Lora Was a Dog

Lora was here. Lora, was a dog. At least she imagined herself to be in this moment. Lora barked, she played, she spun, she laid. She did all this when they told her too because she was the dog. 'They' being the girls: Joe, Latoya, and Ashton encircled her, looking down at her while she playfully obeyed. They were all a family. Joe, the daughter; Latoya, the mom; Ashton, the dad; and Lora, the dog. She looked up tongue out, wagging her tail. She was a dog and she believed it.

"LORA, SIT!"Joe shouted playfully. Lora Sit was her new name. Her name beckoned her next action, so she did who she knew she was in that moment. She was Lora Sit, Lora Sit was a dog. Her tail hit the linoleum, bare in her mind, but in reality her jeans created a barrier between her bottom and the cold floor.

"Good doggyyyy!" Joe kneeled down patting Lora on the top of her plaited head. Her mom had just done her hair the night before, Friday. Lora knew the ritual, she sat down on her satin pillow between her momma's legs facing the TV, searching for which channel to watch for the next hour or so. The towel, around her neck catching any residual water dripping from her damp hair and scalp. Her momma had the wide-toothed red comb, pink lotion, and grease. Momma combed from the root first, always. It hurt every time. But Lora stayed right there, not daring to make any unnecessary movements for fear of getting popped by the comb.

"Joe, let's take Lora for a walk." Mother Latoya called.

Joe grabbed the soft pink leash and clipped it around Lora's neck. Lora barked and wagged her tail. As one big happy family they walk around the circular set up of the church, all the patrons glancing as they walk by the group. No one really paid any mind to each other. Everybody had their own objectives for being there. Guided by the soft tug of Joe's leash in hand, they went this way and that way. Lora truly enjoyed exploring the familiar grounds of the church with her family.

"Lora, what are you doing on the floor?" Lora heard her momma's voice through the crowd of people. She couldn't see her at first. But as Moses parted the sea, the crowd parted for her momma, Shara, who was almost stomping her way towards the girls.

"Get up!" She raised her voice clenching her teeth.

"Ooooo" the other girls laughed loudly enough that Lora could hear it even as they walked away from her and her mom.

"Why are you on the floor? You know how dirty the floor is, Lora," She said as she patted the invisible dust off of her daughter's hand and knees, "You know what is on this floor little girl? Why you out here playing a dog?".

"It was a game. We were playing family. She was the mom, he was the dad, and she was the daughter. I was the dog." Lora said honestly, unaware of what was to come.

"Yeah, I see that," Shara nodded as she spoke, "She was walking you like a dog, Lora, and you're okay with that?"

"They said we needed a dog so I chose to be the dog. It was for the game." she responded innocently, not grasping the reason for her mother's sudden anger.

"Lora, I already told you I-" she inhaled sharply through her nostrils and curled her hands by her face, "I know it was for a game! You had this tied around your neck and she was holding it. This is a damn neck tie." Her mom said blankly giving her that look as if she's the dumbest little girl she's ever encountered. How could her daughter be so stupid seemed to be the question she asked herself in that instant?

"But-" Lora tried to explain.

"Shut up," Shara exclaimed. Lora began tearing up, "You want to cry? You're the one out here playing a dog! You see how they're over there laughing at you? They didn't need a dog. They played you little girl. You could've been another sister, even the brother or somebody, but a DOG?! Lora, are you a dog? Got all these people," she gestured to everyone around them trying to ignore the situation, "looking at you crawl on your hands and knees like a damn dog!". Shara eyes were wide with anger piercing Lora's entire being.