Zoo Breath

by Graham Salisbury

  “Okay, family,” Mom said, giving me and Darci quick hugs. “What’s going on here?”

  Darci tugged at her dress. “We have a surprise for you.”

  “Yeah, Mom,” I said. “You gotta see it.”

  Stella rolled her eyes like, Big deal.

  Mom dropped her keys and purse on the counter. “I could use a surprise.”

  Ledward stood behind her and massaged her shoulders.

  Mom closed her eyes.

  “Come,” Ledward said, stopping. “We show you.”

  Mom grabbed his hand and put it back on her shoulder. “Can’t we just stay here a minute?”

  But Darci was too excited. “Come see, come see!”

  Mom followed us down the hall.

  “Close your eyes,” Ledward said.

  We squeezed in close, even Stella.

  Darci jumped up and down. “Open your eyes, Mom!”

  Ledward pulled the sheet away.

  “Oh, my,” Mom whispered. She put a fist to her lips and looked at us. Tears swelled in her eyes.

  Tears? Over a toilet? Didn’t she like it?

  Mom knelt down and gathered me and Darci in. She gave us the biggest hug ever. “You don’t know, you just don’t know … I am so lucky to have so much help, I just love you all to pieces.”

  Stella watched us a second, then turned and walked away.

  “You like it?” Ledward asked.

  “I like you,” she said, and reached for his hand.

  “Can Julio sleep over, Mom?” I asked.

  “Of course he can … but only after you shovel up all your dog’s little treasures in the yard.”

  “Sure, Mom.”

  Julio and I started to leave.

  “Wait!” Darci said, and I stopped. “I forgot. I talked to Dad today. He called. He said he’d call again later to talk to you.”

  I glanced at Mom. Her happy face became a frown. She tried to turn it back into a smile.

  “Go,” Ledward said, giving me a little shove. “I come get you if he calls back.”

  Julio and I headed for the pooper scooper.

  Treasures

  Streak was lounging on the doormat. “Hey, girl,” I said. “Come help us clean up your mess.”

  I reached down and scratched her under the chin. She liked that. “Try to stay out of trouble, okay? Mom’s about five minutes from sending you to the moon.”

  Julio snorted. “Impossible for that mutt to stay out of trouble.”

  I laughed. “True.”

  I grabbed the shovel. Crusty brown stuff was dried out on the blade.

  Julio pointed at it with his chin. “What’s that?”

  “Here, smell it and tell me.”

  Julio jerked back and ran out of the garage into the sunlight. “Hey, listen,” he said. “I got to go tell my mom I’m staying at your place tonight … and get my sleeping bag, too.”

  “Oh no you don’t. Help me do this first. Then I’ll go with you.”

  “Fine. But no way I’m shoveling up that stink stuff.”

  I grinned. “Watch your step.”

  Streak followed us out into the yard.

  I spotted something black on the lawn. I went over to see what it was. “Oh no,” I whispered.

  Julio shook his head. “Can’t salvage that!”

  I looked over my shoulder. No one was looking out the window. I picked up Mom’s chewed-up black leather sandal and flung it into the bushes. If she ever saw it Streak would be in big trouble, and me, too.

  “Dang dog,” I said to Streak. “I can get Mom new rubber slippers. They don’t cost much. But sandals? Do you know how hard it is to make money?”

  Streak yawned.

  I sighed and looked around. The long, uncut grass was so full of hidden dog treasures that I didn’t know where to start. So I just went hunting, scooping stuff up and flipping it all into the bushes between our house and the river. “Boing!”

  Julio winced. “Remind me never to go in those bushes.”

  “Got that right.”

  I scooped more poop, thinking about what Dad did with Chewy. That mutt had bad breath, too. No, not bad. More like death. I laughed.

  “What?”

  “You remember our old dog, Chewy?”

  “Yeah, sort of.”

  “My dad used to brush his teeth.”

  “For real?”

  I nodded. “With a toothbrush. Chewy made faces and smacked his lips. When he was done, Dad squirted his mouth out with a hose.”

  “Weird.”

