\u201cThe Dandie Dinmont is a gorgeous-looking and very affectionate terrier,\u201d Karen Lipschitz shared with Morris, her husband, her online research on mid-sized dogs. \u201cTheir enormous black eyes marvellously stand out against the background of their brownish coats. Originally from Scotland, the breed is named after a character in one of Walter Scott\u2019s novels.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what do we need a dog for?\u201d Morris bluntly challenged his wife. \u201cWe live on the eighth floor of a condo building, and a puppy will beg for food whenever we are having a meal. It\u2019ll whine and whimper when it wants to sit on the sofa, beside us. Frankly, I really don\u2019t want to wake up hours before dawn, just to take a pup out for a pee!\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll take care of the little one day and night,\u201d Karen retorted. \u201cAll I\u2019m asking you to do is to look after the pooch on Tuesday afternoon, when I have my art history lectures. Other than that, I\u2019ll be glad to take our pet out, I\u2019ll feed it, play with it, drive it to the vet \u2013 everything, in short! You won\u2019t have to move a finger. You darn well know why I crave a grandpuppy<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed he knew. Marvin and Chester, their thirty-something sons, were unmarried, and their parents\u2019 chances of ever holding a grandchild in their arms were nil. Marvin was gay and like his life partner he was a library assistant earning a few dollars above minimum wage; he had no intention of ever adopting a child. <\/p>\n And Chester? His chances of ever adopting a child were even slimmer than his brother\u2019s. The Lipschitzs\u2019 younger son had studied six years at York University, but had no bachelor of arts degree under his belt. And the only thing he had to show for was Down The Drain<\/em>, a slim, self-published volume of poetry his family and friends deemed incomprehensible. Chester eked out a very modest living as a cashier in a health food store. His parents didn\u2019t feel he was established enough to be a father and the head of a small family. Karen and Morris heaved melancholy sighs as they admitted to having no nakhes foon kinder<\/em> \u2013 no satisfaction derived from watching their sons succeed as doctors, physicists, or professors, who beget children as accomplished as their parents. <\/p>\n On the Internet Karen found out that Gwen Stewart, one of the few breeders of Dandies in Ontario, lived on a farm, near Guelph. \u201cDandies are a rare breed,\u201d Gwen told Karen over the phone, \u201cand I won\u2019t sell you a puppy unless I meet, in person, with you, your husband, and your children.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Mrs. Stewart,\u201d Karen self-effacingly replied. \u201cMy husband and I will be glad to have an interview with you. But our children are in their thirties, and no longer live with us.\u201d <\/p>\n A long silence followed, as Gwen seemed to be pondering what she\u2019d just heard. \u201cHave you ever owned a dog before,\u201d she asked. \u201cNo,\u201d Karen replied, her voice apologetic and unassertive. \u201cBut,\u201d she raised her voice, \u201cI\u2019ve plenty of free time on my hands and tons<\/em> of love in my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n The women agreed to meet in a week. Karen was so excited that for days she spoke only about owning a beautiful Dandie and loving it unconditionally. \u201cI want a female,\u201d she declared. \u201cI\u2019ve had enough males in my life: you Morris, Marvin, and Chester. Now I\u2019ll have the little girl I\u2019ve wanted ever since I attended kindergarten.\u201d<\/p>\n On the day the Lipschitzs drove to Guelph, Karen insisted that Morris wear his best casual shirt, pants, and shoes. \u201cWe must look relaxed, vigorous, forward-looking, and empathetic,\u201d Karen declared. \u201cAnd to compensate for never owning a dog before, we must radiate a caring and loving attitude. And<\/em>,\u201d she paused deliberately, \u201cdon\u2019t let me do all the talking, Morris! Speak up! Show enthusiasm! Prove to Gwen Stewart that you too are just dying<\/em> to own a Dandie and take loving care of her.