It was my first night by myself last night. The cold was unbearable. The one good thing about Penny is, she is always warm to cuddle up to. However, she can snore, and she can snore loudly. I missed her last night. I haven’t seen her this morning. She couldn’t have gone far, they never clipped on her lead. Hopefully, she is not getting lots of treats and cuddles. Perhaps they have taken her on a day trip but if they did, surely one of them would have gone with her. Hopefully she will be back today.
On a positive note, it means I get more breakfast, if there is no other dog to share it with. I get all the leftovers from the chicken dinner they had yesterday. The chicken is always a little overcooked. I say little but you literally can lift the leg bone and the meat falls off. Now, I am only a dog and no expert, but I think it means it is overcooked when that happens. I don’t mind. It is better to have chicken overcooked than undercooked and it also tastes better than the chicken put in dog food. However, she can cook potatoes! They are amazing and cooked to absolute perfection. Crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. He must also think so, as I often see him sneaking my leftover roasted potatoes into his mouth from the refrigerator, when he is meant to be loading the dishwasher. Sometimes she catches him but often he gets away with it and as a result I get less in the morning. On occasions I have received none in the morning, which is least pleasing to a hungry dog. Last night, I couldn’t see whether he took any, with all the commotion in the kitchen. Hopefully he kept his hands off them and I will be presented with a glorious roast chicken dinner this morning. Thinking about a chicken dinner is making me drool and I can feel myself drooling right now, which is not a good look. I need food. I can hear movement upstairs, so they must be awake. I think I will have to Bark, I need my chicken, “Woof!” Hurry up! “Woof!”
I think someone is coming. I can hear someone. Yep…and it is him. Oh great! I am not getting fed anytime soon. He never feeds me. If I lived alone with him, I would be so skinny all he does is let me out for the toilet and eat my potatoes.
“Come on Lillia, I will let you out and take you for a walk shortly. Come on girl, I know you miss her.”
He let me out and when I came back in, he went outside, which is not usual behaviour for him. Perhaps he needed a wee or a poop. If he does, I will find it later.
It is starting to feel like I have not been fed for weeks. I am absolutely starving. I need her to feed me.
Everything in the house seems different this morning, Penny is not here, he is outside, and she is late feeding me, which never happens. I have seen her and the children, so I know they are awake. She was comforting the girl who was crying. It seems like all the house has gone mad with crying constantly. Since last night they have all been crying. If only I knew why. At last I can hear her coming. If I do my sad face it should get me fed quicker.
“Sorry Lillia, I forgot to feed you. I have just been so pre-occupied with the kids. They are so upset about Penny. I bet you are too. They have spent a long time with her. Here you go my baby.”
And after she stroked my ears a few times and kissed me on the head, she placed the bowl down in front of me. I was in heaven. It was everything I had imagined. There was so much. Penny’s portion of food had been combined with mine. The chicken was plentiful, and it was all so delicious. I ate the food so quickly, I couldn’t help it. I licked the bowl clean and I was done.
With such a full stomach I thought a little lie down might be necessary, so I made myself comfortable on the mat in front of the patio door. I could see him outside, so I decided to watch what he was doing. To my surprise he wasn’t defecating in the garden but instead he had a spade in his hand digging a hole. She usually does all the work in the garden and rarely does he even go out there. So this was going to be exciting to watch.
I think I spoke too soon as to say he started the hole a while ago, he had not got very far. He was red faced, sweaty and kept taking a breath every now and then, while looking back at the house. It turned out it wasn’t exciting to watch and was like watching a bunch of sloths complete a 100m race. However, I wasn’t going to move. My stomach was full, I had the sun shining on me and I was comfortable. I wonder what the hole was for. I only ever dig when I smell something tasty buried underground. It wouldn’t surprise me if he smelt something tasty, the nose he has is massive, it must be nearly as long as mine and I know he has a good appetite (I see him snacking and also eating my potatoes) so he could have smelt something or perhaps he is just trying to remember where he buried his favourite bone.
I remember watching Penny bury food when she was full. She would take it under our bed and hide it. The humans never saw it, but I did. Penny thought I didn’t see her either. It was mainly things like toasted bread which she must have been saving for brunch. She would take ages hiding it. Getting the blankets and bedding with her mouth and strategically placing them over the toast so no one could find it. I would often watch her doing it. It was quite tiring to watch she put in a huge amount of effort to ensure it was well hidden. She would always lay on top of it and end up falling asleep. I would always wait in anticipation until she woke up and wandered off, then I would take that as my opportunity to devour it. It was always still slightly warm and a little bit hairy after the burial and her laying on it but I am not fussy. I don’t get fed toast now, apparently, I have allergies. I didn’t mind itching a little for the sake of my stomach.
He has stopped digging and there is a huge heap of earth at the side of him. He really doesn’t look very happy. He seems to be walking back to the house and there are tears in his eyes. He is heading into the garage. He then emerges carrying something which looks like it is wrapped in Penny’s blanket. I had been wondering where that blanket was.
He is carrying the bundle close to his chest, almost as though he is hugging it. He walks slowly and carefully up the garden. As he is walking, I spot something under the blanket. I can see a paw. It is Penny’s paw. I bark, I bark several times, but he just carries on walking until he reaches the hole where he stops and carefully wraps her paw back into the blanket. Slowly he gently lowers her into the hole. He is crying whilst on his hands and knees. I bark again and again and again, hoping each time for Penny to hear me and jump back out of the hole. She doesn’t. Instead he starts putting soil back into the hole gently using his hands rather than the spade. I want to see Penny, I don’t understand what he is doing.
He is coming to the door. I will get her out. As soon as the door is open, I will rescue her. He doesn’t open the door, instead just taps on the door. She comes over to the patio doors and she takes the children outside and they walk up to the hole. I didn’t get a chance to get out of the door, so I get left inside. Hopefully, she will rescue Penny and get her out.
I watch in anticipation. She doesn’t get Penny out. Her and the girl help put the last bits of soil on the hole, which soon becomes a little mount of earth. They are all crying and hugging, they are so sad. The girl gets some flowers and stones and lays them on the top. She goes to pick up the boy who has been playing with a ball and ignoring them all. They then all just stand there, crowded around the hole, hugging and sobbing.
I don’t know what has happened, but I can only assume Penny has gone now and will not be coming back. I am on my own and I feel so incomplete. I came into this house as a puppy and she took me under her wing. I really will miss Penny.
It will be just me and the humans now.
A hound and a human 
😥
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