mr harkins and that fucking dog

"Hey Mr Harkins."

He was dragging his garbage out his front door and it smelled of old books from his apartment. 

"Hey Ray, I'm glad to see you. Do you mind helping me?"

"Not at all."

I picked up the garbage and we walked down the concrete sidewalk leading to the street. It was Saturday morning 10 am, early April.  

"Ray, how is your relationship with what's her name, the girl upstairs?"

"Her name is Lilias, and she is fine."

We both looked up to her window -she wasn't home.

"Are yall going to get married soon," he said smiling.

"Naw, we are planning on kids though," I said.

"Oh Ray, no you cannot........"

"I'm just kidding, Mr Harkins," I responded.

"You scared me."

"She is at her fat friend's house and when she gets back we are going to Mississippi to get a dog."

“Ray, I can never tell when you are being serious.”

“I’m being Serious.”

"A dog is a big responsibility, and she already has two dogs. I hear them barking constantly," he said as I dropped the garbage bag on the ground next to the large green garbage bins.

Mr. Harkins grabbed the black handrail going down the steps leading to the street and loudly lowered himself to sit. I sat next to him on the curb and a dog walked by on the sidewalk looking at a kid across the street.

“It’s going to be our baby. We are going to raise it together as a family,” I said smiling.

“Ray, you know she lives with a man up there. You have to see his car and him coming and going.”

I laughed and looked at the ground.

“Mr. Harkins…..he is….. you know… gay. I have nothing to worry about.”

“Oh God help us,” he said shaking his head. “That makes sense though. He does give me funny looks.”

“Yep he is gay as they get. Gay as grass, Gay as a football bat, Gay….”

A city bus drove by and the kid across the street yelled, “Get off me….”

Mr. Harkins looked at the boy and smiled saying, “there is something wrong with that boy over there. He is always outside talking to somebody I cannot see.”

 Lilias pulled in and almost hit the concrete wall lining the driveway while looking at us. She smiled and I could tell she thought it was cute I hang out with Mr. Harkins.

Her long red Malibu smoked as it chugged up the driveway.

“I don’t know about her. Something just doesn’t seem right. One minute she hates you and you hate her and the next you are talking about getting married,” he looked concerned at me.