Was at an informal writer’s get-together a while back, and we did a writing exercise. Had to finish the sentence, ‘I wish I’d never met’. This is fun! Take any topic and write for five minutes. You might surprise yourself!

AMOS

I wish I never met…

Amos. My life was fine. I mean, it sucked, but that was usual, so it was fine.

I don’t like change. Might as well tell you that right off.

See, I’m alone since Betsy up and died on me, seven years ago. They say I’m lucky to live to ninety, but they’re not, so what the hell do they know?  I was content, watching tv all day, even though daytime tv is about as fun as an enema…only it lasts longer.

A dog showed up at the back door one day, a skinny hound, covered in ticks and slobbering all over. It was hot, so what was I going to do? I put out water, and he made a mess, dunking his long ears in and slopping it up until it was gone.

How do you resist big droopy eyes? I gave him the tag ends of stale bread, and my fate was sealed—he wasn’t leaving.

The bastard kid next door shot at a squirrel in the tree, and that dog came unglued; shaking and whining ’til he ended up in my lap. Then he peed on me. Damned dog.

I named him Amos, after Betsy’s no-account useless-ass brother.

We went on like that for a time. I went out back one morning to feed him, and he was laid out, dead and cold on the porch.

Wish I’da never met that damned dog.