The scent of wet salt was everywhere. Over the shoulders of Able's t-shirts, along the children's sleeves, mixed with putrid snot in crumbled tissues scattered over the countertops, fallen in between couch cushions, and behind night stands. Sodium and sadness waged war with the odours of piling laundry and dust around the house. The home felt colder. The music was lower, the tv louder. The oven had been off for days. Discarded takeout containers, and pizza boxes started to tower. The kitchen reeked of congealed grease and msg. A slump had fallen over the Haés’s household and Rosetta couldn't make any sense of it.
She shifted her weight from paw to paw while the children slipped on their rainwear. The weight of Rosie's exhales built as Able picked up their book bags and fumbled with his keys. Her tail knocked against the floor signalling for a single look, anxious she might get forgotten. It took every effort not to whine when Able opened the door, letting whiffs of tumbling droplets, and a rush from the soaking streets cascaded through the entrance. Days had passed since she'd had a proper walk. Nothing more than a hurried reluctant lap around the block, or piddle in the backyard.
As soon as the lock finished sealing Rosie raced to the living room, sprang up and over the sinky cushions, and looked through the window from her favourite perch at top the couch. Her eyes scanned the driveway begging for someone to return for her. The thud of each car door closing made her wince, and ears droop a little lower. It wasn't until minutes after they drove past the dog's sightline that she accepted their absence and dropped from the sofa.
Rosie's nails clipped along the hardwood as she trotted around the house searching for crumbs. After a few unsuccessful attempts on her hinds to reach anything off the counters she went back to her bowl and licked at the non-existent remnants from her breakfast. With no flavoured particles found she satisfied her boredom with water. Between the beads splashing her snout and beats of her swashing sips she heard sobs from upstairs. Rosetta paused. Her head cocked to the side and ears perked up until another soft shriek found her. She followed the notes to the staircase. Another frantic call quickened the investigation upwards. The closer she strode to Magema and Able's bedroom the louder the sound alarmed. Each wail wrapped in the familiar scent of the salt. Without pause or invitation Rosie leapt to the bed where she found Magema in a curled heap.
Her nostrils fluttered as she sniffed over her mother, climbing on her torso without hesitation, and licking at the sodium spilling across her cheeks. Magema's head rolled away from the tending pup, her eyes blurred and aching. "Okay, okay, i'm ok Rosie" Magema's words a blend of groan and laugh as she tried to give the dog a soft push away.
But Rosetta wouldn't let up. Her instincts refused to match the mood. Her tail pattered away against the duvet, drumming a happy rhythm to comfort her ailing mother. With a surrendering sigh Magema sent one hand to wipe the last of her uncaught tears away, and the other under the pooch's collar for a loving scratch. The dog's tail swung faster, Magema's eyes clouded over, and the rains started again. Gema caved into her beloved Rosie's nape and wept into her lush black fur. Rosetta settled, stretched her legs over the balled woman, rested her chin over her forehead, and gave a quiet, sympathetic whine.
On the heels of Magema's tender tears, torturous thoughts broke through. Perspective on her collapse over the last few days raged at her. At the eeriness allowed within the house. The foreign smell of hollowness that hung from the halls. An odd silence from the lack of games or play had become a heavy blanket muffled over the home. While she maintained a poised, grave face in front of her children, comforting their mourning cries had drained on her, and despite knowing better, she riddled herself with guilt over it. In the quiet of her thoughts she beat at herself for having the skills to help others settle their woes, and yet not being able to do it for herself. Only in the dead of night, draped in Able's arms, could she find any solace. And even then, as safe as she was, Magema couldn't help from masking her self for his comfort.
Without warning the sobs erupted, and walls collapsed. Rosetta had never seen Magema like this. She'd witnessed her sorrow before, but not under such mountainous weight. The previous night she'd heard Gema's quiet cries as she shook in Able's embrace, under the safety of the dark. On each occasion Rosetta had climbed from her bed towards the sad sounds, and slept between the couple, curled within their knotted legs. Their comforting hands stroked behind her ears, and settled them into night.
These were different, discordant, shattered notes. A startled Rosetta fell from Magema as the grief took to new heights. Lost in spells of wailing, her head turning to her toes, Magema made herself smaller as she got louder. Clawing at the blankets, suffocating herself into her damp pillows. There were no children to protect, Able wouldn't rush to her, the pain could drain. While Rosetta's unconditional love gave room for the hurt to dance, she couldn't let her drown. Her paws padded as she climbed atop the flailing mother, undeterred by the howls, and took to cleaning the tears away again.
A shrill ring from the house phone ricocheted through the halls and cut through the noise. Startled, Magema came back to earth. She reached for Rosie, let the dog curl into her chest, and held the pup while the machine grabbed the call. Together they eavesdropped on the condolences. The voice faded, and Gema let her eyes ring out.
Numbed time mushed, and Magema's spirals congealed until her bladder awakened her in the present. She rubbed the wet from her face and tried to sit up. "Okay, come on now," she whispered, nudging her nurse from her, "c'mon, let me go, bathroom time."
Rosie lay on the bed, ears perked, while Magema shuffled towards the toilet. By the time she heard the squealing swing of hinges she couldn't take the distance. After a quick scramble from the devouring duvet she scampered down the hall, and nudged the bathroom door open without a hint of remorse. "Oh, Rosie, come on now, let me pee," Magema called to the undeterred ears.
With no regard to boundaries the dog sat beside Magema and dropped her head against her bare thigh. Magema tsked, and stroked the worried pup's ears before trying to push her off and away. The effort was fruitless. After prying the pooch from her lap, Rosie put herself back in place, and they repeated the dance again until the begrudging dog gave in. She moved to the other end of the lavatory, laid at the door, and continued to supervise for safety.
Magema stood, flushed, and washed her hands. As the water rolled over her fingers she saw herself in the mirror. Her disheveled hair matted to her sweaty brow, eyes scarlet and swollen, she looked as weak as she felt, and lost herself once again. Slow, her shoulders caved, and body collapsed, until she was curled up around Rosie on the tiles balling again.
Rosie wiggled within the tight embrace, through Gema's armpit atop her head like a pillow. A safe post where she could protect the woman from the sudden, solemn perfume. Her body shifted as she tried to warm Magema's exposed shivering skin. Slight tail wags attempted to ward off the sorrow, fan it away, tapping at Gema, grounding her as she clutched the dog closer.
They rolled together, up and over wave after crushing wave, as the pain built again and again, crashing down typhoons of tears, only to roll off into choking hiccups. Rosie stayed. Despite the pain the excruciating sobs and wails caused her sensitive ears, she wouldn't wander. Her eyes squeezed shut as she cradled the cradler, and they stayed that way together until the clack of the dead bolt and the familiar creak of the front door broke the spell.
Smells of caffeine cut through the stale air, Gema and Rosie looked to the hall then back to each other. "Okay, okay, okay, go. Go to him," Magema urged Rosetta upwards to her husband.
The dog's habitual greeting celebrations were no match for her concern. Recognizing the safety in Able's scent she dropped her head back to Magema's chest, over her heart, and waited. Rosetta's nostrils fluttered as the smell of pastries crept closer. The louder each footstep became the quieter Magema's heart beat. Gentle coos came from above as Able crouched and joined the pair on the floor. He settled the paper bag and coffees against the bathtub, ready and waiting for his wife's appetite to return, then scooped them both to his arms, and held them close until the storm subsided.
Thanks for reading! Be sure to dig deeper into the lives of the The Haés
-Mr. Write