  “Yeah … but funny, too.”

  Now I was starting to miss Dad and Chewy. Usually I didn’t think about them. They’d been gone a long time; I was almost six when they left. At the time, I just thought that was how it was. Dads moved on. No big deal.

  But it was a big deal. I just kept it to myself. Easier that way.

  I blew out a long breath. Then I wondered if Chewy’s old dog toothpaste and dog shampoo were still around. Dad used to keep it all under the sink in the kitchen.

  “Here,” I said. I handed Julio the shovel and ran toward the house. “Finish up. I have to check something.”

  Julio took the shovel. Then realized what he’d just done. “Hey! I ain’t flipping no dog doo.”

  “Boing!” I shouted over my shoulder.

  “You owe me, punk!”

  “I’ll pay you in friendship!”

  Dog-Doo City

  “Hi, Mom,” I said, running into the kitchen.

  She was standing at the counter looking at the newspaper. Ledward was outside sweeping the patio.

  Without looking up Mom said, “That was quick. Did you get all the—”

  “Yeah, Mom. I’m on it.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Yeah, sure,” I said, dropping to my knees. I checked under the kitchen sink. There it was, hidden way in back. Bingo! Dog toothpaste, dog shampoo, and an old brush with some of Chewy’s hair still in it.

  I sat back on my heels.

  Dang. Now I really missed them.

  “What are you looking for?” Mom asked.

  I put the brush back and kept the shampoo and toothpaste. The stuff had to be as old as dirt. I shrugged. Give it a try.

  “Calvin?”

  “Oh, uh … I was thinking about … giving Streak a bath or something. Look, Chewy’s old shampoo is still here.”

  “Throw it out. But a bath is a great idea. We can get you some new shampoo.”

  I opened the container and smelled it. “Smells fine to me.”

  “I don’t know, Calvin. Everything has a shelf life.”

  “A what?”

  “It’s old. Toss it.”

  I took the shampoo and the toothpaste out to the garage, but I didn’t toss them. I set them down by some old paint cans. I didn’t have to give her a bath right now.

  When I walked out of the garage, I saw them again.

  The spies.

  But this time I could tell who it was for sure. Maya and Shayla, sneaking around in the bushes.

  Those bushes. Dog-doo city.

  “Julio,” I whispered, coming up to him, casual-like.

  He scowled at me, the shovel loaded to the max.

  “Wait,” I whispered. “Don’t toss it. Look. Maya and Shayla are spying again.”

  Julio’s eyes shifted. “Where are they?”

  “In the bushes.”

  “What bushes?”

  I grinned.

  “Not,” he said with a gleam in his eye.

  I nodded. “Shhh.”

  We waited, listening, Julio holding the loaded shovel, both of us trying not to crack up.

  A shriek came from the bushes. “Aww! Ick, ick, ick!”

  Julio spurted out a laugh and spilled the loaded shovel near my bare feet.

  I jumped out of the way.

  I heard Maya trying to quiet Shayla. Bits of color flashed through the bushes as they raced out of there, trying not to be seen.

  Julio scooped up the fallen mess
and flipped it into the bushes. “Boing!” He flung the shovel toward the house. We stumbled over to some clean grass and fell, holding our sides and laughing so hard it hurt.

  Fifteen minutes later, still grinning, we went to Julio’s house to get his sleeping bag. Down the street Maya and Shayla were in Maya’s yard, squirting their feet with a hose.

  Julio and I cracked up all over again. Ho, man, if this wasn’t a perfect day, I didn’t know what was.

  Putrid

  We still had some good sunlight left, so me, Julio, and Darci decided to give Streak a bath. Maybe I could make her smell good, look good, and act good. Then Mom and Stella wouldn’t have so much to complain about.

  Julio grabbed the old dog shampoo and I got out Darci’s inflatable swimming pool and blew it up. “Ho!” I said, feeling dizzy. “Okay. Darci, bring the hose and turn on the water.”

  As we filled the pool, Streak came over for a drink.

  Julio leaned down to pet her. “This isn’t your water bowl, you lolo dog.”

