The Blue Leash: A Year of Mourning by Dovale Scott

Author:Dovale, Scott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kuma Bear Publishing
Published: 2022-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

“Grief is like living two lives. One is where you pretend that everything is alright, and the other is where your heart silently screams in pain.”

—­ Unknown

The Blue Leash

Before opening the front door, Ed tightens the drapes, thwarting the sun from warming his bungalow’s living room and brightening the dim, mission-style furniture. He toggles the coffee maker, puts on his baseball cap, grabs his cane and peers through the door’s window before hobbling down to the end of the driveway. He slowly bends over to pick up the newspaper.

E - Damn it!

The driveway’s dried pine needles pierce his socks once again! And then there’s Rich, his neighbor across the tree-lined street, always lurking on his porch, waiting to talk to anybody.

R - “Good morning, Ed! Beautiful day today!”

Ed turns back up the driveway, waves.

E – (Muttering) - If you’re a squirrel! It’s just another stupid day. Which is fine. Never mind the virus. The stock market. The damn protesters. What a shitshow.

The greens and blues escape Ed’s attention again as he locks himself back into his century old fortress. It’s Monday. The dreary coffee maker beeps as he pulls up his untethered red, white and blue pajamas. The cold, granite kitchen floor brings relief to his encrusted feet as he shuffles over to the wooden cabinet to get his 1988 Dodgers World Champions cup, and then he opens the fridge.

E - Soy cream? What happened to cream cream?

Standing at the sink, he pours the coffee, adds the soy, three cubes of sugar, and stirs. He scans the newspaper, shifting his view from one minute to the next. The left is too this; the right is always that, and then onto the -

E - There’s no sports page? Damn virus!

Disgusted, he turns and stares at the world outside from the window above the sink.

E – (Loud) What the hell?

B – (Nervously, off stage) What is it?

E – Come here! This guy in front of our house. What kind of bullshit -

B – Ed! Stop it! (Pause) Which one? So many people are walking these days. Yesterday, I had my mask on . . . you can’t tell who’s who -

E – There’s a guy out here on the corner of Bell, and he’s got a leash.

B – I’m doing a load of laundry. Do you need anything done?

E – No. (Pause) What is he doing?

B – (Betty, late 70s, wearing flowered yoga pants, neon green top and shiny, black Nikes, playfully jogs into the kitchen.) Who are you talking about?

E – (Looks at her outfit) Who am I married to? Jack Lalanne?

B – I’m going for my walk in a few minutes. What’s wrong?

E – (Points out the window) That guy is what’s wrong! He’s walking by himself.

She moves him over so she can see out the window.

B – What’s wrong with that?

E – Look! He’s got a goddamn leash. A long, blue leash!

B – (Looks out the window) So? That’s the teacher. He lives down the street with his wife. Next to the Bensons.

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