Fiona Harrison - A Puppy Called Hugo

‘Hugo, that’s enough,’ she yapped. ‘Do not show me and your father up in public. You know you don’t eat a treat without saying thank you.’

At the sound of the sternness in his mother’s bark, Hugo dropped his bone to the floor in horror. I could see the fear radiating from his eyes.

‘Oh, Peg, don’t be too harsh on him,’ I whined, my heart full of concern for my poor boy. ‘He’s poorly, he’s not himself.’

Hugo rewarded me with a gentle rub on my snout as he looked apologetically at his mother who was settled by the fireplace.

Peg gave me a lick as she gestured for Hugo to continue. ‘Maybe you’re right, Percy. Perhaps I am being too hard on him. But, honestly, why is he so badly behaved all the time? Is it us? Are we doing something wrong?’

Before I could answer, I saw Hugo had lost interest in the bone and was charging up and down the living room, wagging his tail, scampering through the boxes.

‘Hugo!’ I ordered. ‘Calm down.’

Only my barks fell on deaf ears once more as Hugo darted over to Doreen, who had her hands full of teacups, and jumped up at her.

‘Easy now, love.’ She smiled down at my son. ‘You nearly had me over.’

Hugo didn’t reply. Instead, he charged away from Doreen and rushed over to Eric who was sitting in a chair by the windowsill trying to do the crossword he had found wrapped around a plate.

‘Eric! Eric!’ Hugo barked playfully, sitting at the older man’s feet.

Eric lowered his paper and beamed at my son affectionately before scratching his ear. ‘Hello, Hugo. Heard you ate some potpourri. Can’t say I blame you, it’s all it’s good for.’

‘That’s what I thought!’ Hugo replied, thwacking the floor with his little tail.

‘Did us a favour, boy. Can’t abide the stuff,’ Eric grunted with alarming honesty, causing Simon to burst out laughing.

‘What did I tell you?’ he chuckled, turning to Gail. ‘I said Eric wouldn’t be interested in all that smelly nonsense!’

Jenny sighed and shook her head in mock-exasperation at her father. ‘Dad! It is not nonsense, it’s stuff to make your house pretty.’

‘You tell him, Jen.’ Gail giggled, as she sat cross-legged on the floor and bit into one of the cupcakes her mother had laid out on a plate.

‘So did I really do you a favour, Eric?’ Hugo barked, his eyes shining with pleasure at the thought of one of his actions doing someone a good turn.

‘You can knock a bowl of potpourri over for me anytime.’ He smiled and gave Hugo one last affectionate pat on the head, before turning back to his crossword.

Clearly moved, Hugo jumped up onto Eric’s lap, determined to give Gail’s dad a cuddle filled with gratitude. Yet the sudden movement left me wide-eyed with horror as, despite Hugo having the best of intentions, my boy had jumped on top of Eric’s lap with such gusto he sent the vase filled with Gail’s fresh flowers cascading all over Eric.

‘Oh you dammed dog!’ Eric howled, clearly soaked through. ‘What were you doing?’

‘Is it like the island?’ Hugo barked excitedly. ‘Will I need to swim?’

I rushed over to my son, determined to get to Eric’s aid, but was beaten to it by Doreen, who handed her husband a towel.

‘It was only an accident wasn’t it, Hugo?’ Doreen crooned, picking up the flowers that now littered their new living-room carpet.

‘An accident that could have been avoided if Hugo hadn’t been charging about the place,’ Eric fumed, drying his navy chinos off. ‘Honestly, this dog’s a menace.’

‘He’s not that bad, Dad.’ Gail bridled, as she, Sal and Jen helped Doreen replace the flowers in the vase.

In that moment I loved my owner more than I ever thought possible. Even after all Hugo had done today, she was still defending him.

‘Hugo, come here now, please,’ I ordered from my place next to Peg. ‘Just stay out of the way while Doreen and Eric sort themselves out.’

Obediently, Hugo did just as I asked and, as I gave him a lick, I exchanged a worried glance with Peg. There was no way our son would find his forever home with behaviour like that.

Jenny sat next to Sal on the edge of Doreen’s brown leather sofa and grinned at us. ‘Don’t feel too bad, you guys, it’s hard being a parent.’

Doreen let out a low chuckle as Eric returned to his crossword and she took a seat next to her granddaughter. ‘Know all about it do you, chicken?’

Jenny shrugged as she bent down to kiss my head. ‘No, ‘course not, but I know Mum and Dad had a pretty tough time when I was sick. It can’t be easy raising a family, that’s all I’m trying to say.’

‘Oh bless you, child.’ Doreen smiled, kissing Jenny’s cheek. ‘Why weren’t you more enlightened at this age, Gail?’

Sal roared with laughter. ‘Yes, Gail, why weren’t you more enlightened?’

I looked up at Gail and watched as she spat her tea everywhere. ‘What’s that supposed to mean, Mum?’

‘Nothing.’ Doreen sniffed. ‘Just our Jenny has a very wise head on very young shoulders.’

‘You’re not wrong there,’ Sal agreed, smiling at Jenny.

‘Very true,’ I barked in agreement.

Gail raised an eyebrow. ‘And while it might be true, Mum, if you want a hand getting these boxes unpacked I’d start singing my praises, and possibly Sal’s as well as Jenny’s if I were you.’

‘Fair enough.’ Doreen chuckled, her green eyes radiating the same kindness as her daughter’s. ‘You know I think the world of you, you’re my favourite child!’

‘I’m your only child,’ Gail said, returning her grin. ‘I’m so happy you’ve moved here, it’ll be wonderful having you and Dad on the doorstep.’

Getting to her feet, she pulled her mother in for a hug.

Doreen returned her daughter’s hug, and rubbed her back as if she were no more than Ben’s age. ‘And it’ll be wonderful for us having you so close by. We’ve missed you.’

‘And we’ve missed you,’ Jenny cried.

She rushed towards her mum and gran and wrapped her arms around them. I gulped, I didn’t want to miss out on a family hug. Together with Peg and Hugo, we bounded towards the women and pushed our noses into their laps and knees, much to their delight.

‘They’re everywhere.’ Jenny giggled in delight.

‘Oh you dogs are gorgeous.’ Doreen smiled, bending down to smother us with kisses.

‘And we think you’re gorgeous,’ Hugo barked, licking her hand.

‘But not as gorgeous as Peg and Gail,’ I barked loyally.

Gail beamed down at me, and planted a sloppy kiss on my snout. ‘Percy, you’re the best boy in the entire world.’

I howled in delight. There was nothing nicer than being surrounded by family.

As we broke apart, Sal glanced balefully at a box marked ‘outdoors’. ‘Shall I take this out to the garage?’

Doreen flashed her a grateful smile as she got to her feet. ‘Thanks, love.’

‘And I should get cracking as well.’ Gail smiled, as she finished her second cupcake. ‘Where do you want me?’

Doreen handed her daughter a pair of scissors and gestured to a box with black writing all over it. ‘The pots and pans are in that one,’ she explained. ‘Can you give your father a hand with them in the kitchen. He knows where everything goes.’

Nodding, Gail picked up the box and turned to Eric who was still engrossed in the paper.

‘Are you ready, Dad?’ she asked.

Eric glanced up from the crossword in surprise. ‘Ready for what?’

‘To help me unpack the kitchen stuff,’ Gail replied patiently.

Eric looked blank as he scratched the bald patch on top of his head. ‘If you want, love, though I don’t know where any of it goes.’

‘You do,’ sighed Doreen in exasperation. ‘We discussed it not half an hour ago!’