A Puppy Called Hugo

‘It’s not the first time he’s done this,’ Doreen admitted shakily, sinking onto the wooden bench that stood nearby. ‘He vanished a few weeks back, turned up at Instow wandering the shoreline of all places.’

‘You never said,’ Gail exclaimed, taking a seat next to her mother.

‘What happened, Doreen?’ Simon asked, his voice rich with concern.

Doreen looked at the floor. ‘Just that, love. I came home from line dancing, cross because he was supposed to have picked me up and he’d clean forgotten. Gone for a walk along the coast, he said, no apology nothing. Said I’d got confused! Me!’

‘That’s why you were so upset about him forgetting where the stuff in the kitchen went yesterday,’ Jenny gasped.

‘Yes, love. I thought a move up here might give him a change, refresh his energy levels a bit, you know.’ Doreen sighed.

Gail smiled sympathetically at her mother as she jiggled Ben in her arms. ‘Look, he’s just getting a bit forgetful that’s all. He’s had a lot on his plate, you know what it’s like when you’re anxious about something.’

Silently, Doreen nodded.

‘Well, that’s it then.’ Simon shrugged, stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets. ‘He’s just a bit overwrought with the move that’s all. We’ll keep an eye on him, but I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about. Let’s just think about where he might have gone now.’

Doreen rested her head in her hands as she obviously tried to think about where her husband could have gone.

‘I just don’t know,’ Doreen said tearfully. ‘We’ve only been here a few days and the only other place he knows is your house.’

‘Right,’ said Gail determinedly. ‘Jenny, can you nip back and see if you can find Granddad at ours.’

‘OK,’ Jenny replied, before a flicker of confusion crossed her freckled features. ‘Just one thing though – where’s Hugo?’

Alarm shot through me as I glanced around the garden and saw that my son too had vanished. Frantically, I raced around the lawn, bypassing the rose bushes, dodging the pergola and checking the rockery to see if I hadn’t somehow misplaced my son. But he was nowhere to be found. Panic washed over me and I slumped to the ground, the grass tickling my nose. Where on earth could Hugo be? Hadn’t he listened to me yesterday when I drummed it into him that he was not to disappear? Panic coursed through my fur at the thought of my boy all alone, wandering the streets of London. Had he vanished because I lost my temper? Was it my fault he had disappeared? In that moment all I felt was guilt for every harsh bark I had ever uttered in his direction. He wasn’t naughty, he was young and I would trade everything if Hugo was safe.

Chapter Six (#ulink_46cf904c-af80-5584-a5c4-ef49ce314115)

As we all looked at each other wild-eyed, I knew this wasn’t the time to panic and we had to keep calm. Eric was a grown man, he was perfectly entitled to go for a walk if he wanted to. As for Hugo, well he might be young, but he wasn’t stupid, of that I was sure.

‘OK,’ said Gail, as if reading my mind. ‘Let’s try and think logically about where each of them could be. Is it possible they could be together?’

I glanced at Gail as if she were some kind of genius! Yes, of course, Hugo must have gone to find Eric. After all, they had appeared to have developed some sort of bond. Why hadn’t I thought of that?

‘So, Mum, you said Dad was in the shed right?’ Gail continued.

Doreen gave a small nod of her head.

‘So if gardening is on his mind, then he’s likely nipped out to find a garden centre,’ Gail reasoned.

‘But Hugo doesn’t know what a garden centre is,’ I whined. ‘How will we even know they’ve ended up together?’

Gail handed Ben to her mother, and stroked my head, picking up on my worry. ‘Don’t worry, Percy. I’ve never lost one of my children yet, I’m not about to start with one of yours.’

I licked her hand, grateful she was trying to calm me down, but while we had come up with a plan to find Eric, would we find Hugo? All of a sudden, images of telling Peg I had mislaid one of her children flooded my mind. She wouldn’t just be upset she would no doubt set the dogs on me at the news. I couldn’t let her down.

‘So,’ Gail said looking at Doreen. ‘Can you help Simon mind Ben while I nip to the High Street and see if any of our missing men are there?’

Simon raised an eyebrow. ‘I don’t need help, love, and surely it’s best if I go?’

Gail shook her head. ‘I’d rather you stayed here if that’s all right. He’s my dad, I feel responsible, as long as you and Mum don’t mind?’

Doreen nodded, her face lined with worry. ‘’Course, love, thanks. Keep your phone on you, won’t you? Then I can let you know if Jenny has any news or if they turn up.’

‘OK,’ she agreed. ‘Let me just nip to the loo and I’ll be off.’

As Gail went inside, I thought about what I could do. Perhaps the best thing would be to send out an alert on the dog telegraph appealing for help over Hugo’s disappearance. The dog telegraph was a brilliant way of communicating with dogs all over the country, if not the world, and most of us were happy to while away an evening exchanging news with loved ones.

Glancing around the garden, I looked for a suitable spot. Finding a large cherry tree in full bloom at the end I made my way over there and got ready to bark for all I was worth and sound the alert.

Only I had scarcely made one woof, when a sudden shout from Jenny made me jump.

‘Cooeee,’ she called at the top of her lungs. ‘Look who I found.’

Turning to look at my favourite little girl, wearing a smile a mile wide, joy washed over me. Because there, bold as brass, looking for all the world as if they had just been for a stroll in the park was Eric, walking side by side with Hugo. The two of them looked as if they were deep in conversation, never once giving a thought to us and how their disappearing acts had driven us around the bend with worry.

At the sight of them, Gail, Doreen and I flew at them, and wrapped our arms and paws around their necks.

‘Where have you been?’ I demanded, reluctantly breaking away from my son.

Hugo was just about to answer, when Eric beat us to it.

‘I only popped to the High Street. I told you that’s where I was going, love,’ he said to a worried Doreen.

‘Mum says you didn’t,’ Gail suggested gently, looking at her father with tenderness in her eyes.

A look of anger flashed across Eric’s features for just a moment. ‘Well, I did say. Your mother’s got selective deafness.’

‘Come on now, Eric, the girls are just worried about you, that’s all,’ Simon cautioned, holding Ben tightly against him.

Eric sighed in frustration and ran his hands through what was left of his hair. ‘There was no need. I told you where I was going, and this one just fancied a walk, didn’t you, boy?’

‘Yes! Walk!’ Hugo yapped happily, nuzzling his body against Eric’s legs.

Doreen looked at the pair of them, ready to say something, before clearly changing her mind. ‘Well, the good news is you’re here now.’ She smiled and turned to me and my son. ‘And little Hugo’s safe as well.’

I barked happily as Doreen, Gail, Jenny, Ben and Simon went inside. Hugo went to follow, but I stood in front of him blocking his path.

‘Not so fast,’ I barked quietly. ‘Are you all right, boy?’

Hugo nodded. ‘I just wanted to help, Dad. You said I needed to grow up. I thought rescuing Eric would make me a grown-up.’

‘It does,’ I yelped tenderly, rubbing my nose against Hugo’s. ‘But you can’t just go off like that. Didn’t you listen to a bark I had to say yesterday?’

Hugo looked contrite.

‘Anything could have happened, and your mother would have made mincemeat of me,’ I woofed, more gently now.