A Fresh Start

The boy is coming at three o'clock I heard Mum and Dad say over breakfast this morning. I'm so excited to be getting a brother to play with again. 

Mum tells Dad it's almost two thirty and Dad has just finished cleaning up the hedge trimmings and grass.
Mum is getting the last of one of her thousand dishes she made out of the oven. 

It all smells so good. I'm drooling. 

Anybody would think she was feeding the five thousand. On the upside they'll be plenty of leftovers. It's not unusual for me to have thirds and fourths, never mind seconds!

 Grandma and Grandpa have come laden with toys and sweets. 

Grandpa ruffles my hair and gives me a couple of treats. Grandma shoos me away and calls me fleabag.

I'll never forget how nervous I was two weeks ago when I joined the Tiler family. Dad carried my trembling body into the house and cradled me until I fell asleep. After that things were great. I knew I'd be safe and loved. There was always food, a nice soft bed and plenty of walks to the park or my favourite place the woods.

I can't wait to take boy to the woods. Chasing rabbits is great fun and there's even a lake to cool off in on hot, sunny days.

A loud beeping sends me into an absolute frenzy and I race out the open back door, scattering dirt from the borders Dad had just weeded and into the front garden.
There's a big machine with two men trying to lift a huge furry thing out of it. I recognise it now from that box that everyone sits around for hours on end. 
The men are taking the furry thing upstairs to boy's room. I'm not sure if he'll like it or if it will half scare him to death. We'll soon find out. Mum shouts to Dad it's five to three.

Mum calls me over. 

I like Mum.

Even when she makes me wear that piece of cloth she bought me for my birthday. Dad calls it a neckerchief. Mum insists it's a cravat. I call it a pain in my neck. She knows I don't like things around my neck. I'll let it slide seeing as it's a special occasion. Best behaviour and all that.

The men drive off in perfect timing as another machine pulls up and out steps boy. 
He walks over to Mum and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa and they all hug each other. I think they're all crying. 

"Hey", I shout and the boy turns and looks at me with the biggest grin ever. 

He races toward me.

He looks like fun.

I can run faster.

And prove it.

I misjudge the distance and boy lands on top of me as I bowl him over. I quickly spin and pin him to the ground. He giggles as my long velvety tongue licks his ears and cheeks. 

I like boy already.

He's my friend.

I'm suddenly but gently pulled away from boy by Dad who is also laughing. 

"Wow! You got a dog," cries boy.

"Yeah he's yours. He's a housewarming gift from us to you," says Mum. 

"This is the best present ever! Thank you! What kind of dog is he? What's his name?"

"Oh well he's a Bull Mastiff and we thought we'd leave it up to you to name him. He's yours after all, so you feed, walk and clean up after him."

"So cool. I'll have to come up with a great name for him."

"I'm sure you will. Let's go inside. I hope you're hungry. Darcy has been busy in the kitchen all day."

"I'm famished," said boy. "Is there cake?"

"Sure is but you've got to eat something else first," replied Mum.

We all sit and eat. Boy feeds me sausages, slices of ham and something soft and yellow that makes my eyes water and my mouth curl.

After everything is cleared away, Dad announces it's time for boy's second surprise of the day.

Boy gets blindfolded and led upstairs to his room. I'm so excited I almost knock him over again. 

Dad shouts dog at me but he's smiling. 

I like Dad. 

He's never mean to me. Not even when I piddled in his slippers then chewed his new pair to pieces. He just got me more toys.

Boy's blindfold is removed and he stares in astonishment at what Mum and Dad have done to his room.

"Wow! This is so awesome," screams boy. 

Boy wanders around looking at the posters, the figures on guard on shelves and the things suspended from the ceiling. 

I'm lay on the bottom of boy's bunk bed eyeing the furry thing while it stares back at me. 

It gives me the creeps.

Boy can't believe his eyes at the huge furry figure and runs up to hug him. 

"Cool you got a Chewbacca!"

Boy's grin is wider than his sweet face. 

