He wouldn’t do like what Daddy said and leave me in the woods for things to gnaw on. He needs cleaning first thing, so I go out to the kitchen and get a glass of water and a dish rag since I ain’t want to drag him past Momma and Daddy. Momma says “what you all doin’ with those?” I say I’m bound to clean Jacob since he is covered in filth.

She says “not with my good dishrag you ain’t. Also, Daddy and me has always been wondering, why you call it that? Why you call it Jacob and not, Fluffy, or Rudy or the like? Jacob ain’t seem like a proper name for a dog. It’s confusin’ to us since Jacob is a person’s name. You oughtnta call him that.” Daddy chimes in “that’s right, you call him something else why don’t you. I was always partial to Fido or Max myself. I once had a dog named Max and he did get up to some shenanigans. He would take off all over the countryside, rollin’ in everything what gave off a stink and would come back all pleased like he was covered in the best perfume.

He was always confused when we runned away from him when he got back. Got himself hit by a car he did, and dragged himself about two miles to die in an abandoned coyote den. We left him there and just covered up the tunnel with some dirt and rocks and the like. He did us a favor by findin’ his own grave and all that.” Daddy chuckled “oh, what I was getting' at, when Max would get all stinky, we ain’t wash him with no cup of water and the best dishrag. He done got hosed off outside. That’s how it’s done and he sure did like it. So you just put that dishrag and cup back for that ain’t the way to do it. That’s all the fatherly wisdom I’m going to give you since you should know how to take care of your own pet. Don’t be lazy. Also, it’s clear as day that’s what needs to be done anyway.”

I put the dishrag and cup of water back at the sink and go to Jacob. I get him on the blanket and I don’t care what Daddy or Momma say, Jacob ain’t no dog. I ain’t calling him Max. I wish they would stop with this, for it was tiresome, and wild. I drag the blanket with Jacob on it across the living room and into the yard and Momma’s head is buried in her book and Daddy is looking up at the ceiling, like he sees something important up there what needs immediate attention. I unroll the hose and drag it over to Jacob and get it turned on and the stream of clear water is like ice and this ain’t going to be too pleasant for Jacob. I say sorry to him and that I’ll make it quick. I shuck off his clothes like always and pile them to the side and hose off Jacob as fast as I can and I expect this is better than using a wet rag, but I know I ain’t want to be hosed down naked on the lawn. Goosebumps is on his skin and turns red for the cold of it.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Once I finish with Jacob, I hose off the pile of his soiled clothes. I ain’t sure how clean they are, but Daddy and Momma probably ain’t want to let me waste no soap on him. At least the sun is out and maybe I can hang them up to get a little of that drying sun warmth. Jacob is lying on the blanket which is wet now too and he looks like a puppet. I can't bear to look at him like that, so I take off my shirt and spread it over his hips and undercarriage to give him some warmth.

I wring out the wet clothes as best I can, but my hands is too small and when I pick them up, they’s still all dripping. I look around and there ain’t no tree branches within my reach, but they’s all in the shadows anyway, so I spread them out good enough on the ground to wait for them to dry. Now I’m schemin’ on how to get something to eat for Jacob so I head inside and start searching. I know better now than to ask Momma or Daddy about it since they claim he’s a dog and probably ain’t want to part with no human food for him.

I’m opening cupboards and drawers and there’s some dried old beans rolling around the bottom of a drawer. I find a small sack of flour and a half-eaten sleeve of saltine crackers too. I grab them up even though they’s all dry things and I ain’t sure if Jacob can eat them like this. I walk to the door and Momma says “where you takin that, Gabe?” I say I wanted a little snack while I’m out hosing. She says to put back the saltines since she’s saving them for when we could get us some cheese.