More Scenes with the Dog

The audience began applauding with growing vigor. Mike stood up and turned to face the audience. Beaming with pride he took a bow. Behind him, the credits continued to roll on the screen. “Thank you” Mike repeated a few times while he soaked up the moment.

Minutes later, as theatergoers began to filter out of the auditorium, Mike found himself with a moment to reflect on the events of this evening. “I actually did it” he thought.

With butterflies in his stomach, Mike began walking towards the main lobby of his local indie theater for the post-movie meet and greet. His heart started to race at the thought of the questions to come. Of particular concern was explaining his why: why focus on a coming-of-age story?

Outside of the theater doors a small crowd of newly minted Mike fans, some of whom had opted for the complimentary wine while they waited. When Mike entered the room, everyone noticed. A few approached him.

“Hi, that was a great movie! Your parents must be so proud” said a gentleman of about 50 years and with about as many hairs remaining in his combover. Mike smiled, confirmed his parents’ support, and thanked the man.

“See, that wasn’t so hard” Mike encouraged himself. As he looked around to see who was next, he observed a woman approaching him. She had thick-rimmed glasses and a smattering of freckles on her face and arms, but it was her flowery perfume that stood out the most.

As this woman introduced herself and began explaining her favorite parts of the film, Mike found his mind flickering back to that one summer where he was just a boy and he could smell the sweetness of the flowers as he sat with her making flower chains and eventually a crown. The way she smiled as they talked. The way the sunlight glistened on her curly copper hair. That was still his favorite color.

“…which is why that really resonated with me.” Mike had been nodding along and now realized it was time for him to speak. “That’s a really interesting point” Mike lied; he had no idea what resonated with this woman. “I’m so glad you liked it, that means a lot” he thanked the woman.

“I need to focus,” Mike thought, “these people are taking time out of their day….”

A boy excitedly approached him next. This child must have been about ten with a mouth full of braces. In a high pre-pubescent tone, he squeaked “I liked how…at the part where the boy and girl were friends and, but they were also fighting and it was about who would win at arm wrestling and then the girl beat the boy at arm wrestling. I didn’t think that would happen.” Mike smiled as the boy spoke. It reminded Mike of himself at that age.

“Yes,” Mike said gently, “that happened to me too once. And the whole summer she never let me forget it.” The boy laughed and waved goodbye as hƒe went off to find his parents.

The crowd had started to thin a bit, and Mike took it upon himself to grab a glass of wine while there was still some left. As he poured his glass, the manager of the indie theater walked up next to him and said “These meet and greets can be a lot sometimes. How are you holding up?” Mike turned to face the manager and was about to reply “fine” when he noticed their green eyes. He almost dropped the glass in his hand. It was like looking into her eyes.

Her eyes were the first thing he noticed about her all those years ago. He was playing hide and seek and ran towards the backyard of the new family across the street to hide. As he turned the corner of the house, he almost ran into her. And there she was, this young girl with the most captivating green eyes Mike had ever seen. “Who are you?” she said accusatorily. “Shh” Mike snapped, then “we’re playing hide and seek.” A few moments later he whispered, “I’m Mike, you?” She smiled and said a little too loudly, “I’m Claudia. I’m new here. Can I play with you?”

“Umm…hello?” the manager asked, bringing Mike back to reality. “Ye-yes, sorry, all good” Mike said quickly. He took a sip of the bitter red wine and grimaced as he walked away. “Why do wineries make dirt-tasting wine?” he pondered, but not for long.

An older woman walked slowly towards Mike, leaning into her cane with each careful step. “That was such a heart-warming, jolly little flick you put on” she crowed. “I love a slow first love movie, I like to think those kids grew up and married each other.” Mike felt hollow. “They didn’t” he thought, almost a whisper. But the marketer in him couldn’t share that. “I like to think that too” he replied as warmly as he could muster.

As the older woman moseyed on away, Mike surveyed the room. A teenage girl shyly walked over to him. She was lanky wearing an oversized t-shirt and jeans. “I feel like it ended too soon” she said quietly. “And I would have liked more scenes with the dog in it.”

“The dog” Mike thought. “That damned dog.” The day Claudia got the dog she had burst into his bedroom where he was playing with toy soldiers. Before he could process her exuberance, she blurted “my mom told me I’m getting a special surprise for my birthday! And it’s coming early!” They spent a few minutes chatting about what it could be before Claudia abruptly said “whelp…gotta go, bye!” and ran out of his room as quickly as she arrived. Later, partially out of curiosity, Mike wandered over to Claudia’s home, and he could hear giggling and yapping coming from an open window. She always wanted a dog.

“I had considered more dog scenes, but he wasn’t exactly easy to work with” Mike responded to the teen.

By now there were only a few people lingering in the lobby. A young, red-headed girl around the same age as the boy from earlier ran over to Mike. “Was this movie about your life?” she asked. Mike froze. “Yes, kind of” he said. “It must have hurt when she moved away in the end” the girl responded.

The question he had wanted to avoid the most was finally here. Mike struggled with how to respond. He couldn’t tell this child what really happened. How Claudia was in her front yard playing with her puppy she affectionately named Buddy when Mike came over to join them. This dog had a knack for chasing small suburban wildlife. Claudia would remark how cute he was, she especially loved when Buddy would finally catch up to something like a squirrel or a rabbit and he had no idea what to do next. She would play with his big floppy ears, pretending he could fly. Buddy would snuggle up next to her every night, and they would fall asleep together cuddling. She loved that damn dog.

It was part of what made the whole thing so heart-breaking. One day Buddy grew enough confidence to leave Claudia’s front yard. He was chasing a butterfly this time. Mike and Claudia laughed while watching his clumsy attempts to catch it. He had wandered to the entrance of her next-door neighbor’s driveway. Claudia ran over to retrieve Buddy. But she struggled to grab him. Every time she had Buddy in her arms, he found a way to wiggle out again.

Claudia could get so immersed in an activity that everything around her disappeared. When Claudia focused on Mike, she made him feel like they were the only two people in the world. He loved it. He loved her, even though he never had the courage to say it.

Mike suspected that same focus was why Claudia didn’t hear the neighbor’s garage door open. Why she didn’t see the car backing towards her and Buddy. Mike could never forget the sound Claudia made when the car hit her. She lived for two more days.

That damned dog survived though. But Mike never really saw it again after the accident.

“Yes” Mike said to the girl. “When she left my life, things were never the same again.”