\u201d<\/p>\n It took a lot of driving in the countryside until the prospective owners of a Dandie found Gwen\u2019s farm house. Karen rang the bell, and instructed Morris to pull his pants up, so as to camouflage his sizeable beer belly. When the door opened, a tall, slim woman with short black hair introduced herself as Gwen Stewart, then asked her intimidated visitors to step inside her home. Morris suspected Gwen was intensely scrutinizing her elderly guests, her gaze as piercing as if she were a psychiatrist assessing whether he and his wife were sane and competent individuals. <\/p>\n Even before the door closed behind the aspiring owners of a Dandie, they heard dogs barking upstairs. \u201cIt\u2019s our Dandies,\u201d Gwen unapologetically explained. \u201cI\u2019ll bring them down later on.\u201d Gwen and her guests savoured cups of tea and homemade scones that made Karen think of an English, mid-afternoon garden party going on. In a motherly but resolute voice Gwen said she was looking for a good<\/em> home<\/em> for a young female Dandie, then asked about her guests\u2019 background. \u201cI\u2019m a retired teacher of English,\u201d Karen announced, \u201cone reason why a breed named after a character in a novel has, in my eyes, a lot of appeal.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cAnd I worked as an engineer for forty years,\u201d Morris introduced himself. \u201cNow that I\u2019ve retired, I have time to do volunteer work and take care of my collection of stamps. Collecting stamps has been my hobby since grade-school years.\u201d Smiling, he sat up, pleased with his participation in the conversation.<\/p>\n Gwen eyed Morris at length, evidently estimating his capacity to care for one of her darlings. She then turned to Karen. \u201cRaising a Dandie in a condo, on the eighth floor, is difficult. It\u2019s much easier when you own a house with a backyard, and the pup isn\u2019t the first dog you\u2019ve ever owned.\u201d <\/p>\n Karen explained, in detail, how a Dandie would be her grandpuppy<\/em>, since her sons were unlikely to have children in the years ahead. \u201cWe\u2019re elderly Jews, and holding a grandchild in our arms would have meant a lot to us.\u201d <\/p>\n Morris was quite surprised at his wife revealing so much about herself and her family to a total stranger. Was that the fabled solidarity of women that led his wife to open up and reveal more, much more, than was necessary, he wondered. \u201cIs Karen soliciting sympathy from a stranger?\u201d he worried.<\/p>\n Gwen took a bite from her scone, then laid it to rest on a dainty white plate. \u201cI\u2019m bringing down my treasures,\u201d she declared in a matter-of-fact voice as she stood up and walked out of the room. Soon Karen and Morris heard dogs barking and barrelling down the wooden stairs. Two adult dogs and a puppy rushed into the living room, romping this way and that, their heads held high, as they sniffed and sniffed, apparently to estimate the strangers\u2019 strengths and limitations. <\/p>\n \u201cThis one is Dazzle, a Dandie, and my husband\u2019s dog,\u201d Gwen said as she pointed at the largest dog in the room. \u201cAnd this one,\u201d her finger pointed out, \u201cis Scarlet, my own Dandie. We have temporarily called the lovely pup Pinkie. But you can have her,\u201d Gwen announced. \u201cI\u2019ve come to the conclusion that Karen will take very good care of a Dandie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd how much is your price for it?\u201d asked Morris. He could feel Karen\u2019s eyes boring holes in his heart and chest because of the mercenary question he\u2019d just asked.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo thousand dollars,\u201d Gwen replied unflappably. \u201cShe comes with a certificate of pedigree.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwo thousand<\/em> dollars?\u201d Morris raised his voice. Two thousand<\/em>?<\/p>\n Looking dignified, Gwen stood up. \u201cI\u2019ll leave the two of you alone, to talk things over.\u201d She eyed Morris as she declared, \u201cI don\u2019t ever bargain about my Dandies!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did you create a scene?\u201d Karen asked her husband once they were by themselves. \u201cYou embarrassed me!\u201d \u201cAnd I\u2019m telling you we\u2019re lucky that Gwen approved of us as owners of her puppy,\u201d Karen fired back. \u201cAs for its price, you always whine, \u2018We can\u2019t afford! We can\u2019t afford! We can\u2019t afford!\u2019 whenever I buy anything that costs more than twenty dollars. We live off two good pensions plus government allowances, Morris! We certainly can<\/em> afford a Dandie!\u201d After a brief silence Karen forcefully announced, \u201cI\u2019m determined to own and raise a Dandie. And I already have a name for her: Molly, like the character in Joyce\u2019s Ulysses<\/em>, an inspiring name for a pedigreed pooch. And if we buy a puppy, I won\u2019t be buying any new clothes or shoes for two years, and I\u2019ll be reading only books I\u2019ve borrowed from the public library. Relax, Morris, we won\u2019t starve! Owning and raising a Dandie is an investment in our happiness. She\u2019ll bring us a lot of nakhess<\/em>, a lot of personal satisfaction.