One Bent Ear

/ roughwighting

bent ear, dog, woman's best friend, golden retriever I peer down at Hank as I pet the top of his soft brown head while wondering, why had I never noticed this anomaly before? 

For some reason, this morning I chose to walk slowly down the long hallway that leads to my bedroom. A dozen photos hang snugly on the walls on both sides: my great grandparents with their 14 children; my grandparents with their four; my parents with their two, brother David and me. ancestors, portraits

In each photo a beloved dog sits on the oldest child’s lap.

The photos that are 100 years old, and 60 years old, are black and white. Each dog in these photos is smiling, as dogs do, with bright eyes and one crooked bent ear. https://pixabay.com/photos/dog-ears-back-brown-3533066/ vhcmedia

I stop petting Hank and bend over, touching his bent ear gently. Then I stand up again, looking at the photo from 1964. The family dog, Snappy, is sitting on my lap, smiling, with one bent ear.

Oh. My. God. Or should I say. Oh. My. Dog.

Golden Retriever, fun dog photoI sit on the hallway floor in amazement. “Snappy? Is that you?” I whisper, hugging Hank tightly. 

And that’s when I notice it. The hard spot on Hank’s neck, covered by his long golden-brown fur. Is it an until-now undetected tumor? 

But Hank does a strange thing when I touch the spot. He laughs. Well, of course he doesn’t laugh, but he makes a sound like a high-pitched laugh, the kind a little boy makes when he’s tickled.

So, I stroke the spot a bit more, Hank wiggles and laughs until suddenly ….

WHAM. I feel like I’m being tickled too. My finger vibrates and then my entire body shakes. The hallway roars. Or is that me?

Then just as suddenly, silence. I inhale. What the hell was that? Hank is now sitting on my lap, and I’m sitting on a chair.

“Alice, stop fidgeting,” my mom says.

“MOM?” My mom’s been dead for three years. Hank shifts a bit on my lap.

“And Snappy, you stop fidgeting too,” Mom demands.

I stare ahead at the photographer, wearing flared bellbottoms and long stringy hair. I gasp and turn around; my mom and dad are standing behind me, frowning. Brother David is smiling, probably because for once I’m the one in trouble, not him.

Oh, I’m in trouble all right. The last place I want to be is back in the 1960’s.

“Hank!” I shout. “Stop that this instance.”

Snappy/Hank starts laughing as I push that hard spot on his neck to return to my future. 

laughing dog

HAPPY FRIDAY the 13th!!

111 thoughts on “One Bent Ear”

  2. Spooky but in a good way. I laughed out loud when I noticed the little dog on the cover of my favourite Bobbsey Twins book looked exactly like my little dog, bent ear and all. Dogs find us.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. A little time travel thanks to the dogs in our lives! Zeke had a bent ear, too… Hmmm…
    I love the generations of photos with dogs in the laps of the eldest. Wonderful.

    Liked by 1 person

      • That’s what I’m wondering. ‘Course, we don’t have cool generational photos like you! When I was a baby, we had King, a huge, short-haired collie. After that… nothing all the way until my youngest sister. at the age of about 2-3, cajoled and begged and convinced my parents. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

          • My great-grandmother had 16 kids; my grandmother, 6 (plus one stillborn). I have a wonderful picture of my great-grandmother, Clarenda, with her cousin, Napoleon (which is funny, because later she married a Napoleon!) Not too many other pictures have I seen of that brood when they were all together. My grandmother was the eldest of the lot.

            Liked by 1 person

  7. Awesome story!!! You are a master with the storytelling! It is a great art and you have perfected it! 🙂 I love dogs…not so long ago, we lost our Bella. She was almost sixteen years old. I thought of her as I read this story… My dogs are in all the family photos through the years like yours are. They are such special creatures…so much love to give away.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Dogs have a way of making us children again, don’t they? Young at heart, full of love and fun. Wonderful story, Pam. We don’t have dogs right now, and every single day we ask ourselves why? Hugs to you and Hank/Snappy.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Obviously, you have inspired me since my last two stories were a bit freaky, in a wonderful fantasy kind of way. 😉 My guy and I know know why we have not gotten another dog. Traveling, no fence, etc, but we have granddogs over here a lot!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. This was a fun and creative way to start my Friday the 13th. Hopefully, not a sign of things to come. 😋 I don’t want to go back to the 60s either, except maybe to see the Beatles. Thank goodness for pets and music to warm our hearts.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I wrote this with such realism that some close-by friends asked to see the dog in the ancestral photos. Hahaha. That part was made up – not the photos, just the dog sitting on laps. Ahhh, the places our imagination takes us. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Ohhh, yes, Denise. To have even five minutes with my “growing up” family, including my parents, young brother, and dog Susie, would be glorious. But I most certainly would want to return to the present immediately after. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • I frown when people say our pets are “like” family; in truth, they ARE part of the family. Period! I understand from your comment that you had some fabulous furry family members.

