THE BOOT by Jj Jones

THE BOOT

by Jj Jones

THE BOOT By Jj Jones written on November 8, 2003 The boot was on the table where the master had placed it to keep it away from the dog. The dog sat in his corner of the kitchen eyeing the boot. He lifted his squarely chiseled muzzle toward the boot, expanding and contracting his moist nostrils as he strained to breathe in the delicious scent of the tattered leather. He began to salivate as he imagined the flavor of it on his tongue, the spongy texture of it between his teeth, and the soothing satisfaction of it rubbing against his gums. He longed to feel the gratifying sensation of gnawing the boot. The masters anger whenever he found the dog near the boot puzzled the dog because it was often beyond the dogs ability to make a choice between pleasing the master and pleasing his own senses. It was not as though the dog made a conscious decision to displease the master in favor of his own comfort. On the contrary, the dog was hard-wired through years of selective breeding to be there for the master, not only to do the masters bidding, but also to seek out tasks on his own that would please him. The dog found himself in a very unpleasant situation. On the one hand, when the master was present, the dog was more than willing to honor him by not touching the boot. It was enough for the dog to enjoy the masters company, lie at his feet and feel secure in their relationship. But, when the master left, the dog suffered an ache in his gut that consumed him with worrisome emotions -- emotions that were beyond his ability to comprehend. They filled his being and distressed him to the point of pure agony. Back and forth, he paced in front of the massive oak door, his plaintive whines echoed throughout the empty house unheard. Overwhelmed with feelings of abandonment, the dog went in search of the boot. The boot meant comfort. The boot held his masters scent. The boot tasted and felt good in his mouth. The boot eased his anxiety and made the stressful time without the master seem shorter. So now, in deference to the master, the dog lay down and rested his great, yellow head upon his oversized paws. The movement of his eyes, as he tracked his masters activity, caused the bumps of his eyebrows to bob about on top of his broad, muscular head. The dogs eyes and eyebrows were all that moved while he watched his master pour coffee into a mug, sit down near the boot, and spread the paper across the worn surface of the oak table. The master became engrossed with the paper, and soon he began to speak out with a boisterous and jubilant voice. Still resting his chin on his paws, the dog lifted his ears eager for a hint of something that would mean good things for the dog. While the masters tone excited the dog, he did not recognize the sounds of the words. Still, the dog remained vigilant, hoping, waiting, seeking any subtle indication that the master might involve him in an enjoyable venture. After awhile the dog grew tired and the masters voice became nothing more than a reassuring drone in the background. Without lifting his head from his paws, the dog again shifted his attention toward the table and his gaze fell upon the boot. The master shifted in the chair causing its aged, wooden frame to creak. The masters voice grew stronger and his focus more determined upon the paper spread before him. The dog, responding to the increased fervor of the masters deep voice, raised his heavy head, and stretched his lips back into a panting smile, expressing his clear desire to participate. An involuntary sweep of his otter-like tail found a lonely dust bunny and sent it scurrying across the darkened planks of the oak floor. The dog wanted nothing more than to share in the fun, but the master did nothing to encourage the dog to join in his enthusiasm. Instead, the master continued to stare at the paper, talking, laughing, and gesturing with his hands. The dog cocked his head and concentrated on filtering through the sounds. Some words seemed familiar to the dog -- like those the master spoke before they took long walks in the surrounding woods. Sadly, they were not quite the same. Perplexed, the dog remained where he was and waited. After awhile the master grew silent and pushed himself away from the heavy table. The harsh sound of the chair legs scraping against the floorboards abused the dogs sensitive hearing. Hope rose in the dogs expansive chest that the master would now do something fun. He remained poised and ready to follow. Instead of leaving the warmth of the kitchen, the master rose, strode to the counter, and poured another cup of steaming coffee. As the black liquid spilled from the pot, the dog caught its pungent odor and found it unpleasant. The smell filled the air, it overpowered the welcoming odors of the kitchen, and it competed with the fine scent of the boot. Ever patient, the dog continued to watch and wait. Turning from the counter the masters soft, brown eyes met and held contact with the dogs beautiful blue eyes. The rare blue color with the dark brown rims gave the dog a more human-like expression. Even though blue eyes were considered a serious fault in the breed, it was the reason the master choose him over the other pups in the litter. The sudden but longed for acknowledgment from the master sent a shiver of delight that quivered right down the center of the dogs back. The dogs face widened into a bighearted grin and his tail thumped and pounded against the solid floorboards. Creases formed at the corners of the masters kind eyes, and his lips parted revealing even teeth that shone against his ruddy complexion. The master always found the dogs goofy grin infectious. This time, when the master spoke, the dog understood that his words were for him. The dog did not understand the meaning of the masters words, but his tone conveyed that the master was pleased with the dog and that all was well. The soothing voice felt almost as good as the gentle caress of the masters rough hand, and the dog luxuriated in its tone. Content, the dog continued to watch, panting and waving his tail, as the master resumed his place at the table. After several long moments, the dog stood up, yawned and stretched. With one last glance at the boot on the table, he groaned and lay down on his side. Before long, his eyelids closed, and his breathing slowed and deepened. Then his eyes rolled back inside his head, and his eyelids began to flutter, his paws twitched, his breathing increased, and soon abbreviated yips began to escape from deep within his throat. The muffled barking penetrated the masters concentration, and when he turned in his chair to observe the dog, neither of them noticed the compliant creaking of the wooden chair. Again, the masters thin lips parted revealing the brilliance of his smile. Pulling a thick, callused hand through his graying hair, he watched as images of the dogs dream seemed to unfold before him. He imagined the dog crashing through bracken in hot pursuit of some unknown quarry as they plunged across the rocky buttes and steep ravines of the local countryside. He envisioned the dogs muscular frame running full out -- front legs stretched forward, back arched, haunches gathered, exploding piston-like - - catapulting the dog ten feet or more with each mighty stride. He visualized the dogs mouth agape; long, purple tongue dangling sideways liberating his throat to consume enough air to satiate his labored lungs. The master felt the sinew within his own body tighten and his senses sharpen, in response to an involuntary rush of adrenaline that pumped through his veins, as he recalled the excitement of so many splendid times spent hunting the woods and rugged mountains -- the dog an integral part of these memories. Wistfully, the master watched the dream end when the dogs body suddenly grew still and his yipping ceased. He continued to watch the dogs eyeballs moving about beneath closed lids. He noticed the dogs nostrils flare as if scenting something strong, and he saw the dog start to work his jaws as if he were savoring a delicious treat. The master shifted his eyes away from the dog to the boot on the table then back at the dog asleep on the floor. The masters brow furrowed, but his grin intensified, and he nodded his head in utter defeat. The master knew precisely what the dog was dreaming about now. Without a doubt, the dog was at last enjoying the wondrous sensation of gnawing on the boot.

Comments would be appreciated by the author, Jj Jone