I climbed up onto the tractor, a Kubota 4630, with a six-foot bucket on the front. It was a powerful machine, and we\u2019d put it through the hoops more than a few times. What I mean is that my wife Mikki and I had dug a lot of graves.<\/p>\n

I tied an old cloth diaper around my forehead and draped the end of it over the top of my bald head. There wasn\u2019t much better than a cotton cloth for keeping sweat out of your eyes, or the sun from burning your head. I turned the key and revved the engine. After letting it idle a moment, I lifted the bucket and drove toward the south side of the property where Mikki was waiting for me. She\u2019d already gotten a few blankets and a clean sheet. For this one, she\u2019d brought a pillow, too.<\/p>\n

I reached up and wiped my eyes. I was getting damn tired of burying things.<\/p>\n

An old white pickup crept down the gravel driveway, coming to a stop near the fence.<\/p>\n

A neighbor leaned out and hollered. \u201cWhat\u2019s goin\u2019 on?\u201d<\/p>\n

I wished he\u2019d have kept going.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019,\u201d I said, but not loud enough for him to hear.<\/p>\n

The door opened, and he stepped out and walked over to the fence, using his right hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he peered over the top rail. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

I could see there was no getting away from it. I muttered my answer a few times so my voice wouldn\u2019t crack when I yelled. <\/p>\n

\u201cDiggin\u2019 a grave,\u201d I hollered back.<\/p>\n

\u201cA grave? Which one died?\u201d<\/p>\n

Which one? That\u2019s what it had come to for most of the neighbors and relatives and friends. Which one died. As if it didn\u2019t matter. As if having forty-five animals made it easier to deal with when one of them died.<\/p>\n

He came in through the side gate and headed in my direction. He walked slowly, which gave me time to compose myself. It\u2019s never easy to bury a friend, but this one\u2026this one was special.<\/p>\n

Mikki walked over to me. \u201cHe\u2019s just trying to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t need his help, I thought, but the fact of the matter was I could probably use it.<\/p>\n

It hadn\u2019t rained in weeks, and the damn Texas ground was as hard as concrete. Even if the tractor did cut through, it could only go so deep; we\u2019d have hand work to do at the bottom.<\/p>\n

Our neighbor was about twenty feet away. He took off his hat and swiped at his forehead. It was a scorcher today and had been for a month or so.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho was it?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t say, but I managed to gesture toward Mikki. She lifted the corner of the blanket so he could see.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh shit!\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

He unbuttoned his shirt and grabbed a shovel I had leaning against a small oak tree. \u201cMight as well get this done.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded again. He was right, of course, but I was in no hurry to put another friend in the ground. I cranked the engine up a little higher, shoved the tractor into low gear, and positioned the bucket for the first scoop of dirt. The bucket hit the ground with a metallic thud. It didn\u2019t do much more than break the surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhew!\u201d the neighbor said. \u201cGoing to be a long day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long have they been with you?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

They. I thought about what he said. I would have laughed if not for the circumstances. Everyone referred to the two of them as one. They or them. Bear and Whiskers. Whiskers and Bear. It was a cold day in July if anyone mentioned one without the other.<\/p>\n

I handed him my bottle of water; he looked thirsty. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve been with us a long time. A damn long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Excerpt from Whiskers and Bear by Giacomo Giammatteo. Copyright \u00a9 2017 by Giacomo Giammatteo. Reproduced with permission from Giacomo Giammatteo. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n