BarkingProse

When mom said I was going to see the chiropractor I had no idea what she was talking about. I asked Tess and she didn’t have a clue. So I looked it up in the dictionary.

It says chiropractors figure out mechanical problems with your spine and fix you up by moving your bones around. Dad says that sounds like getting an alignment on the car. Anyway, I really didn’t know what I was in for.

We got to the vet around noon. Dr. Hannah is married to our everyday vet Dr. Brad. She’s the vet for horses and does chiropractic and acupuncture too. Mom forgot to tell me how really nice Dr. Hannah is. I liked her right away even though I knew she was gonna do some funny stuff with me.

Mom told Dr. Hannah that I twitch my head up and down when I’m nervous or out of breath. Mom’s worried that I have a kink in my neck because of all my acrobatics. I can do a mean flying dog imitation if I do say so myself.

I was embarrassed and wouldn’t do my twitch stuff at first while Dr. Hannah was watching. So she started feeling around my neck and said my head was rotated crooked on my spine. She gently pushed and pulled, twisting my head from side to side. I heard a couple of things go pop.

Mom said my blue eyes got real big and I looked scared. Next thing Dr. Hannah pushed a rib back in place. Oh that felt good. She went over my whole body, feeling for spots where things were crooked. She even worked on my toes. I was just getting into this whole chiropractor thing when it was over.

Dr. Hannah said I was real good, but she forgot to give me a treat. Then she told mom I had to be quiet the rest of the weekend. Mom asked her if that meant no ball. When I heard “no ball” my ears perked up, my eyes got big and I twisted my head to the side. It was pretty clear I didn’t like what I had just heard.

Dr. Hannah looked right at me and said, “No ball for two days, Asher.” Nuts. That was gonna make for a lost weekend. But I liked Dr. Hannah anyway and I didn’t mind when she told mom I should come back for another treatment in a few weeks. Maybe next time she’ll remember to give me my treat. Thanks Dr. Hannah.

I was worried about Ash while mom was gone. Everybody says he’s just not the same without her. He’s my best friend and I wanted him to feel better, so I stuck close to him as much as I could.

We were getting ready for another night without mom when we heard a car in the driveway. Well, Ash and I heard the car. Jack is so deaf all he heard was us barking.

Dad let us out and we ran to the garage. We couldn’t believe it. Mom was home!

Ash was so crazy with excitement his nose met his tail coming and going. He went tearing around the garage looking for a ball, for anything to grab in his mouth. It’s like he has to have something in his mouth or he can’t control himself.

When Jack saw mom he started crying and grinning at the same time. He sat down and gave her his paw. Then he gave her three little licks. That’s a lot of licks for Jack.

Me, I flopped on my back right in front of her so she couldn’t move. She knelt down and gave me a good belly rub. Meanwhile Ash was tearing through the garage with a stinky old ball in his mouth. Jack continued with his silly groans and finally we let mom say hi to dad.

It was blowing something awful but we didn’t care. Even before mom could bring her stuff into the house we went for a walk. The smells were strong in the wind. Leaves and branches were falling around us. Neighbor dogs were barking. It felt like a Halloween night.

Ash tossed mom his slobbery ball. She threw it as far as she could in the wind, but it was a sissy little pop up. We ran around in circles, bumped into each other and acted like a bunch of fools. Finally we all took a deep breath and went back to the house. Mom made us sit and shake hands with her. Then she gave us the most wonderful treats she brought us from Chicago.

When we settled down we all took turns sitting on mom’s lap. Ash was the last but he stayed there the longest. He licked her face until his tongue was dry. Mom held his snout and whispered that she loved him and would always come back. She told me and Jack the same thing. The pack settled in together for the night. All is well.

Respectfully, Tess.

It’s been four days since mom left us. Jack won’t sleep in the bedroom at night and he mopes all day. Ash lies in front of the big doors waiting for her to come home.

I’ve got dad so I’m okay, but the boys are having a tough time. Mom didn’t want to leave us but she had to go to a memorial service near Chicago. She’ll be back soon, but not soon enough for Ash and Jack.

Ash is funny. He’ll take off on an adventure whenever he can if mom
is home. He knows it worries her when he gets out of the fence, but he so loves to go solo. Ash won’t go anywhere when mom isn’t home. He won’t play ball, he doesn’t steal socks. It’s like he lost his spark. He still eats and gobbles his treats, but something is missing.

Mom says the pack needs everybody to be complete. If somebody is missing, even for a good reason, it doesn’t feel right. We need mom to come home. As soon as Ash sees her he’ll grab a ball and jump on her. Jack will start grinning and I’ll flop down in front of her so she will stop and pet me.

Homecomings are fun. We get lots of attention. Mom keeps telling us how much she missed us. Jack will get kisses and mom will play ball with Ash till he’s had his fill. Then we’ll all go hop on the couch and watch tv. We won’t have to ask where mom is anymore. She’ll be right where she belongs – with us.