Bonnie

Bonnie was a bit scared of the park the first time Jake took her there. So much space! So many dogs! She kept as close to Jake as she could. When a dog came up to her she clutched at Jake’s legs. But after a while she learnt that most dogs just wanted to be friends, and to exchange a bit of doggy gossip. Quite soon she began to look forward to the days when Jake said, “Come on, then! Let’s go up the park.”

But Alison started to grumble. She said that Jake wasn’t doing anything.

“You just sit at home or walk the dog. I thought you were supposed to be looking for work?”

Bonnie didn’t want Jake to look for work! She wanted him to stay with her. She didn’t understand that if people don’t work, they don’t earn money; and that if people don’t earn money it makes it very difficult to buy food or pay the bills. Bonnie didn’t know about these things. She only knew that Jake and Alison didn’t seem to be happy any more. And if Jake and Alison weren’t happy, then Bonnie wasn’t happy, either.

Then one day, something horrible happened. Jake and Alison had a fight. They shouted at each other, and threw things. Alison threw her purse at Jake. She screamed, “That’s all I’ve got left to last the month!” Then Jake picked up the purse and hurled it at the wall and yelled, “Don’t blame me, it’s not my fault!”