      Like

    • My “real” dog’s name was Henry (but the vet loved to call him “Hank,” or “Oh Henry” – like the candy bar). But the neat thing is that Henry really does visit me every so often (gone from this life for 8 years). In my dreams and even once in a while, in a vision or so. Perhaps that sounds odd, but that’s me – odd. xo

      Liked by 1 person

  19. I used to have a dog with one bent ear, so he wasn’t eligible to show. That’s okay, that wasn’t why I got him. I wondered where you were going with this story but I would not have guessed it was back to the 60s! I’m with you, I don’t want to relive all those years.

    I wouldn’t mind if Fred came back to me, however.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Oh my gosh, I didn’t know the story would bring me to the 60s when I wrote it either. My muse sometimes leads me to some crazy scenarios. But perhaps I was missing my Henry (Hank a sometime-nickname) when I began writing this fantasy. Here’s to Fred and Henry. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  23. I didn’t realize today was Friday the 13th. My mom was born on Friday the 13th, so I know good things happen on such days. Great story. Your family must be dog lovers.

    Liked by 1 person

    • For sure, I believe Friday the 13th is a wonderful day of miracles and love. Like the birth of your mom. And Hank/Snappy bringing Alice back to her parents for a quick visit. That’s all GOOD. ❤

      Like

  28. I was cat siting on Friday the 13th while my kids took a desperately needed vacation. I love the cats but they are nothing like dogs. Friday the 13th has been my lucky day for 50 years. I love it since my daughter was born on a Friday the 13th. I win things on the 13th of the month.
    This was a truly touching story. I’m still smiling. There were no pets in my growing up years but I did get a wonderful Coker-mix for my kids. Then I inherited my mother’s dog at a year old. They do make life much more interesting. Thanks for bringing up good times. Time travel is a wonderful things if you look at it in proper perspective.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marlene, you have a multitude of reasons to love Friday the 13th. Superstitions aside, it’s obviously a special day for you (and another reader shared her mom’s birthday is Friday the 13th). I love the date as well because it stirs up the imagination —- and memories. Thanks for sharing yours. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Love this! I assume you have seen “A Dog’s Purpose,” where the dog keeps coming back until he finds his beloved favorite owner again? I am such a sucker for anything related to this idea, and I agree with Darlene. Dogs find us!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Terrie. No, I haven’t seen A Dog’s Purpose. Dog stories/movies move me so much (many times to tears) so not sure I could handle it. Then again, I keep waiting for our Golden, Henry (gone 8 years now) to return in the form of a new family dog. ;–0

      Like

    • Grandgirls definitely usurp blog reading, Miriam. Thus, I’m often late in responding to comments. I just drove my granddaughter to her ballet practice. She’ll be performing Clara in her studio’s Nutcracker this December (oh, dear, I think I’m bragging!) 🙂 I know you’re having a blast being near your grandkids now. xo

      Liked by 1 person

      • My granddaughters are my priority, Pam. They had a sleepover at our home last night. Their dad just picked them up.

        How wonderful your granddaughter plays Clara this December. I would go to see her if I were in the area. We have season subscriptions to the Oregon Ballet Theater. We saw Swan Lake and will see Nutcracker and Peter Pan next. Even the 3 year old Nora is going. Autumn started going when she was 3.

        My daughter was in the productions of The Sound of Music and Wizard of Oz when she was 6 and 7. She played the lonely goat in The Sound of Music. I sang solo in some concerts.

        So, we’re active in performing arts. Autumn, 6, is in soccer. My daughter wants to keep a balance of her activities not limited to fine arts. 😃

        Liked by 1 person

    • Awww, I’m so glad my Friday the 13th story brought you wonderful memories of your dog. I know what you mean; I think of our Henry often even though he passed eight years ago. I think part of him is still around. In fact, I think he helped me write this post! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Cindy!! THANK you for trying to comment in other posts and writing here. I’ve had the same problem at times when I get to a blog late and can’t leave a comment. Drats, right? 🙂 Many thanks for enjoying my imaginative posts on life – fiction and non-fiction. To me, it’s all real. ❤

      Like

  39. I agree with the other commenters: goofy, cute, and a bit spooky too.

    Friday the 13th was a good day for me, finding readers on a book tour in Virginia amid the purple mountains and brilliant fall foliage. May you continue to be inspired by “bright eyes and one crooked bent ear,” Pam! 😀

    Liked by 6 people

  40. Pam, I LOVE this story – it sends tiny jitters down my spine but happy goosebumps and so taken with the idea of time-travelling with a dog! Yeah! You have hit upon the perfect story for this time of year and I think light fantasy suits you, my friend! hugs xx ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    • Smiling. 🙂 “Light fantasy” helps me get through the day, my friend. Here’s to “light” time travel. Wish I could tweak my nose (aka Bewitched style, if you know what I mean) and have a cuppa tea with you. xoxo

      Liked by 1 person

  42. Is that what those spots have been on my pets’ necks all along? How much time travel have I missed? Thanks for the insight, Pam. 🙂

    Like

Comments are closed.