A Puppy Called Hugo

‘It’s going to make such a difference having them around.’ Gail sighed as we reached the supermarket entrance. ‘I’d forgotten how much hard work babies are.’

‘Not to mention an adorable, but still very naughty puppy,’ I added.

‘I know Mum’s missed being around us all too. I think it will do her and Dad as much good as it will us,’ she said warming to her theme. ‘It will be great for us to keep an eye on them now they’re getting older too. Of course I know that’s a long way off,’ Gail said, completely misunderstanding my last bark, ‘but it’s good for them to get settled in the area and make new friends before they start to need us. But for now it’s just so perfect having them here! I couldn’t be happier.’

Chapter Five (#ulink_a76ff4e8-d7b6-54ac-9237-e858c0246b49)

Returning to Barksdale Way we found the place in relative chaos. Poor Jenny was doing her best to quieten a fractious Ben who had apparently been screaming at the top of his lungs ever since we left. As for Hugo, he was clearly enjoying a surge of energy as he was now running up and down the hallway.

‘The sterilising machine’s broken and Dad’s trying to repair it,’ she wept as soon as we walked through the door. ‘As for Ben, he just won’t stop. I’ve tried everything. A bottle, changing his nappy, but he’s not interested in any of it.’

‘OK, love, give him to me,’ Gail said, dumping the shopping bags on the floor and taking the baby from Jenny. ‘Where did you say Dad was?’

‘In the garage,’ she said tearfully. ‘I did my best, I’m sorry.’

‘You’ve nothing to be sorry for.’ Gail smiled soothingly as she tried to hush her son. Suddenly a loud tearing sound caught my attention and, as I looked at Jenny in alarm, the sound rang through the house again. It was coming from the living room, and together the four of us rushed to the front of the house to find Hugo swinging joyously from Gail’s prized cream-and-blue Sanderson dandelion curtains.

‘What the hell?’ Gail blurted over the top of a still screaming Ben.

‘Look at me! Look at me!’ he barked excitedly. ‘Look how high I can climb.’

‘I’ll deal with Hugo,’ I barked angrily, taking in the scene. ‘You’ve got enough on your hands with that young man.’

Gail didn’t argue as she jiggled Ben in her arms to try to get him to stop crying. Taking a deep breath, she left the room with Jenny close behind and I continued to watch my son in annoyed astonishment as he carried on climbing up the curtains. I wasn’t normally an angry dog, I never rose my bark or lost my temper. Yet since becoming a father I felt my patience increasingly wearing thin. Now, looking at my offspring running amok in my gorgeous owner’s home, I felt fury rise. How ever would he find himself a forever home if he carried on like this?

I stood my black fur on end to make myself look big and scary, then growled loudly. ‘Get down from there now!’

At the sound of my angry tones, Hugo’s expression of jollity turned to fear. He was now nearly at the curtain pole, and turning to look down at me he realised my bark in this case was not worse than my bite. Immediately, he slid down the curtains and stood before me, his eyes wide and pleading.

‘Sorry, Dad,’ Hugo yapped. ‘I didn’t mean to make you cross.’

‘It’s not only me you should be apologising too though, is it?’ I replied. ‘It’s time you grew up. Just look what you’ve done to poor Gail’s curtains.’

Together, the two of us looked upwards towards the drapes and I shuddered at the sight. Not only were the cream curtains torn and frayed, but they were hanging by a thread from the pole. I knew Hugo was only a pup and bad behaviour was expected as he pushed boundaries, but I had never behaved like this.

‘So how are you going to make it up to Gail?’ I barked eventually. ‘Don’t you think she’s got enough to deal with at the minute?’

Hugo yapped nothing in reply. Instead, he looked at the floor, unsure of what to bark. I knew how he felt. Just how could I get through to him that it wasn’t acceptable to treat his home like a playground? A night in the tails of the forgotten would teach him how lucky he was to have a roof over his head as nice as this one, not to mention a family that adored him, I thought sagely.