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwo thousand dollars<\/em>,\u201d Morris moaned, as if a boulder were crushing his chest and throat.<\/p>\n Karen called Gwen back into the room. Puckering his lips, Morris mentioned out loud each word and number in the cheque he was writing, to vent his dissatisfaction with the exorbitant price of a Dandie. <\/p>\n Once inside the Lipschitz\u2019s home, Molly went in and out of all rooms and washrooms, all the while sniffing and sniffing nervously. \u201cShe\u2019s used to playing in a large backyard and feels hemmed-in in our condo.\u201d Karen summed up Molly\u2019s condition confidently, as if she\u2019d for decades owned dog after dog. \u201cEventually Molly will get used to living in a condo,\u201d commented Morris, who preferred simple, plain, and easy solutions to all problems, however complex or subtle.<\/p>\n Karen took Molly out to pee every two hours, but in a few days yellow little puddles glistened on the floors of their living room and kitchen. To cope with the challenge, Karen began taking her Dandie outdoors every hour and a half. As the pup was incontinent to urine — Karen\u2019s words — she set the alarm clock for two a.m. and nightly carried Molly out of their condo building, to prevent discouraging accidents.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not training the dog,\u201d Morris commented irritably. \u201cMolly is shaping your<\/em> behaviour. You capitulate to her demands and allow her to be the master you obey and follow. These days your life revolves around Molly\u2019s bladder!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI resent<\/em> your referring to Molly as \u2018the dog,\u2019\u201d Karen asserted. \u201cMolly is a member of our family! In her enormous black eyes I read the beauty of sadness, and the sadness of beauty! But you Morris seem determined to turn her into a mechanical, lifeless piece of machinery.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut we can\u2019t go on living like that,\u201d Morris talked back angrily. \u201cMolly keeps chewing and chewing at our rugs, and you and I live like temporary guests in our own home. Our floors are bare, and everywhere I look I see dog toys. And you Karen feel too tired to make the beef and mushrooms stew I like so much. Our life these days revolves on Molly\u2019s incontinence<\/em> — a new word in my vocabulary!\u201d \u201cIn a month or two Molly will stop peeing indoors,\u201d Karen confidently prophesied. \u201cAnd if you\u2019re not satisfied with my cooking, why don\u2019t you<\/em> prepare our meals? Your sacred collection of stamps will survive, intact, even if you spend a few hours each day cooking and cleaning the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut what about intimacy, Karen?\u201d He now turned to his wife gently. \u201cThese days you look so tired that I don\u2019t dare to approach you. I miss the warmth and the closeness we\u2019ve experienced for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n Karen lifted her chin. \u201cI knew that sooner or later sex would be an issue! What do you expect me to do, uh? Do it<\/em> right now, with clothes on and standing up, to save time? Let\u2019s have it, then! Your whining is something I can\u2019t take!\u201d \u201cI object to \u2018whining,\u2019\u201d Morris erupted. \u201cYou treat me like a dog, while Molly is the recipient of your unlimited affection. No room for me. Newspapers, magazines, and books are strewn everywhere I look, and in the kitchen plates, pots, and pans are crowding the sink and counters.\u201d<\/p>\n Karen waved her forefinger at her husband. \u201cYou want our condo to look as neat and tidy as an art gallery! But I\u2019m not<\/em> your mother, and it\u2019s unfair to expect our home to be clean and tidy when I\u2019m so busy with Molly. Gwen said that puppies grow fast, their bladders get bigger, and in a few months their incontinence is under control.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve this obnoxious creature up to here!\u201d Morris commented as he forcefully slid his extended forefinger across his throat, as if he were slashing it with a knife. <\/p>\n On Tuesdays afternoon Morris grudgingly looked after Molly. As his wife had stipulated, he took out what she called \u201cthe little one\u201d to pee every hour and a half. It felt like an interminable task for Molly to walk along the corridor, from the door to their apartment all the way to the elevator. She objected to the walking and, instead, she vigorously scratched her back on the corridor\u2019s carpeted floor, as if to obtain relief from a tormenting itch.