Front Porch Rambles

 He could hear them coming up the street, and this time he was determined not to miss it.  The profane word that was shouted grated on his ears. Someone must have been walking on the next block down. It wasn't the profanity that bothered Jeremy, but the abrasive desire to disturb the peace.  The dark gray extended cab pickup rumbled closer.  Somewhere down his street, an confused  neighbor was doubtless having an experience that Jeremy was familiar with.  He hadn't really been picked on as a child, not like some of his friends had been.  Those unfortunate enough to look or act different than the rest were ostracized severely sometimes, but Jeremy had long perfected the art of ignorance, or rather, ignoring.  He had been very short until the last year of high school, being the youngest in his class year after year had been a source of pride for him, but also a way of being different than the rest.  This was not always a good thing.  Anyti...

Smoke got in his eyes and he cursed himself, drawing the attention of his faithful pooch. He tossed aside the cigarette.  On cue, the faint jingle and clicking paws drew up close in the dark, and a wet nose nuzzled its way under his arm.   "Hey there Jasper, I'm not done yet.  I'm just an idiot, that's all." Smoking while hunched over his drawing was never a good idea.  He closed the sketchbook on his pen and set it aside, ruffling the golden brown scruff atop the mutt's sturdy shoulders.  Jasper was the best dog he'd ever met, hands down.  From the first moment he came home the pup had exhibited a cool demeanor that gave the impression that he was thinking. Indeed Jasper had proven a most intelligent animal.  They had made a strong connection early on, in the days of Kelly's business trips and before the kids.  Jeremy had always thought of Jasper as his first child.  Jasper clearly had a similar mindset.  It had only taken about a week ...

The stuffy night air hit him when he opened the front door and when he pushed open the screen it was if some enormous dog sat in the darkness panting in his face.  The symphony of tree frogs and cicadas almost masked the low rumble of this highway and that, teasing him with sounds that would only be accompanied by silence in the rural area where he grew up.  The mosquitoes reminded him of home too, they thought they'd all died and gone to the bayou.  Jeremy took the itchy bumps as his penance for the sin of smoking.  It was a fondness he was supposed to be overcoming, as his personal assistant app reminded him this morning for the sixth day in a row.  Another midnight found him looking for his lighter in last night's pajamas, and gathering change for the single cigar he'd walk eight blocks to purchase from the 24-hour convenience store.  The walk eased his guilt at never quite getting his exercise regiment off the ground, and also served as further penance....