Just then I had an idea. Seeing my boy was still excitable from his session with the curtains, I decided that what he needed most was some fresh air and a lesson in the importance of family.

Less than twenty minutes later and we had arrived at Doreen and Eric’s and were creeping through the permanently open conservatory door and into their kitchen.

‘Daddy, this is very nice,’ Hugo barked as we stepped into the kitchen, ‘but I still don’t know why you made us come here.’

I stopped by the mystery island and turned to face him.

‘Because if you’re well enough to run up and down curtains then you’re well enough to help out here,’ I growled before turning my back and walking towards the living room. ‘You saw how much needed doing when you came of your own accord yesterday.’

It didn’t take long to find Doreen. Sat on the sofa, she was busy polishing her china ornaments. Seeing the two of us pad into the lounge, she rewarded us with a big grin.

‘Hello.’ She beamed, putting her polishing cloth aside and getting up to greet us all with a tickle to our bellies. ‘Gail just rang me, said you’d gone off wandering and thought you might fetch up here.’

‘That’s right,’ I told her, ‘thought we’d say hello.’

‘Well, Eric’s in the garden, didn’t you see him on your way in?’ she asked.

‘Afraid not,’ I replied, before turning to Hugo. ‘Did you see Gail’s father?’

‘No, but I did see some tomatoes,’ he barked hopefully.

I shook my head in despair, and beckoned him to follow me and Doreen out of the living room and outside. As soon as we set one paw onto the grass, it seemed the effort of being well behaved for five minutes had taken its toll and Hugo ran round and round Eric’s shed, sending mud flying in the direction of Doreen’s clean washing.

‘Will you stop that?’ I growled.

But Hugo took no notice of me as he continued to play chase with himself.

‘Pay no attention, Perce.’ Doreen sniffed as we walked across the garden to the shed. ‘He’s a child, it’s his job to wind you up.’

I looked at her in confusion. ‘What did she mean by wind me up? I knew some of Jenny’s toys when she was smaller needed winding, and one of Simon’s watches apparently always needed winding too, driving him ‘up the bloody wall’, but I had no idea why I needed winding or why Hugo would try to do it. I was just about to open my mouth and ask why when I caught sight of Doreen’s face, it was the picture of concern.

‘Eric was only here a moment ago,’ she said to herself as we reached the open shed door. ‘He wanted to propagate some lavender he said. So where’s he gone?’

Quickly, she peered inside the wooden shed, which was filled with garden supplies, but it was clear to both of us that the empty structure contained no lavender and no Eric.

Just then, Gail appeared at the garden gate with Ben on one hip, Jenny and Simon just behind. Even though I’d only seen them less than an hour ago I still felt a pang of joy at the sight of my gorgeous family.

‘Thought I’d come and take those dogs off your hands.’ Gail grinned, her hair shimmering in the midday sunshine as it always did. ‘And we fancied a bit of fresh air, didn’t we?’

‘Certainly did.’ Simon nodded, looking up at the blue skies with a smile. ‘Thought you might like me to have a look at those shelves in the kitchen you wanted putting up too.’

But Doreen merely nodded as Gail caught sight of her mother’s worried expression.

‘What is it, Mum?’

‘It’s your father,’ she said quietly. ‘He’s disappeared.’

Gail narrowed her eyes in confusion. ‘Are you sure?’

‘He was just here a minute ago. And now he’s gone.’

‘Well, maybe he’s nipped to the shops or something and you didn’t hear him call to tell you that’s where he’s gone,’ Gail suggested, adjusting Ben on her hip.

About to open her mouth to reply, Hugo rushed past Doreen, almost toppling her over with his speed.

‘Will you stop it,’ I yapped crossly. ‘Go and lie under the tree in the shade and calm down.’

Looking contrite, Hugo retreated immediately while my eyes rested on the older woman. In that instant I saw that same look of fear that I had witnessed yesterday. There was clearly something very seriously wrong.