<\/p>\n Morris experienced a lot of difficulties leading the pooch by its leash because it was exceedingly stubborn: she dug in her heels and refused to take a single step forward. He begged, he pulled the leash hard, he even held toys slathered with cheddar cheese inches away from Molly\u2019s nose — all to no avail. No matter how hard Morris tried, what he called \u201cthe pest\u201d wouldn\u2019t walk down the corridor to the elevator\u2019s door. More humiliated than angry, a disgruntled Morris one day picked Molly up from the floor and carried her all the way out to their street\u2019s sidewalk. Nothing happened outdoors either. The pup, as unpredictable as always, insisted on peeing only on her terms, and Morris grumbled that Molly was driving him mad. <\/p>\n And while Molly seemed to deliberate whether to pee or not to pee, Morris encountered other dogs on a leash, strolling beside their owners. These obedient pets approached Molly and sniffed at her mouth and genitals. Molly, however, behaved fearfully and reciprocated other dogs\u2019 friendliness only when Morris used brutal force to get her to sniff and play with other pooches. <\/p>\n Though Morris had never heard of the word \u201clibertarian\u201d and was entirely unaware of the debate about free will versus determinism \u2013 he did ascribe unlimited free will to Molly. He didn\u2019t view what he called \u201cKaren\u2019s dog,\u201d as a creature governed, at least in part, by innate instincts and brain mechanisms. Oh no, he was convinced that his wife\u2019 darling acted premeditatedly, so as to humiliate and exhaust him. By acting rebelliously, Molly was out to drive Morris mad and keep Karen to herself only. <\/p>\n The pooch, in Morris\u2019 eyes, was mean, conniving, and manipulative. He regarded her as an evil to be rid of as soon as his wife realized how inalterable were Molly\u2019s schemes and machinations. One reason Morris resented Molly immensely was that Karen, now at the end of her rope, seemed exhausted the whole day; she slept poorly, and looked tired and stressed out. He ascribed the continual messes in the kitchen and the living room to Karen\u2019s over-involvement with a mulishly stubborn creature.<\/p>\n One Tuesday afternoon, as Morris took Molly out, he became emotionally engrossed in a dealer\u2019s offer to pay twenty thousand dollars for his entire stamp collection, as is. The deal was not only lucrative; it also validated Morris\u2019 philatelic skills and talents. But as a delighted Morris pondered the merits of the offer, he noticed that he\u2019d let go of Molly\u2019s leash. Where was Molly, he panicked as he peered all around anxiously. <\/p>\n In a brief while he caught sight of the little devil trotting down the sidewalk, dragging the leather leash along the grey pavement. \u201cMolly!\u201d he cried out imploringly and ran along the sidewalk, fearing that Karen would feel devastated if anything bad ever happened to the puppy his wife unconditionally adored. Soon Molly came to a halt, then turned right ad crossed the street. Morris heard wheels screech as a white truck came to an abrupt stop. Molly continued her stroll, flouting the commotion she was creating. The truck driver, however, stuck his head out of the truck\u2019s window and hollered at Morris, \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter with you, old man? Are you trying to get your dog killed?\u201d<\/p>\n Morris ignored the truck driver and crossed the street. Loudly calling, \u201cMolly! Molly!\u201d he hurried after the unruly little demon. A young man on the sidewalk realized the danger Molly was in, so he ran after the puppy and vigorously stepped on its leash. A panting Morris thanked the young man profusely, then picked up the leash lying on the ground. He lifted the insouciant pooch up and held her in his arms, looking this way and that before crossing the street. He resolved never to tell Karen about the incident, fearing she would be horribly upset if he admitted to letting go of Molly for a brief moment or two. One evening Karen was sitting on the floor a few steps from the sofa where her husband was seated and reading Time<\/em> magazine. She held Molly in her lap and smoothed her fur with a brush, then combed her with an aluminium comb. Though Gwen had recommended to brush and comb the puppy\u2019s coat twice a week, Karen did it every night, to enjoy her puppy\u2019s surrender to the brush, comb, and owner. Molly kept her eyes closed, as if to intensify the pleasure she was experiencing. Karen whispered in her dog\u2019s ear, but loud enough for Morris to hear, \u201cYou\u2019re my Scottish princess, and I love you dearly! Grandpa Morris slaps or kicks you whenever you nip people, but he too loves you, his own way. Once you stop biting people, he\u2019ll become your loving grandpa and shower affection on you.