  I turned off the water. “Okay, Streak. Time to clean you up!”

  I lifted her into the pool. She cocked her head like, What are we doing here?

  But she seemed to like it, and sat down in the water.

  “See?” I said. “It’s nice.”

  The front door slapped. Ledward waved and headed around the side of the house to get Blackie, who’d had a long day of shady rest. A minute later he was back, Blackie huffing along behind him. “I think he likes it here.”

  Ledward lifted Blackie onto the front seat of the jeep, got in, started it up, and drove off, giving the horn a toot. Blackie’s ears bent back in the breeze.

  “Crazy,” Julio said.

  Me and Julio went back to scooping handfuls of water over Streak’s head. She liked it. “Good girl,” I said.

  Julio gave Streak a pat. “You’re helping us, dog. Mr. Purdy will give us an A-plus for discovering how to get rid of your stink.”

  I grabbed Chewy’s old shampoo. “Yeah, but we’re supposed to be discovering how come she got stink breath.”

  Darci looked up. “Well, that’s easy, Calvin.”

  “What’s easy?”

  “Why she has bad breath.”

  I looked at her. “Why?”

  “It’s Ledward’s fault. He gives her fish heads.”

  I sat back. “You’re right. The fish heads!”

  Streak liked her bath so much she wouldn’t leave the pool. I had to lift her out. She shook herself off all over us, but who cared? We were already soaked.

  Julio sniffed Streak. “Still stinks.”

  “That’s just wet dog smell,” I said. “Whenever she comes out of the river she smells like that.”

  Streak rolled around in the grass. Luckily, it was the clean part. She pretty much did her business in one area of the yard.

  “Come eat!” Stella called from the house. We went in through the garage to the kitchen, the one place Streak could go in the house.

  Mom and Stella were taking food out to the table, which was in the living room.

  “Where’d Ledward go?” I asked.

  “He’ll be back in time for dessert. He had to run Blackie home. And he has to feed his dogs.”

  Ledward had a pig and four dogs. He must have to scoop poop, too, I thought. I hoped he had more than a shovel. Maybe a bulldozer.

  “Yuck!” Stella snapped. “What stinks?”

  I glanced at Streak. I sort of smelled something, too.

  Mom looked at us.

  Julio took a step away. “I think she got into something after the bath.”

  Stella gagged, going for drama. “That’s putrid. What is it?”

  Mom pointed toward the door. “Take her out. Now!”

  I snapped to it. “Come on, girl. I’ll bring you your dinner.”

  I opened the door to the garage and nudged Streak out.

  Me and Julio followed. I flipped on the garage light. It was getting dark.

  “Man!” I said. “She rolled in something. Dead toad?”

  Julio bent close.

  “Yeah, prob’ly.”

  “Dang things are everywhere. We got to hose her off.”

  I looked at Streak. “You have to get clean and stay clean, girl. Mom is going to make me give you back, and if she does that … well, I’m just going to have to … to … run away, that’s all. You and me both.”

  Streak gave me that look dogs give you when they know they’ve done something bad.

  I squatted to pet her head. “I know, I know. You can’t help it.”

  Streak licked my hand.

  Julio squirted us both with the hose.

  Little Johnny

  Coconut

  After Ledward had come back for dessert, the phone rang.

  I grabbed it. “Hello?”

  “Calvin?”

  Dad.

  I stretched the phone cord around the kitchen corner and sat on the floor by our dining room table. Darci and Julio were watching TV. Stella had gone somewhere with her boyfriend, Clarence. Mom and Ledward were sitting in the dark out on the patio.

  I looked at the dirt under my fingernails, as if what I was supposed to say might be hidden there.

  “Calvin? Is that you?”

  “Uh … yeah … I’m here.”

  I twisted the mangled phone cord around my fingers.

  “Well, how the heck are you, son? We haven’t spoken in ages, and … well, I guess that’s mostly my fault, huh? But you know how busy I’ve been at the club, and all.”

  Think, think.

  “Yeah … sure,” I said. In the background I heard a yap. My blank head filled with memories. “Was that Chewy?”

