dead. He coughed and hacked and sputtered a few times breaking up the silence that had fallen back over the pond the little secluded valley.
The man sat down and watched the dog. He knew the dog would bring back the bird but he still worried about the dog. He had breed and trained the dog so long ago. It was his last litter and close to the last dog he ever trained. He thought back to his very first dog long ago..what 50+ years ago if he had it right. He had started training as a pro part time while working as a contractor and then the Cancer had set in. not once but twice. Many sesions of Chemo and 7 weeks of radiation. He hadn't missed a day of training dogs, thru it all though friends had come and helped him. They had done the heavy work and the finesse as he had often sat in a chair weak as a baby and just gave them directions.
The dog reached the end of the pond and struggled out fighting the mud. Up into the field he moved finally a bit better moving after the swim had lossened him up. He reached where the duck had landed and cast about finding the scent. The duck had moved a bit but was dead now. The dog hacked once and then picked up the bird and headed back to the blind. It was a good day they would be going home now. The man would sit by the fire and the dog would lay on his pillow not far from it. The warmth always made him feel better and hurt less.
He looked at the man sitting in the chair in the blind as he swam back. Maybe the man had decided to stay out a bit longer.. That would be good too. Again up out of the pond thru the mud. Mud was always in the way it always slowed him down, he detested mud. Up to the old man he came and sat before him offering up the duck. The old man said "Took you long enough old boy." The dog didn't understand it all but did know the man was pleased as always when he brought a duck. He lifted up the duck a little higher for the Man and waited. The man leaned a little forward and took the duck A command no longer needed in this old ritual. The man sat back still holding the duck on his lap. This was unusual usually the Man would hang the duck up right away. The dog whined slightly and nuzzled the mans other hand. The man seemed to have forgotten the duck and petted the dogs head. The man leaned back and sighed and rubbed his ears a few times with an absentminded way that told of a familiarity of years.
Slowly the old man stopped and his hand fell off of the dogs head and the duck slowly slid off the mans lap and onto the ground. The dog knew what to do and moved over and picked up the duck and offered it up to the man. The man didn't respond so the dog lifted it higher. Still nothing. The dog whined quietly and gently touched the man with the duck. Nothing the man was no longer moving or breathing. The dog whined louder though he knew there was going to be no reply. The dog lifted the duck up and gently laid the duck on the mans lap. That was the right thing to do. The dog whined and licked the old mans hand and still nothing. The man was dead. The dog knew dead. The dog paced a bit and then curled up on the mans feet and waited.
The dog waited all day then toward evening the Woman came she was much younger than the man and she called out as she came near. For the first time in his life the dog barked inside a blind. The woman came around and stared for a brief second taking it all in and then cried and rushed to the old man and wept openly. The dog moved next to her and leaned against her as if to offer suport. The woman still wept.
There was much conffusion later as more people showed up some he knew most he didn't. The woman took dog and with the help of a man lifted him into the truck into his kennel. He waited and after a time they went home.
When home the woman helped him out and they went inside, he walked thru the house checking for the Old man but knowing he wasn't there. The old man would never be there again.
A few weeks went by and as they did the Dog moped a bit. The woman comforted him and he comforted the woman. All the while the dog grew weaker and the cough grew more frequent. A man showed up after a few weeks and talked to the Woman who had been crying all morning. The dog knew the man he always had a bag and did things to the dog. He would poke or listen or show some interest in the dog. This time he just held the metal thing against the dogs side and listened. He looked back at the woman and nodded. The woman sank down next to the dog and held his head in her lap. So warm and comforting. The woman petted and stroked his ears just as the old man did. The familiar man poked him in the leg and slowly everything faded from view..
Months later on a bright spring day at the pond the woman stood. She wasn't crying but held two boxes she opened them and sprinkled the contents of both into the pond. Ash floated out onto the ponds surface. a few tears ran down her face as she remembered the man and the dog. She had known the day would come. After a while she turned and walked back to the truck and let out a small black puppy. The puppy ran over to the edge of the pond and sniffed, then bounced back to the woman The mud wasn't much of a bother to a young pup. The pup looked up and watched a lone duck fly in the distance. The woman watched and smiled.