I'm quite sure I just saw it move. I'm up on all fours, growling and ready to pounce if that thing goes for boy. 

I'm gently pulled by my cravat again and manoeuvred onto the landing. Dad shuts the door before I have chance to worm my way back in. 

Oh well. I go downstairs and see if Mum has missed something that someone may have dropped from the dinner table. 

No such luck.

She's very thorough I'll give her that.

I decide to have a lie down under the shade of the tree in the middle of the lawn. 

I doze off and am awoken by multiple blasts of beeping. 

I race around to the front. Mum and Dad come out followed by Grandma and Grandpa.

The machine door opens.

Boy steps out.

I turn to face Mum and Dad. Boy is stood next to them. But boy just got out of the machine. 

I'm confused. 

Boy and boy look confused.

Then beaming smiles adorn their faces and they hurtle across the garden at top speed toward each other.

Oh another game.

I like games.

Thirty seconds later and I'm rolling around on the grass with two of the happiest boys I've ever seen. 

I can see now they're twin brothers. I had six brothers and four sisters. I wonder where they are now? I miss them. I wonder if they've found a loving home like I have? I hope so. 

Boy 1 is dragging boy 2 upstairs to see the bedroom. I've had enough excitement for one day so head back to my tree for another nap. 

I'm woken this time by Dad sneakily putting my lead on. He knows I go crazy when I see that thing. 

Boy 1 and boy 2 take turns to hold me until we get passed the grey that those monstrous machines move on. 

They give me the creeps too.

I'm free now, racing through the woods with the boys picking up trails of rabbits and things I don't know. We run and chase each other as the sun shines on the boy's lean, golden torsos.

The boy's skim stones, throw balls and sticks into the lake then jump in to cool off. 

We swim and play. 

The boy's are happy.

I am happy.

Dad tells us it's time to go home, have a wash, some food and get an early night. He says we have an early start and a fun packed day planned at somewhere called the beach.

I've never been to the beach but Dad said he'll take me next time. I wonder what it is?

Anyhow they all left after breakfast and in their rush they left a door open. 

I think I'll go and have a little nap on the boy's beds for a while.

An ear piercing sound shatters my peace. The Chewbacca is the first thing I see. That sound must be coming from him. 

I attack him but the noise persists. 

My animal instinct kicks in so I go for the throat.

Several times in fact until it's head comes off and manages to get stuck on my head.

I'm blind and frantic, running, bouncing of walls before I get through the door and down the stairs. 

I hear voices screaming, followed by running and a door slamming.

I can hear another loud sound but different. My ears feel like they're bleeding. Please somebody make it stop.

I hear a machine and men shouting. I hear a machine door slam and it drives away.

I hear someone come into the house. I'm lay on the floor quivering but still trying to prise this head off my head. 

"Easy boy," says the soothing voice. "You gave them burglars a fright."
The man was laughing to himself. 

"I got to take a photo of this the guys at the station will never believe it."

I hear a flurry of clicks then the man gently removes the head. 

Thankful, I lick his face. The man laughs and rubs my belly. 

I like the man.

He's my friend. 

The man is talking into a little box pressed to his ear. 

Shortly Grandma and Grandpa turn up. Grandpa gives me lots of treats and Grandma calls me a good boy and she too gives my belly a rub.

I like Grandma and Grandpa.

Sometime later Dad and the family show up. The man who was here before arrives and gives Dad a piece of paper. Dad laughs and passes it around the family. Everyone is laughing. 
Dad says I'm the funniest and bravest dog in the world. 

Boy 1 and boy 2 aren't happy at first when they see what I've done to their room and the Chewbacca. Dad reminds them that if it wasn't for me then we might not have had anything left at all. 

I think boy 1 and boy 2 have forgiven me. They've been playing with me all evening and feeding me doggy treats. 

"Hey Dad," says boy 1.

"Yes son."

"We think we've come up with a name for the dog," says boy 2.

"Oh yes. What's that then?"

"Chewwie ," the boy's chorused.

"Perfect," said Dad. 

"I like Chewwie," woofed dog.