Chapter 4. Bonnie
The three dogs ran for quite a long time. At least in Freddie’s opinion because his
hind leg caused some problems now and then. Not that it hurt much, but it was clearly out
of order.
- Let’s have some rest, - asked he plaintively. – Catching a breath will do us all
good.
- Too early to rest, pal, - answered Luke. – I am also limping but I don’t whine. Don’t
you understand yet that every minute counts? The quicker we act the quicker you find
your home. And I would know I have done well. We have to be downtown by this evening.
I repeat, today is a weekend and there are lots and lots of people in the central park.
Your photos and descriptions should already be on the lampposts. There’s a chance you
get noticed and then... All right, I should not raise any hope, everything in due course.
- Do you hear, Freddie, hold on! Be tough and perhaps tonight you will already
sleep on your warm rug, - Ginger tried to cheer the pinscher up.
- My master is old and very wise. He always says one should not celebrate before
the feast, because one can always fail, - said Freddie quietly.
- All right, let the little one take some breath indeed. His legs are weaker than ours,
Ginger, - said Luke. – There is a garage nearby where they fix cars. It’s close to some
tall nice houses and there is an alley near the garage. We can rest there and, with some
luck, drink plenty of cool water.
- What do you mean “with some luck”? – puzzled Ginger.
- I mean that a garage worker is not especially bright. He often forgets to close the
water tap after washing the cars. So the water just flows out of the hose and one can use
it nicely. I tried to remind him many times to close the tap – brought him the hose,
barked, pulled his trousers, but he keeps forgetting all the same, - explained Luke.
- You can operate the water tap? – asked Ginger.
- Of course, I can, - he replied. – Though you don’t do such serious things yourself
unless people ask you to. I can act on my own discretion but only in some extreme
situation when much is at stake. I hope push won’t come to shove, - told the police dog.
They slowed down their pace and only now Freddie and Ginger could take a good
look around. It was beautiful!
They were on a long street with wide sidewalks and very few people. There were the
smells of freshly ground coffee, cakes and choconuts. Also of cigars, expensive perfume
and of something else unfamiliar but pleasant.
A beautiful collie came out of the door on the opposite side. With shining brushed
hide and proudly lifted head, she accompanied her master, walking without a leash. The
master was wearing a suit, smoking a cigar and his shoes also shone brightly.
- There is a clearing nearby. Lora usually walks there, - said Luke.
- Lora is the collie? – asked the spaniel.
- Yes, that’s her, - answered Luke with unexpected gloom.
- Why are you sulking? – asked Freddie. – Do you know her?
- I do. Some day I’ll tell.
They turned to a dark alley behind the garage and lay down to rest.
A man carrying a few suitcases came out from the same door the collie did before.
A taxi arrived and the driver and the man began to stack suitcases in the trunk. In a
minute two women appeared at the door and one of them got into the taxi front seat.
- Don’t worry, Mrs. Baker, everything’s gonna be all right. Now the last bags go in
and here you go, Godspeed to you...
The talking woman put some boxes into the back seat, wished the couple a nice
holiday and quickly paced to the bus stop. However, she had overlooked a small basket
standing on the sidewalk behind a tall lantern. The taxi drove away, the woman
disappeared behind the curve and the basket just stood behind the post.
- They forgot something, - remarked Ginger thoughtfully.
- Hope it isn’t anything important, - replied Luke.
- What if it’s food there? Let’s take a look, it will be a shame to waste it, - shared his
opinion Freddie.
The friends were just going to cross the road to have a closer look at the basket
when it suddenly tilted on its side and someone small, white and fluffy rolled out of it.
This someone shaked, stretched, looked around and indifferently went directly
across the road. At this moment, a car appeared from the curve. Luke just had time
enough to shout “Here is an extreme situation.”, when he rushed to the road, snapped
the fluffy hide and dragged the small creature aside literally from under the car’s wheels.
- Bravo, Luke, - cried Ginger and Freddie together. – You are a real hero!
- Some hero, indeed. Soiled my hide, how will I be able to clean myself now? What is
going on here? I have never been down to sidewalks, it’s so dusty and noisy around. I
don’t like it at all. Who are you? And, finally, where is my mistress? – all of this was
spoken in a tender voice belonging to this white fluffy someone who turned out to be a
small female lap-dog.
- Too many questions at once, fine stranger, - said Luke. – Still, I’ll try to answer all
of them. First, it is usual to thank the one who has just saved your life. Second, I did not
want to dirty you, I simply had no choice. Third, the fact that you don’t like it in the street
does not have anything to do with us. And as to your mistress, what happened and why
you are alone we’d better ask you, - finished Luke.
- My name is Bonnie. I live in this house. Also, I have never thanked anyone for
anything and I am not used to it. Never been down either. They always take me to a big
green park with nothing but grass and many flowers, - answered the lap-dog haughtily.
