It’s early in the morning on the bayou. The crickets chirp and a lone shed sits on the bayou’s bank, protected by the surrounding willow trees. 

“Otis time to wake up for school!”

“Geez, Ma let me sleep a little longer.”

“God only blesses us with a short time on this beloved Earth. Don’t waste it!”

Otis stretches his body, arms and legs extended. Holding his breath

Heeee. *thud thud* *thud thud* Haaaa.

He jumps up from the couch in the living room abruptly. His vision begins to fade, as he looks down at the green wooden floor. As he begins walking to the desk, he almost steps on a rusty nail peeking through a break in the flooring. Otis regains his vision and plumps down in the wooden desk. His dog and best friend, Marshall, begins wagging his tail, panting, and a long slob of water hangs from his mouth. Otis recognizes the look and can tell Marshall wants to play fetch near the water.

“Come here boy we can’t play right now. Maybe later. Ma has a lesson to teach.” 

Marshall walks over with his head hanging low. His sad puppy eyes lock with Otis’s and lies at his feet. He reaks of the Bayou and the smell sparks a recent memory from Otis. 

Smiling, laughing, and listening to Kid Cudi, I throw Marshall’s favorite toy, a stick, next to the farthest willow insight. He moves faster than anything I’ve ever seen before. I yell out a “Get it boy!” and an “Alright, now bring it here!”. He brings the toy near the water’s edge and begins to bury it. Pa breaks from fixing a break in the gutter and yanks Marshall from the edge. Pa yells “I got to build a fence so that damn dog doesn’t get killed!”.

The memory is simple but represents the best moments of Otis’s life. It doesn’t take much for a young boy with mental problems, no friends, and living in isolation to experience joy. A simple memory for a simple-minded boy. 

Otis’s presence is regained. Ma stands by the chalkboard attempting to teach Otis what fractions are, but all Otis can concentrate on is the cricketing noise outside. He glances back at the chalkboard and thinks about what it’s like to go a school.

I wonder what it would be like to go to school with friends. What’s it like to have a girlfriend? Why do we live like this? Would me and Marshall still be best friends?

Ma notices Otis losing attention. She sees Otis smack the desk in front of him, cross his arms and release a grunt. She knows Otis does this when he’s hungry and heads outback to begin cooking Otis’s favorite - grits and cornbread. As she sets the grits on the pan over the fire, she hears Otis let out a tantrum induced scream. 

“Ma Marshall slobbered all over my desk!”

Ma looks down at the desk and sees drool hanging from Otis’s lip. 

“That’s not Marshall’s honey! I’ll grab something to clean it up. I’m finishing your lunch.”

Otis, oblivious to what his Mom is saying, shows her a grimacing face. Otis looks down at Marshall who continues to lie at his feet.

“Bad dog!”

Ma comes over with the plate of the food. Steam comes off the plate, kinda how the bayou looks in the morning after a cold winter’s night. Otis gently blows on the plate until Ma says it’s good to eat. Otis scoops the plate with the spoon and places the grits in his mouth. 

*splash* 

The grits fly from his mouth. 

Ma jumps. Her arms and shoulders jolt up and the plate flies from her hands. 

Woof! Woof! Woof!

“Goddamnit! Damn gator nearly got me.” Pa says as he takes a break from swinging his ax on the willow tree near the bank.

Marshall hears the splash and runs to the bank to protect Otis.

“Get Marshall!” Ma screams.

Otis and Ma bolt out of the shack and chase after their beloved dog. Otis sick to his stomach, worries about the safety of his only friend. 

They reach outside and see Pa swinging his ax at the gator, the whiff from the ax blows off some of the algae that rests on his head, and Marshall barking at the gator right in front of his face. Their snouts almost touching. 

Pa grabs Marshall by the collar and pulls him back to Otis and Ma. Otis holds Marshall by his leather color with a death grip. Ma doesn’t trust Otis to hold onto the dog. Her anxiety kicks in and she tries ripping Marshall from Otis’s grip. Otis shoves Ma back causing Marshall to become free and sprint back to the gator. The gator slips back into the murky water and Marshall jumps in after him. 

Pa begins running to the bayou’s bank. 

Marshall lets out a big yelp as he is swiftly taken under. 

Pa remembers all the moments that made his son smile - playing fetch, walking the dog, and cuddling with Marshall every night. Fearing the plague of depression that will plague his son if something happens to Marshall, he dives into the water. 

Seconds pass and Pa returns to the surface. 

“He’s gone”

Ma and Pa stare as Otis drops to his knees. Everything leaves Otis’s body for a moment. Tears begin drowning his face. He punches the ground in front of him repeatedly until his knuckles become bloody. Ma and Pa begin shedding tears as they witness all life and happiness draining from their son. Otis gets up and runs back into the shed. Otis grabs a picture that Pa took the day he brought Marshall home. It was the happiest day of Otis’s life. Vivid memories of the day flood Otis’s brain causing him to bawl.

Puppy! I run up to him and pick him up and spin him around. “I never had no friend before. You’re going to be my best friend. We will do everything together.” Otis asks his father “What kinda dog is this?” Pa responds “chocolate lab”. He’s beautiful.  

. . . 

Otis stays in his room all night. He blanketly stares at the wooden ceiling. Depression fulfills him as he remembers his friends and questions the point of moving forward. He reaches over to cuddle Otis like he does every night. When he reaches over and Marshall isn’t there, he begins to cry. Ma and Pa sit in their bedroom and think about what they can do to make their som happy. Pa contemplates a plan that includes going back into town and buying another chocolate lab. He tells Ma that they can tell Otis that they found Marshall and that they must for their son’s happiness to be restored. Ma thinks it’s evil but cannot think of a better plan. Ma’s only pleasure is seeing her son happy. 

Otis returns to his scapegoat when Marshall wasn’t around. It was a time Otis didn’t understand what being “happy” was. He turns to his speaker and plays Pursuit of Happiness by Kid Cudi. 

I'm on the pursuit of happiness and I know

Everything that's shine ain't always gonna be gold (hey)

I'll be fine once I get it, get it in, I'll be good