| Homepage | Denise Phillips | |
| SECTION
1 Titanic |
 Cliff Path Hot
and tired from walking she saw a nice flat rock that beckoned her over.
She removed her tiny backpack and sat down crossing her ankles in
front of her. The sea
stretched to the horizon, at the base of the cliffs the waves crashed
over the sly rocks peeping out from the surface.
The blues and greens were vivid and crisp.
She wished she could paint.
Would she use cerulean blue for the sky she had no idea what kind
of blue it was but it sounded lovely.
She traced the coastline with her eyes and thought that a jutting
outcrop of rocks looked just like an elephant drinking from the ocean.
Looking back the harbour and village had disappeared to nestle
snugly in the valley. A
gull suddenly wheeled and cried in front of her the unexpectedness
startled her and she laughed. Pushing
her face up towards the sun she closed her eyes and paid homage.
After some time she felt pinpoint prickles of sensation across
her cheeks and nose. She
delved into the bag and removed the tin foiled sandwich.
It was hot the butter had melted into the bread good job she’d
chosen ham the salad would have been warm and limp.
She took a bite. The
dog crawled out of the gorse bush on her right.
He inched forward commando style, his body undulating as his
stubby tail wagged frantically. His
eyes looked so beseeching that she felt no fear, ‘Hello fellah, nice
day.’ He was almost beside her she stretched forward to pat him and he
flinched back. ‘Do you
want some lunch?’ Breaking
off some sandwich she offered it to him from her open palm.
Forgetting himself the dog moved forward to wolf it down.
She broke up the rest of the sandwich the dog interested and
close now drooled in anticipation over her trousers.
Feeding him a piece at a time she had time to examine him, he
looked a bit like a Springer spaniel but had a very square face all in
all he was a squarer build and clumsy looking.
His coat was filthy with the fur matted in grey clumps.
‘That’s it, all gone.’
He looked at her expectantly the rock had a dip that made a
natural well she took her bottle of spring water and poured some in, he
got the idea and lapped it up. Holding
her hand out she allowed him to sniff and lick it.
She gently moved her hand to his ear and scratched his ears and
under his chin, his head lolled comically from one side to the other as
she changed from ear to ear. The
smell wafting towards her was abominable ‘Good grief boy it must have
been dead for several months whatever you rolled in.
‘His rib cage and the bones of his hindquarters stuck out
pathetically and his muzzle was streaked with grey hairs.
She stopped scratching him but he kept nudging her hand up until
she started again. ‘I
wonder what livestock your sharing with me?’
Standing up she gathered her bits together and addressed the dog
again. ‘I’m sure
you’re a stray but I’ll enquire at the farm to see if they know you.
Come on then, we’ll head back.’ The dog as if he understood her tucked himself in neatly at her heels
and followed along the cliff path.
She left the path to follow the farm lane, some chickens flew
down from the hedge but the dog ignored them completely.
‘You’re a well behaved chap.’ She found Mrs Mundy in the
milking parlour. ‘Mrs
Mundy I found this old boy up on the cliffs, I think he’s a stray you
wouldn’t happen to recognise him would you.’ Surveying
the dog with barely disguised disgust ‘He’s not local Sarah your
best bet is to take him to the vet.
He’ll put him down, it would be kindest.’ ‘Well
thanks anyway, I can see your busy so I’ll be off.
If you would put a half dozen eggs by for me tomorrow that would
be great.’ ‘No
problem Sarah we’ll see you tomorrow.’ She
looked at the dog doubtfully on the way home, making a decision she said
with finality ‘I shall call you Obi- Wan short for old boy one.’
He wagged his tail as if in approval. When
they reached the cottage he was reluctant to come in so she knelt down
and did a lot of thigh slapping and calling him in an excited
high-pitched voice. Once
he was in she wanted to change her mind, as the stench in the small
confines of the kitchen was overwhelming.
She found an empty ice cream carton to put 3 shredded wheat in
and poured the remainder of the milk over.
Her hand dithered over the sugar bowl should she put some in or
would it be bad for him? Just
this once she’d give him a spoonful, putting the carton down she said
‘Even a black hole couldn’t eat 3 shredded wheat.’
His tail wagging he polished it off in seconds, he placed kiss
chase trying to get the last bit out.
‘Right Obi-Wan now for the bad news…bath time.’ Two hours later she sat back and looked at her handiwork ‘Only a
mother could love you.’ He looked worse if possible, he now sported a skinhead cut.
She’d nicked him twice with the scissors removing the matted
clumps but he’d been very forgiving about it.
His head with the huge floppy ears emphasised how anorexically
thin he was. Still he smelt
nicely of Badedas shower gel. She wrote down a shopping list.
Well for better or worse they were now a team, he lay across her feet and
went to sleep. ‘My God, he snores.’
An explosive sound came from his rear end.
Typical she thought the honeymoon period is over already.
Smiling she picked up her book ‘Coping alone.’ |