\u201d <\/p>\n Once, as Karen was brushing the pup\u2019s paws, she bent her head down, to tell her beloved pet a secret: \u201cStarting tomorrow, before we go on a stroll, granny will apply a special cream to your feet.\u201d She then whispered into Molly\u2019s ear, \u201cWe girls need creams and lotions, don\u2019t we? They make our skins grow moist and soft, and we feel pleased with the way our lives are unfolding.\u201d<\/p>\n Morris lowered his magazine and cried out loud, \u201cYou\u2019re infatuated with the dog, Karen. Your mad love isn\u2019t good for you or for Molly. And what will happen to you if Molly becomes ill?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the problem?\u201d Karen scooped up Molly in her arms and kept the puppy\u2019s head close to her heart. \u201cIf Molly is sick I\u2019ll drive her to the vet!\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m worried about you, Karen,\u201d Morris commented. \u201cThe dog is just fine. But you need to relax, woman, otherwise the stress you\u2019re under will make you ill. You and I need to get away and spend a week in a spa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd where<\/em> would we leave Molly?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn a kennel, of course!\u201d He sounded triumphant, as if he\u2019d just won a debate with his wife. \u201cShe\u2019ll be alright in an animal hospital. It\u2019s you, Molly, who needs a break from the incorrigible carpet wetter.\u201d \u201cYou have no right to call Molly names,\u201d Karen angrily yelled. \u201cYour \u2018carpet wetter\u2019 phrase hurt my feelings! Okay, okay! She\u2019s not housebroken yet! But instead of acting so high-mindedly, why don\u2019t you have a good time playing with her? She needs two<\/em> grandparents, not only one.\u201d <\/p>\n Morris picked up his magazine, he leaned his back against the sofa, and pretended to be reading. He resented what he called, \u201cthe madness unfolding right before my eyes.\u201d <\/p>\n At dinnertime one evening, Morris noticed that his wife\u2019s nose was red and swollen. \u201cMolly nipped me when I was playing with her,\u201d she conceded sheepishly.<\/p>\n \u201cNipped?\u201d shouted Morris. \u201cIt was an attack! She bit you ferociously! Your dog is very disturbed!\u201d \u201cMolly is perfectly alright,\u201d Karen retorted. \u201cIt was my<\/em> fault that she got a little excited.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA little<\/em> excited?\u201d Morris cried out. \u201cShe mauled you! She bit me once, but I slapped her quite hard, something you never do, and she never bit me again. She\u2019s sick, your puppy,\u201d Morris blurted out, \u201cand a vet would testify that she\u2019s is dangerous, and unlikely to change her ways.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou hate<\/em> Molly,\u201d Karen blared out. \u201cJust because my nose is a little red you\u2019ve used horrendous words to refer to my darling.\u201d \u201cCut out your massive denial, woman! That critter is mad! The way she\u2019s acting we may have to euthanize her!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKill her? You<\/em>, Morris, are the crazy one! And I\u2019m not sending her to the gas chambers. Only a Nazi would think of that!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t necessarily have to put her to sleep. Let\u2019s return Molly to Gwen. She\u2019s a professional breeder and knows how to deal with dysfunctional puppies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOver my dead body!\u201d Karen shrieked. \u201cI\u2019m not sending my darling to any treatment facility anywhere in the world. I\u2019ll see her through this minor crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMinor<\/em> crisis?\u201d Morris cocked his head. \u201cMolly is a danger to you, to me, to humanity!\u201d \u201cJust give her time to recover, and I\u2019ll calm her down,\u201d Karen proposed. You have nothing to fear when you take her out to pee. She doesn\u2019t have a mean bone in her body.