Wittgenstein

Abstract

Wittgenstein Andre Bagoo (bio) They bought Wittgenstein an outfit to wear on chilly nights. Both men felt he liked it so much (he jumped wildly when presented with the unicorn-patterned onesie) they went back to the pet shop for seven more: one for each day of the week plus a spare for laundry days. They took pictures of him in his pajamas for his Instagram, tagging the pet shop. In all the posts, he stared at the camera. He was a black and white mongrel, between a husky and a pariah, very foxlike in the face, the kind of dog you might see running up and down the pavements of the city looking uneasily from side to side wondering where its next meal was coming from, except he had been rescued by them. On nights when Enzo was at work, James would take pictures of him tucked into his dog bed with blankets and cushions and send these pictures to Enzo, saying GOODNIGHT XO. On nights when Enzo was not at work, they would tuck Wittgenstein in together, a process that involved cuing up and singing "So Long Farewell" from The Sound of Music. They called the part sung by the youngest von Trapp, Gretl, "Wittgenstein's part." In the new apartment, the location of which they chose solely because of him (the landlord was pet-friendly; it was close to several parks and pet shops), they developed a morning routine with Wittgenstein taking his place in the breakfast nook, being fed bits of sweetbread and ham. When Enzo left for work, he would tell Wittgenstein he was now "in charge," while James would open the window overlooking the plant-lined driveway so Wittgenstein could position himself to watch. As he drove past the window, Enzo would cry "Wittgenstein! Wittgenstein! Wittgenstein!" and the pet would start twirling like a hurricane. They decorated the apartment sparingly, opting to match the existing palette (which happened to suit Wittgenstein's fur). They went to Mode Alive on Frederick Street in Port of Spain and picked out large wooden signs coated in chipped paint. One said LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED; another DOGS WELCOME, PEOPLE TOLERATED; and another TO ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS WE MUST NOT ONLY ACT, BUT ALSO DREAM; NOT ONLY PLAN, BUT ALSO BELIEVE. They briefly worried about whether people would think these signs corny, then dismissed such thoughts. Enzo felt having textual elements in the décor matched the fact that James was a writer, while James liked the way the signs were distressed, reminding him of the country house he'd spent August vacations in as a child — a rustic place he associated with love, the kind of place he hoped they might one day retire to together, spending days reading classic West Indian novels under mango trees and nights drinking wine under the starlight amid wildflowers and small golden frogs. They carried their haul to their truck lower down the street, strolling through the shadowless heat of the city. When they got home, James searched the internet and discovered the [End Page 101] sign about dreaming and believing was a quote from a once-famous French writer, and it seemed the sign was meant to hang over his writing desk, he was meant to be a writer, and they were, all three of them, meant to be together in this new place which they had moved into after only knowing each other for six months because James had been evicted from his old place and they both liked the idea of raising Wittgenstein together. They didn't think it too risky to move in so soon. This was how things had worked out. It was meant to be. In the initial months, the apartment filled with music. They blasted "Dog Years" by Maggie Rogers. They played "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence and the Machine (though observing that their dog days were, luckily, not over). When they went to a yard sale on Alfredo Street, they found old CDs. They picked out Hounds of Love by Kate Bush and began playing that on loop to the chagrin of their neighbors Frank and Betsy, who often glimpsed them frolicking...