- I am Ginger, the pinscher is Freddie. And you really should thank Luke, -
remarked the spaniel.
- Don’t want to and will not, - declared Bonnie and turned to the other side.
- Bonnie, you are very beautiful, - said Freddie shyly.
- Look, who is talking! – she answered with the same haughtiness.
Lora the collie was just returning from her stroll. She saw their group and greeted
them with a nod.
Luke has bowed to her in return.
- Ah, here’s that Lora from the second floor. Right! Nobody in particular. She
pretends to be oh-so-very-important, but there is little difference between us. She lives in
a big apartment, certainly sleeps on the sofa, they feed and brush her twice a day... –
Bonnie did not seem to quiet down.
- Well, I guess you two are really very different. Lora is courteous and discreet, not
a bragging upstart like you, - Luke could not hold on.
- You! How dare you speak to me like that! Who are you anyway? – screamed the
lap-dog.
- I am Luke, a police shepherd. I saved your life. Don’t you know you should closely
look both sides before crossing the road?
- Don’t know and don’t want to. I told you, this is my first time outdoors ever,
although I live on this street in this house across the road, - said arrogant Bonnie.
- How come you are in the street at all? – asked Ginger.
- I don’t understand it myself. I fell asleep on a pillow in my basket and woke up
here. But I heard my mistress telling the maid they are flying away for a holiday, so the
maid would have two weeks free. Therefore, my masters will come out of the house any
moment now. And I will accompany them on their holiday and fly in a big plane. That you
would never even dream of, - bragged Bonnie.
- That’s right, we would never dream of that indeed. But I have my doubts about you
having a holiday. I am even sure you are not going to fly anywhere. These two weeks will
quickly make you hungry, dirty and very tired. Perhaps then you will become less
ungrateful and boastful, - now it was Luke’s turn to be haughty.
- Why do you tell all this nonsense to me? – asked the surprised lap-dog.
- With our own eyes we have seen your masters board a taxi and leave for the
airport about fifteen minutes ago. The maid just walked away, probably went home by
bus. You told us she’s on a holiday too. And you were simply forgotten, just overlooked,
you know. Your sleeping basket was behind a lamp post and nobody noticed it in the
turmoil, - answered appeased Luke.
- What terrible things you are saying! It cannot possibly be true. My mistress won’t
last a day without me. I have always been with her and I am sure she’ll be back for me
now. And I will just sit here and wait, - declared Bonnie and turned her back on Luke
again.
- She won’t return, Bonnie, the plane won’t wait. She is also sure the maid took you
after she had found out you were forgotten in your basket. So, I really don’t think anyone
will worry about you, - Luke continued his reasoning.
- You are talking nonsense again. You, a police dog! My masters will not leave
without me, you’ll see. I will sit right here and wait for someone to come back for me, -
insisted the lap-dog.
- Suit yourself, Bonnie. We will have a little rest now and with some luck, drink some
water. Then we have to go to the nearest big park so that the two of them will get
noticed, - said Luke.
- What do they need to get noticed for? – asked Bonnie.
- They were lost. Recently. So I reckoned the announcements should be on the
posts and in newspapers. Listen, Bonnie, don’t go anywhere until I come back for you.
You are quite small and hard to see, although so white it really catches the eye, - told the
police dog.
- Do you imply that I should roll in the dirt to merge with asphalt? – asked the lap-
dog with a smile.
- To tell you the truth it won’t hurt. Would surely be safer. I worry about you, silly, -
answered Luke also grinning.
- I won’t budge. Not because you promised to come back for me tonight, but
because I am waiting for my mistress. And I am not going to roll in any dirt either, forget
it, - with these words Bonnie lay down and rested her pretty head on the paws.
- There, Luke. Seems like water, - cried Ginger pointing his paw to a black hose.
- You see, I told you the worker here is very absent-minded. Let’s make it fast, drink
and follow me. Oh, incidentally, do you want to drink? – Luke asked Bonnie.
- Drink dirty hose-water? Bah! I’d sooner die of thirst. And I don’t want you to talk to
me anymore at all, - claimed the lap-dog arrogantly.
- Perhaps you’d wish us good luck? – Luke asked again.
- I don’t care what happens to you, - she answered indifferently.
- I hope you care about yourself then.
- I will be all right, I’m sure.
- Then see you tonight, Bonnie. If anything happens run to the garage, not to the
road. Got it? – told her Luke leaving.
- Stop bothering me. They will be back any minute now so don’t distract me
anymore, - said Bonnie.
- Let her be, Luke, - cried Ginger.
He and Freddie have drunk their full of water and now were waiting for him on the
sidewalk licking their muzzles.
- Better drink and let’s go, - small Freddie gave his opinion.
