Putting words in the dog’s mouth
During the walks with Jenny I still
amuse myself with imagining if she could talk and the conversation. Last night’s
walk was no different than the many others we have travelled together.
Just to put things in perspective I have
written entire chapters of the story I am working on at that time in my head. Then
on returning to the computer added it to the draft copy.
The following was from last night’s
walk, I hope you like it.
****
“Well that was a bit of a shock, master,
after our walk at mid day. There I was sleeping on my mat that I have only just
got used to, and you woke me up for a walk. Imagine my shock to find out when
you open the door that it is dark, and I have not been sleeping for a whole
day.”
“Wait until the summer comes and then I
am taking you on fitness walks, Jenny. When I am finished you will look like a
Greyhound.”
“Ha, Ha, Ha, did you find that joke in a
Christmas cracker? I saw your fitness training on that hill, and it falls short
of the speed of a snail. You had better take my lead and then I can give you a
tow when you are flagging. If the hill was anything to go by the first tow will
take place one hundred yards from the start.”
“That’s right you keep thinking that way
if it makes you happy. You are fat and need more exercise, and at least it is
not raining.”
“It is cold though and how dare you talk
to a Lady like that?”
“You are not a Lady, you are a bitch.”
“Now you have resorted to insulting me
with derogatory names. I remember years ago when you had a lovely soft and warm
Wilton carpet going from wall to wall.”
“What are you talking about, Jenny. You
have only been with me since July last year.”
“Whatever, but it seems like years. Don’t
change the subject. What happened to my comfort carpet?”
“Well if you must know it was covered in
Labrador hairs.”
“I know and they were making me sneeze,
Master. It must have been off that other dog you had in the room before me.”
“There was no other dog in the room
before you so that narrows the field of the dog the hairs have fallen off.”
“So
now calling me names is not enough you have started the blame game. However, I am
not shallow and I will treat your pitiful attempt at amusing your mind with
contempt. I will say though that to remove the carpet was a little extreme. You
could have just cleaned it with a brush.”
“Well I thought of that, but I couldn’t
get the councils mechanical road sweeper through the front door. The other
option was to send you away and get another Golden Labrador from Pozega Dogs that
never dropped her hairs eighteen months of the year.”
“As you never sent me away that must
mean I was worth the effort of keeping.”
“You got that in one, Jenny, because the
laminated flooring that I have in my room now was £110 cheaper than getting
another dog.”
“Hey--what? Now listen here PAL—it’s a
bit spooky down this lane with no light other than your torch. Last night I saw
two big eyes looking at us as we passed through the wood. They were hidden
behind that big thick bramble bush.”
“I never heard your bark or growl to
give me any warning”
“Yea right, Pal, and what planet were
you on at the time. I saw the eyes and the danger and tip-toed past as quiet as
I could so as not to disturb the monster. I might add that it is not easy to do
that with four feet either.”
“Dear God; You think it was a monster, really?
It was probably a deer there are lots in these woods. Then again there have
been Pumas sighted around the South Downs.”
“That’s alright then—what’s a puma?”
“It is a large cat with razor sharp
teeth and claws like kitchen knives. It is also about the same size as you were
before you got fat.”
“You’re insulting me again.”
“It is because of the Puma why I always
carry my walking stick with the brass point at the bottom.
“That is another thing that is giving me
a headache, Master. Stop tapping that damn stick on the road it is disturbing
the silence of the night.”
“You’re scared.”
“No I am not.”
“Let’s turn about and go home.”
“That is about the best suggestion I have
heard since we started this walk. Hey wait for me, we have got to stick together
when danger is lurking all about us.”
“You speak very good English now. You
must have been listening to me talking to Suzie.”
“Yea right, all I can hear from inside
your room is, “Get up, or you will be late for work you lazy slut bag.” That
taught me a lot, and now I have that implanted in my head I might put in for a
K9s degree. That’s like a Masters but for dogs. I might point out that my
English is better than your two words of Romanian. [Sit and come,] because both of
those words are universal. If you say food when you have the dog biscuit scoop in
your hand, I like that. It has a nice ring to it.”
“What my Romanian word for food.”
“Don’t make me laugh, Master. I was
talking about the sound of the biscuits as they tumble into my bowl.”
“Laugh?--that will be a first. You always
have that miserable look on your face.”
“That is not a miserable look it is my alert
and observant look, and if you find that hard to believe it is because I have
had a hard life. It so happens that I come from a long line of fierce fighting
dogs that were feared throughout the world. They were in packs fighting and
killing the Hun and chasing them through the Romanian forests.”
“Were they really? I don’t remember
reading about them in History. What were they called?”
“Wolves”
Yea right, err—um, Jenny, why are you
pressing up against my leg and not running forward?”
“Puma’s”
“You are a coward.”
“Whatever, let’s get back where it is
safe, and in the warm.”
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Be well Ian