Kelly Greenwood
10/5/2011
The man watches as the ducks fly and sighs. Just as he is about to turn and set the gun down he sees the duck start to falter. The dog hasn't missed a thing and leans forward watching. The duck is definately falling, now some 200 yards away. The dog and the man watch in unison as the duck falls into the field on the other side of the pond. The old man said "Gus" and the dog left for the bird. Out of the hut and down thru the mud into the pond. The dog wasn't fast anymore. As a young dog he flew, as a 12 year old he hobbled as he started out untill he got into an old dog rythem, a very gentle lope. The mud slowed him down further. The water was cold but not a problem for him after so many years. Quietly he swam creating a wake even at his age, through the decoys. The dog knew where the duck had landed but didn't know if the duck was truely dead. He coughed and hacked and sputtered a few times breaking up the silence that had fallen back over the pond the little secluded valley.
The man sat down and watched the dog. He knew the dog would bring back the bird but he still worried about the dog. He had breed and trained the dog so long ago. It was his last litter and close to the last dog he ever trained. He thought back to his very first dog long ago..what 50+ years ago if he had it right. He had started training as a pro part time while working as a contractor and then the Cancer had set in. not once but twice. Many sesions of Chemo and 7 weeks of radiation. He hadn't missed a day of training dogs, thru it all though friends had come and helped him. They had done the heavy work and the finesse as he had often sat in a chair weak as a baby and just gave them directions.
The dog reached the end of the pond and struggled out fighting the mud. Up into the field he moved finally a bit better moving after the swim had lossened him up. He reached where the duck had landed and cast about finding the scent. The duck had moved a bit but was dead now. The dog hacked once and then picked up the bird and headed back to the blind. It was a good day they would be going home now. The man would sit by the fire and the dog would lay on his pillow not far from it. The warmth always made him feel better and hurt less.
He looked at the man sitting in the chair in the blind as he swam back. Maybe the man had decided to stay out a bit longer.. That would be good too. Again up out of the pond thru the mud. Mud was always in the way it always slowed him down, he detested mud. Up to the old man he came and sat before him offering up the duck. The old man said "Took you long enough old boy." The dog didn't understand it all but did know the man was pleased as always when he brought a duck. He lifted up the duck a little higher for the Man and waited. The man leaned a little forward and took the duck A command no longer needed in this old ritual. The man sat back still holding the duck on his lap. This was unusual usually the Man would hang the duck up right away. The dog whined slightly and nuzzled the mans other hand. The man seemed to have forgotten the duck and petted the dogs head. The man leaned back and sighed and rubbed his ears a few times with an absentminded way that told of a familiarity of years.
Slowly the old man stopped and his hand fell off of the dogs head and the duck slowly slid off the mans lap and onto the ground. The dog knew what to do and moved over and picked up the duck and offered it up to the man. The man didn't respond so the dog lifted it higher. Still nothing. The dog whined quietly and gently touched the man with the duck. Nothing the man was no longer moving or breathing. The dog whined louder though he knew there was going to be no reply. The dog lifted the duck up and gently laid the duck on the mans lap. That was the right thing to do. The dog whined and licked the old mans hand and still nothing. The man was dead. The dog knew dead. The dog paced a bit and then curled up on the mans feet and waited.
The dog waited all day then toward evening the Woman came she was much younger than the man and she called out as she came near. For the first time in his life the dog barked inside a blind. The woman came around and stared for a brief second taking it all in and then cried and rushed to the old man and wept openly. The dog moved next to her and leaned against her as if to offer suport. The woman still wept.
There was much conffusion later as more people showed up some he knew most he didn't. The woman took dog and with the help of a man lifted him into the truck into his kennel. He waited and after a time they went home.
When home the woman helped him out and they went inside, he walked thru the house checking for the Old man but knowing he wasn't there. The old man would never be there again.
A few weeks went by and as they did the Dog moped a bit. The woman comforted him and he comforted the woman. All the while the dog grew weaker and the cough grew more frequent. A man showed up after a few weeks and talked to the Woman who had been crying all morning. The dog knew the man he always had a bag and did things to the dog. He would poke or listen or show some interest in the dog. This time he just held the metal thing against the dogs side and listened. He looked back at the woman and nodded. The woman sank down next to the dog and held his head in her lap. So warm and comforting. The woman petted and stroked his ears just as the old man did. The familiar man poked him in the leg and slowly everything faded from view..
Months later on a bright spring day at the pond the woman stood. She wasn't crying but held two boxes she opened them and sprinkled the contents of both into the pond. Ash floated out onto the ponds surface. a few tears ran down her face as she remembered the man and the dog. She had known the day would come. After a while she turned and walked back to the truck and let out a small black puppy. The puppy ran over to the edge of the pond and sniffed, then bounced back to the woman The mud wasn't much of a bother to a young pup. The pup looked up and watched a lone duck fly in the distance. The woman watched and smiled.
Kelly Greenwood
10/5/2011
