Free Traveling Light by Andrea Thalasinos Page A

suspected the owners were Albanian, however, since whenever she spoke Greek to them they’d stare. She often ate there when working late since the stand was open past midnight.
    Grabbing Fotis’ leash, she rifled through the bags for the pooper-scooper. As she took it out of the bag, she chuckled at the dangling tag that illustrated a three-step process of how to bend down and pick up dog shit.
    Armed with the scooper in her purse, they raced down two flights of stairs to the lobby and over toward the square. As they neared the food stand Fotis started pacing, excited by the smell; a thread-like line of drool seeped out of his lips. Paula ordered two rounds of souvlaki and a double spanakopita. Fotis stood tall as the food was being assembled, watching as Paula paid and the paper dishes were handed over. She quickly pried lamb chunks off the wooden skewers and set them along with half the spanakopita pie into the paper dish. He quivered as he watched her. She chuckled at how sincere he looked, like a man vying for a first kiss.
    She set down the paper dish. Fotis wolfed the pie down in seconds and looked up at her. She was amazed. He’d eaten in the shelter, but then again he’d vomited in the cab. She set the rest of her food down and Fotis finished it off. She went back and bought another souvlaki. He eyed it as she started to eat.
    “Hey, I need to eat, too,” she said, but then conceded, “okay, okay.” Yanking off half of the lamb cubes, she arranged them in her palm. Cautiously, she lowered her hand.
    Gently he vacuumed up each cube and then licked her palm.
    After, they walked a block down to the dog park. She’d never had a reason to enter before but would see dogs chasing and playing in the grass, their owners congregating and chatting as they seemed to enjoy watching. She looked around. There was one other person and dog in the park. Paula sat down on the bench. Fotis watched the other dog. The owner waved from the other side of the park and started to approach.
    “Hi,” he said. “Haven’t seen you here before.”
    “Yeah, it’s my first time,” she said. Fotis pulled to the e nd of the leash, sniffing toward the other dog.
    “Cool dog. What is he?”
    “Don’t know. Just got him today.”
    “You’re kidding,” he said. “He seems so comfortable, like you belong together. That’s a good sign.” He gave a thumbs-up.
    “Thanks.” She didn’t know what to say.
    “You can let him loose. Minnie’s a Lab. Totally friendly, is he?” he said as the two dogs sniffed each other.
    “Not sure,” Paula said. Looking at the owner, she unclipped the leash,
    “She’s an old girl, going on fourteen. Old for a Lab. Think we’re heading home now; she’s tired.”
    After sniffing Fotis, the man’s dog squatted to poop. Paula watched as the owner skillfully used one of the plastic bags furnished by the park.
    “You make that look easy,” she said after he dropped the bag in the waste container.
    He winked. “You’ll get the hang of it.”
    He gave a little whistle and clipped on his dog’s leash. “Good luck with your dog.”
    Paula watched as Fotis explored the park. He sniffed carefully around the bases of several trees and then would look over in her direction, searching out her figure on the park bench. Once reassured, he’d dash off. At one point he rolled over onto the grass, wriggling with such delight it made her laugh.
    Then he stood and circled before assuming the position the other dog had assumed to poop. Paula looked toward the wastebasket, weighing the option of using the scooper or using the bag like the previous owner had. “Please clean up after your dog!” the sign said in four languages. She pulled out the scooper and walked over. Flies had already discovered the pile; holding her breath, she squatted and reached for the load, shoving the turd onto the spoon before gingerly carrying it over to the waste container. Stepping on the pedal, she lifted the lid and shook off