Dogs

​On the topic of dogs, some of my student's just rolled up in an SUV. A dark night outside. One jumped out, ran up to my door, and knocked. I answered, he held out a puppy. 

"Mr. _____ we just found this dog around here. Do you know whose it is?" 

"No," I said. 

The student stood still, holding the whimpering thing out--a little black and tan terrier mix. Maybe some shepherd. 

"Well, do you want to take it?"

"No!" I repeated, "I just got a dog. I don't need another. Take her with you, dump her somewhere, I don't care. I'm not taking her." 

The student's insistent look had me shouting. 

"Take her you white n***er!" The student in the SUV shouted back and erupted in a big belly laugh revealing who he was. 

"_________," I told him, "I don't even want to hear it from you."

More laughter. 

"I'm sorry," I said quietly to the student in front of me.

"I can't take her. Maybe we can figure out whose it is tomorrow." 

"Okay," he said. 

Then before he turned, I added, "I do have dog food if you need any of that."

"No, it's okay Mr. ___________" he said. 

As he was leaving, _______ was still laughing about something in the SUV, with another one of his buddies in the passenger seat--a guy who happened to be African-American.

"Have a good night!" I said, "you too, ________." 

The SUV door slammed. 

"Make sure you say goodnight to this n***er too!" ______ laughed. "Don't leave him out!"

"Goodnight to everyone," I said and closed my door. The tires burned out, and they sped off.