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMean, you said? Your dog bites viciously, she doesn\u2019t play with other dogs, she chews at her front paws, she — \u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s enough!\u201d Karen shrieked. \u201cYou talk as if Molly were your worst enemy. I won\u2019t have it!\u201d She smoothed her temple with her fingers. \u201cYou<\/em>,\u201d she pointed a finger at her husband, \u201cyou\u2019re the one that must control himself.\u201d \u201cIf your deranged pup ever bites me again I\u2019ll kick her more than once.\u201d \u201cShe\u2019s a lovely girl, Morris. You may not like her, but there is nothing nasty or dangerous about Molly.\u201d<\/p>\n One Tuesday Morris took Molly to pee an hour and a half after a previous outing. <\/p>\n While outdoors Morris allowed Molly to sniff at the ground, and she playfully chewed at fallen leaves and twigs. He waited, in suspense, for the pet to do what he expected of her, but his prayers came to nothing. After deliberating briefly he lifted Molly off the ground and carried her all the way to the elevator inside their apartment building. <\/p>\n Once inside the living room Morris felt sleepy and decided to take a nap. He undressed, lay in bed and covered himself with the duvet he nightly shared with his wife. He patiently waited to fall asleep, but sleep seemed to be boycotting him. He rolled out of bed, intent on making a cup of fresh, hot tea to calm himself down. He blamed Molly for his agitation and decided to tell his wife that since he profoundly resented her so-called princess, he would no longer be looking after her on Tuesdays. \u201cLet Karen take care of her own problems,\u201d he angrily told himself, then decided he would no longer be looking after Molly on Tuesdays.<\/p>\n A stench, however, assaulted Morris\u2019s nostrils. He strode over to Molly, who was in the living room, peacefully resting on her belly and chin. About a foot from her, on an area rug, he noticed three little turds and a wet stain. Molly was calmly staring at Morris, as if what his wife called \u201can accident,\u201d had never happened. <\/p>\n Rage came over Morris. \u201cA monster,\u201d he blurted out, \u201ca teaser, and Satan in disguise!\u201d And the longer he looked at Molly, the more entitled to his rage he felt. How dared that abominable, diminutive monster look so pleased with herself, so peaceful and smug? <\/p>\n He walked over to Molly and furiously kicked her. The puppy rolled over, then yelped in pain and desperation. Soon she sounded like a meowing cat, and that impersonation somehow infuriated Morris to no end. He bent down, and with two hands grabbed the neck of the animal he hated passionately. Panting, Morris strangled the animal he wanted out of his life. Her black eyes stared at him impassively, as if she somehow had accepted her fate. Molly soon stopped breathing, and turned into a lifeless carcass.<\/p>\n Heart thumping, Morris realized he\u2019d killed the puppy his wife loved deeply. \u201cIn God\u2019s name,\u201d he cried out loudly, \u201cwhat have I done? And how will Karen react?\u201d He feared she would weep uncontrollably, then hate him and what he\u2019d done. How could he possibly explain to his wife that he\u2019d killed what she adored? To calm down, he laid the still lukewarm corpse on its oval bed, her head leaning against its rim, as if Molly were asleep. <\/p>\n With paper towels and vinegar he cleaned and dried up the little rug Molly had stained. Out of habit he turned on the television, but his mind was blank, and he couldn\u2019t follow what the characters on screen were saying. A short while later he tried to read the newspaper, but it felt like the printed words were dancing provocatively and separating him from the text. \u201cAm I going mad,\u201d he fearfully asked himself. <\/p>\n By now Morris was convinced that the late Molly was outright disturbed; his wife\u2019s infatuation with her pooch, had always struck him as an immense exaggeration of sorts. That he, his wife, and the puppy might have been crazy, each in his or her own way, discouraged Morris to no end. <\/p>\n Thinking about Molly and his wife made him very fearful. He hated tears and emotional scenes and dreaded that there would be endless turmoil and recriminations that he\u2019d have to live with for many month, perhaps indefinitely.<\/p>\n He experienced some relief when he sat, eyes closed, in his favourite armchair in the living room, and breathed slowly, very slowly, and through the nose. To his chagrin he heard the front door being unlocked and Karen twitter, \u201cMolly! Molly! Where are you, princess? Granny is back from her lecture.