I once had a dog named Otis. He never howled at much but the junkies that would bang on our steel bar screen door asking if they could mow our lawn for a fix. "Good Dog Otis!" I would tell him when he howled at the junkies. Good Dog. Otis may have been narcoleptic. He would fall asleep after eating half his bowl of food. Bam he'd be out his muzzle in the bowl of kibble. Otis would fall asleep in the middle of the road. Everyone in the neighborhood knew Otis. When the would come upon him in the middle of the street they would smile and tell Otis to get out of the road. He never moved. He would open one eye a tad look at the car then go back to his his dreams. Folks would just go around Otis. One day a car come through our neighborhood that didn't know Otis. They were drunk and ran over Otis dog that was sleeping in the middle of the road. He died. No one howls at the junkies anymore so they come by every other day now. I think I'll give in soon and have them mow my lawn. Cars still slow down as they drive on the road by my place. They slow down and smile at the ghost of Otis the dog sleeping in the road.

@1 I knew an Otis. This dog was an old, limping dog that would go out in the street to catch the afternoon sunshine.

@Alexie Thanks for the piece. I've missed your writing here.