The Dog-Walker

"Mommy! Two dogs!" said the younger boy excitedly.

"Where?" asked his older brother. "I don't see any dogs."

"They're over there. A man with a leash was walking them," answered the boys' mom.

"You mean the dogs were walking the man?" asked the older boy. "If you are wearing a leash then someone is walking you."

"That's right, that's what I meant to say," answered his mom. "Though I do wonder why the dogs weren't holding on better to the leash. That man could easily get away, run across the street, get into the neighbors' yards and just cause all sorts of havoc. I don't even think he was wearing a license on his collar."

The Printed Page

"What are you doing?!?" she shrieked as she surveyed the damage.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm tearing up all the books I own!" he yelled back, tearing yet another section of Shakespeare and tossing the shreds onto the floor.

"But why? Why on earth are you doing this?" She thought she knew, and tears began welling up in her eyes.

"To erase any memory I have of you, that's why. You don't want to have anything to do with me anymore? Well I don't want to have anything to do with you! I'm starting over, but not before everything that reminds me of you is destroyed. I can't afford to buy a new house or new clothes or new car; those will have to stay. But I don't need these books. Too many memories. Just looking at them makes me ... What do you care, anyway?"

"It didn't have to be like this, John." She turned and walked away, leaving him with pages in his hand and a question in his heart.