Genevieve and the Two Scotties by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Chapter 8

As quickly as possible, Genevieve went through her morning routine. She was anxious to get to Pablo’s and get off to an early start.

When she got to his door he was ready to go. Now all they had to do was decide where.

Genevieve said; “Let’s walk to the corner. Maybe one of us will get an idea along the way.”

Pablo and Genevieve; property of the author.

They turned left as right headed toward the Boggy Cleave, and Pablo suggested investigating the first left, which was Bunny Park.

Genevieve said; “I kind of already did and am not anxious to go back just yet.”

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Her remark made Pablo think of a series of forward and possibly tedious questions. Since Genevieve had made up her mind on the subject, rather than articulate them, he merely said;

“Okay. How about walking through ‘Tranquility Road?’ which was the following left.

Genevieve said; “Sure. Sounds like the perfect place to hide ........... or sleep.”

They turned into it and were overwhelmed with the red-ness, both above and below. The oaks liked that color off season, and didn’t easily shed by a long shot; just enough to paint the ground in a form of hale and hearty consistency. Their persistence on both the upper and lower limbs still concealed the houses behind them.

Tranquility Road; the kind courtesy of Pexels.com under their CC0 license.

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Not long after entering Pablo observed; “Tranquility Road quickly makes a small circle at its end; not even much beyond where it starts. Weird that it doesn’t just keep going, at least for a while.”

Genevieve said; “Sort of, I guess. Pacific Lane doesn’t circle, but it too ends in a woodland without a path which could well have been extended, and maybe someday will.”

They slowly walked the road, and soon a young pup ran to them. He was breathless, and seemed more curious than the hiking pair.

He blurted out; “What are you doing here? ....... I mean it’s okay that you’re here. ....... It’s just that you’re the first dogs I’ve seen all day and I’ve never seen you before.

......... My name’s Rodney. ....... Hi.

Rodney; the kind courtesy of Pexels.com under their CC0 license.

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Genevieve said; “Hi, Rodney. I’m Genevieve and this is Pablo.” Pablo nodded.

Rodney said; “Wanna play?”

Genevieve said; “Yes. But, I don’t think that I’d make a very good playmate for you. I’d never keep up with this bad leg.

Pablo said; “What’s your favorite game?”

Rodney said; “Oh, I don’t know.” He looked around, and then added; “Chasing a stick is one of them, and there are a lot of sticks around.”

Genevieve corrected herself and said; “Oh, I can play that.

I can throw it and then you guys can chase after it.”

Pablo said; “Okay, we can start there. Okay with you Rodney?”

Rodney said; “Sure,” as if there was no doubt about it in his mind.

Genevieve got off the well-defined road and retrieved an oak branch which was lying on the soil. Using her snout, she threw it. It didn’t go very far, and Pablo and Rodney bolted for it like they were in a fifty yard dash. They got there simultaneously and each got one side of the stick in their mouths.

After a bit of a tugging contest and some consequent growling, Pablo and Rodney decided to jointly carry the branch back to Genevieve. She threw it again and this time Rodney got

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there first and again brought it back, dropping it at Genevieve’s feet. She threw it a third time and as older Pablo anticipated that, this time he got there first and brought it back. Genevieve threw it a fourth time and Rodney raced for it alone, as Pablo remained still. He looked at Genevieve as if to say; “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Genevieve sheepishly shrugged and didn’t say; “Well, you know. No harm, no foul.”

Rodney was back with the stick. He had observed this curious interchange between his older playmates, and said; “Game over?”

Genevieve said; “No, not at all. Just a different one.

Pablo and I came here primarily to look for someone, or two.”

Rodney said; “Not me?” He looked as if he was slighted.

Genevieve pawed his cheek and said; “Of course, you. And of course other stuff too.”

Pablo interjected; “We came here searching for two black Scottish terriers named Billy and Jack.”

Rodney said; “I don’t know anyone like that around here.

There’s one terrier, but he’s black and white and says he’s from Boston.”

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Terrier from Boston; property of the author.

Genevieve said; “Does he ever disappear for extended periods?”

Rodney said; “Nah. I see him every day when he takes his walk and dawdles near Marsha’s house. ...... It gets everyone’s attention as she’s so much bigger than him. Like three times his size.” He chuckled and added; “Sorry.”

Marsha; the kind courtesy of Pexels.com under their CC0 license.

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Pablo chuckled too, and said; “Quite all right Rodney.”

Genevieve said; “Well, I’d like to know what the two of you find so amusing.” Then she chuckled too.

Rodney said; “Let’s play again.”

Genevieve said; “Okay. But, we’re going to change the game a little. Pablo and I will throw the branch back and forth to each other, and you have to get it away from us.”

Rodney frowned when he said; “Monkey in the middle.”

Pablo shook his head slightly when he said; “No. Puppy in the middle.”

Genevieve felt a need to explain a bit and added; “You see, young man. You have all this youthful energy, which Pablo no longer does ............ “

Pablo interrupted to say; “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait up just a minute right there, my good lady. It’s not exactly true that I’ve experienced a decline in energy. It’s entirely attributable to ........... “

Rodney interrupted this time to say; “Yeah, yeah. We all know. I’ve heard my folks talk about this sometimes. Can we just play?”

Genevieve moved toward the branch and Pablo took a position fifteen feet from her. They threw it to each other and Rodney chased. A complication presented itself the first time Rodney

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got the branch. He didn’t give it back to Genevieve or Pablo. He ran away with it.

Luckily for Genevieve and Pablo, he didn’t run far. Rodney stopped about fifty feet down the road. He had to, more or less, as the short road ended there. The three stayed in place and stared at each other for a prolonged moment.

Anxious Rodney said; “You gotta catch me to get it back.”

Of course, with the branch in his mouth it sounded like;

“Ugotketeegitbraak,” but Genevieve and Pablo knew what Rodney meant or thought that they did. They looked at each other.

Genevieve said; “Well, I can’t go chase him at my age and with this bad leg.”

Pablo sighed and replied; “I’ll get the little fella.”

It wasn’t as easy as Pablo may have expected; banking on his “new” lab pup body; nor was it as hard as a pessimist might think. Rodney could dodge around a bit, but he was somewhat hampered by the branch in his mouth as it would occasionally drag on the ground; as well as his well-mannered reticence to go in front of private properties. After missing on a few Rodney zig-zags, Pablo anticipated almost too accurately, as they bunked heads while Pablo got his mouth on the branch. He pulled it away easily as Rodney’s idea of the not fully defined game was that it essentially ended when he was caught, rather than adding a tug of war to the process.

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Pablo proudly carried the branch back to Genevieve and released it when she took it in her snout. She surprised both Pablo and Rodney, as she immediately threw it again and watched how their game began to evolve.

Rodney made adjustments in trying to be elusive; while Pablo made adjustments too; his aim to try to be more containing of Rodney. Once he was more or less certain of Rodney’s demonstrated boundaries; Pablo’s oft used approach was to cut Rodney off at the pass, while Rodney sought to circumvent that strategy by going a few feet onto private property; his borders increasingly porous.

This went on for hours, though no one had a measuring timepiece. Rodney and Pablo played until they were both too tired to play anymore; while Genevieve was virtually unaffected.

Pablo said to her; “We better go now, or I’m not going to be able to make it back home.”

Genevieve smiled as she said; “Sure thing. We’ll make it.”

She then said to Rodney; “If you see two black Scotties, come and tell me on Pacific Lane.”

Rodney nodded and Genevieve and Pablo went back home.

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