  “Sure was. Want to say hi?”

  “Yeah, Dad, put the phone by his ear.”

  “Hang on.” I could hear Dad calling Chewy over. Dad fumbled with the phone, then said, “Go ahead. He’s listening.”

  “Chewy!” I said. “How’s it going, boy? You miss me?”

  There was a soft whine and some breathing.

  “Yeah, boy, I miss you, too,” I said. “You like Las Vegas?”

  Chewy barked, and Dad laughed.

  “What are you doing, sweetie?” I heard someone in the background say. Marissa? Dad’s wife?

  “It’s Calvin,” Dad said. “He’s talking to Chewy.”

  “Oh, how sweet,” she said.

  Dad took the phone back. “You made Chewy’s day, Calvin. I haven’t seen him this excited in a long time.”

  “I found his toothpaste.”

  “Huh?”

  “Chewy’s toothpaste. I found it under the sink. And his old dog shampoo. Remember?”

  Dad laughed. “Your mother should have thrown that stuff out years ago.”

  “I have a dog now. Her name is Streak.”

  “That’s great, Calvin. Great name, too. What kind of a dog is it?”

  “Poi dog … you know, a mix. She’s bigger than Chewy. She’s black and white, and the best dog ever … like Chewy is.”

  Dad chuckled. “Guess you and I are pretty lucky, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  Dad covered the phone and mumbled something to Marissa. “I’ll be quick,” he said, taking his hand away. “Hey, listen, I got to run in a sec. I just wanted to hear your voice and see how you’re doing.”

  “I’m fine, Dad.”

  “Great! Well, gotta run. We’ll talk again soon. I’ll call. You take good care of that dog, now.”

  “I will. You want to talk to Darci?”

  “We talked earlier.”

  “Okay.”

  “Mind your mom and stay cool, bud. I’m thinking of you.”

  “Sure, Dad. Bye.”

  He started talking to Marissa before he hung up. I sat looking at the phone. Hearing Chewy, hearing Dad. I hadn’t even known I’d missed them. But I sure did now.

  When I put the phone back in the kitchen I saw Mom and Ledward on the patio. Mom waved for me to come out. I slid open the scree
n door, then quickly shut it to keep the mosquitoes out.

  “Was that who I think it was?” Mom asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Mom nodded. “Did you have a good talk?”

  “I guess.”

  I looked down. I could feel grains of sand under my bare feet on the polished cement patio. You couldn’t get away from sand. Even after Ledward swept.

  I’d hardly talked to Dad at all, and Mom knew it.

  “I talked to Chewy,” I said, looking up.

  Mom sighed. “At least there was that, then.”

  “Yeah, but … Julio’s here, and …”

  “Go on, Cal. I’m just glad he called.”

  I nodded and left.

  Captured

  I always slept on the top bunk, so Julio took the bottom, which was usually Streak’s bed. That was why Julio brought his sleeping bag. Who wanted to sleep in dog fuzz?

  Streak curled up on the floor.

  Julio pushed up on my mattress with his feet. “Hey. So what are we doing about the project? We need a good thought.”

  “I don’t even have a bad one.”

  “Yeah, but we got some examples to show there’s stinks worse than dog breath, ah?”

  “Well, yeah … but what do we have to show for it? I mean like props.”

  “We should have collected them.”

  I leaned over the edge of my bunk. “Collected stinks?”

  “That’s our project, right?”

  “Yeah, but … collect stinks?”

  “What you going use that jar on your desk for?”

  “I don’t know. I just saved it, is all.”

  “Good. We can use it.”

  “For what?”

  He was silent a minute. “Dog doo could be one example.” Julio kicked me through the mattress again.

  “Stop doing that!”

  Julio laughed. “It would be a good prop, ah? Am I right? Nobody would forget it.”

  I had to admit Julio was right. But if we brought dog doo in a jar to class we’d get sent to the principal’s office. For sure.

  Still. “I guess it would be good to have examples.”

  “Everyone will have them, prob’ly.”

  “Yeah.”