\u201d<\/p>\n Seconds later, a howl pierced Morris ears. \u201cMolly, my love, what happened?\u201d A silence followed, then Karen exploded, \u201cMorris! Where<\/em> are you, you bastard?\u201d<\/p>\n He stepped into the living room, where his wife was sitting on the floor, holding dead Molly as if she were a live infant. Tears were streaming down her wrinkled cheeks but Karen seemed indifferent to them. \u201cMorris,\u201d she looked up at her husband, \u201cwhat happened?\u201d As he said nothing, she lovingly laid Molly\u2019s corpse on her little bed. Then she shouted, \u201cMorris! What have you done? Why did you murder<\/em> my lovely girl?\u201d<\/p>\n He drew closer. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you stand up? We can talk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTalk?\u201d she shrieked. \u201cWhat\u2019s there to talk about now that you destroyed what I loved with all my heart?\u201d<\/p>\n He showed both palms to wife. \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to. She peed, there was pooh on the floor. I got very upset and didn\u2019t know what came over me. I — \u201d \u201cYou murdered<\/em> my grandpuppy<\/em>!\u201d Karen lifted Molly\u2019s corpse and pressed it against her chest. \u201cYou Sadist! Nazi! Murderer! In cold blood you destroyed what I loved to no end!\u201d <\/p>\n Morris had no idea how to appease his wife. How could he possibly explain what he\u2019d done? Perhaps Karen was<\/em> right: he\u2019d acted madly. And how could he, now a bundle of worries and regrets, comfort his wife after he\u2019d killed what she\u2019d loved no less than her sons?<\/p>\n A while later Karen drove the dead puppy to the vet\u2019s office and asked him to arrange a burial for Molly. \u201cNo,\u201d she declared, \u201cI\u2019m too upset to take part in a funeral.\u201d She went home and despite Morris\u2019 protestations she packed a suitcase, and then took a cab to a nearby hotel. She ignored his phone calls. The next day the lawyer representing Karen called Morris to tell him that his wife had decided to end their marriage. Desperate for Karen\u2019s company, feeling dreadfully lonesome and abandoned, Morris left message after message at her hotel, begging her to meet with him. She didn\u2019t respond, Karen, and days later he received a letter from her attorney informing Morris that he was to communicate with his client in writing only, through the lawyer\u2019 office.<\/p>\n Morris now hated Molly more than ever. Even from its grave the little fiend was in control of Karen\u2019s life and his too! And whenever he thought of how he\u2019d killed Molly, he felt sorry for his wife, but experienced mild remorse for what he\u2019d done. Though relieved that Molly no longer was part of his life, he furiously resented the puppy for putting an end to a lukewarm, loveless, mostly shallow but tolerable marriage.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Lemon<\/strong> Masuma looked at me but didn\u2019t answer, and then she smiled, took the lemon back from my hand and sucked it again. Her lips puckered at the sour taste and she shut her eyes, savouring the moment, before giving it back to me, she sprinkled some more salt-pepper-chilli powder on it. I sucked the lemon again, hoping to get a taste of her but it was just tangy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fiction"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue26\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue26\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue26\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue26\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue26\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1008"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue26\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5064,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue26\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1008\/revisions\/5064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue26\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue26\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue26\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\u201cTwo thousand dollars,<\/em>\u201d Morris confronted his wife. \u201cMartin Glatt, my old friend, paid six hundred and fifty bucks for a four-months old, white Lab! We live on fixed income, Karen! Owning a Dandie is way beyond our means!\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue26\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2019\/03\/leave-image-1.png\")
<\/p>\n
\nIs it a kiss if I suck the lemon that you sucked, too?<\/p>\n