Hero the greyhound (Simon's Hero)

Hero the Greyhound (Chapter 21)

Simone quietly removed the front door safety chain and then, flinging the door open wide, she shouted "NOW DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE? HE'S RUN AWAY AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE HE'LL GO AND...AND..." she sat down on the front step and burst into tears. Gareth looked startled and upset. "I'm really sorry, I have no idea what I've done but I'll try and explain if you'll let me." "There's no time for that," said Simone, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, "we have to find him. You've frightened him into thinking you're going to take River away and he's gone." Gareth was confused, he wasn't quite sure who had gone or who River was but he could sense he'd done enough damage so he said: "Well, if you'll let me help, we could try and find him although I don't have much fuel in the car at the moment." "Aaarrrggghhhhh" screamed Simone, "you're not helping." She stood up, grabbed Lazarus's keys from the key hook, made sure her mobile phone was in her back pocket, as usual, stepped outside the door and slammed it shut, barging past Gareth to get to the car.

"I could help you find him if you like" stumbled Gareth, knowing this was all his fault, "two pairs of eyes and all that..." "I don't know you" growled Simone as she opened the driver's door "but I'm warning you, if you annoy me, I will stop the car and put my hand on the horn until someone comes to help me, do you understand?" "Erm, yes," said a subdued Gareth, "of course."

He opened the passenger door, it was a tight squeeze as the car was so close to the low wall but he managed to slide in and put on his seat belt. Simone put Lazarus into reverse and Gareth heard a scraping noise as she reversed into the road rather too quickly. "Should I see you out?" he asked quietly. Simone didn't answer, she wasn't in the mood for pleasantries and she'd scraped the car too many times to be worried about today's damage. She racked her brains to think where Simon might have taken River and pointed the car towards the park. They got there in double-quick time (Gareth hoped the rumours about there being no film in the local speed cameras were actually true) but there were no parking spaces outside the park's main gate. Simone double-parked and said brusquely "You stay there, you've done enough damage for one day" before running to the main gate, frantically scouring the grassy areas with narrowed eyes. Nothing. No sign of them. She couldn't imagine they would have got much further than the park and she needed to think hard about where else he might go. Somewhere he'd feel safe. Come on Simone, think, think!

She dashed back to the car, opened the passenger door and said "You drive, it'll be quicker. I could phone him but I can't do it while I'm driving." "But...but, I'm not insured to drive your car" protested Gareth, "what if we're stopped by the police?" "And what if I can't find my precious son and his injured dog?" she hissed, "please, just do it, just drive so I can think what to do next." He climbed into the driver's seat and, with some difficult, pushed it backwards. Simone was only five foot two and anyone taller, trying to get their knees underneath her steering wheel, was in danger of causing themselves a mischief or at least stopping the blood from flowing through their legs. "Where now?" he asked, finally feeling as though this rather curt, panicky woman had dropped her guard and was letting him help put right the problems he had caused her. "Erm...erm, do a U turn and just head back down this road while I make a phone call."

Gareth drove, being careful not to break the speed limit; he really couldn't afford to get into trouble for driving without insurance but he desperately wanted to help her. Despite her anger, she was obviously very worried about the missing person who, he had figured out, must be the boy he'd seen walking the dog across the pedestrian crossing the other day. He sensed there was no husband on the scene and he really was feeling awful to have caused this woman and her son such a lot of stress.

Simone seemed to be doing some kind of strange seated dance but then, he realised she was trying to get her mobile phone out from her back pocket. She managed to retrieve it and began dialling a number. "Jecko, Jecko, is that you? It's me, Simone. Simon's gone AWOL and he's taken River with him. Is he there with you?" Gareth could hear a mumbled voice on the other end of the phone but from its tone, he could tell it wasn't positive news. "Right, well, if he gets in touch, please let me know the second you hear from him. OK?" She hung up and sighed loudly. If he wasn't in the park and hadn't sought sanctuary at his friend's house, where on earth could Simon be? What's more, how on earth was he going to cope if River's legs gave way and he couldn't walk any further?

She had a brainwave. "Stop the car" she shouted, "turn around and head east out of the main town centre. I have an idea where he might be going although he'll be lucky if he gets anywhere near there." Gareth did as he was told and turned the car around. They started driving due east, the housing estates fading away behind them and eventually, they found themselves driving Lazarus along a rather pot-hole riddled country road. "Where are we going?" ventured Gareth, fully prepared to have his head snapped off again. "We adopted River from the Dogs Trust," said Simone, "I wonder whether he would take him back there? It's just a hunch but worth a try." They drove in silence, Gareth not daring to speak or try and explain anything. He would wait until she had calmed down. He realised he didn't even know this woman's name but he did know her son was called Simon, he had a friend called Jecko and for some reason, she thought the dog's name was River.

Gareth slammed his foot on the brake and shouted "Look, look. There they are!" Simone, whose hair had flung itself over her eyes when Gareth had braked, peered through her fringe, trying to see what he was looking at. Sure enough, it was a teenage boy and a dog. They were walking very slowly and the dog's back legs kept buckling beneath him. Simone knew her son would never hurt River so he must be desperate to keep him walking until they reached the Dogs Trust.

Simon kept stopping and appeared to be talking to the dog. Simone didn't want to scare him into trying to run, River was in no fit state to run anywhere and the long walk had not helped his legs. It had taken them about fifteen minutes of driving to find them, they had walked a long way in that time so she could only imagine they'd set off at a bit of a lick in order to reach the road they were on.

Gareth put the car into first gear and very slowly parked close to the grass verge. It was a quiet road but he put the hazard lights on as a precaution; he wanted to make sure any other motorists could see the car. Simone got out and started walking quickly, she broke into a trot and eventually, she caught up with Simon who was crying. "Simon, sweetie, come on now, you have to stop trying to walk him so quickly. His legs won't take it, you know that." River, recognising Simone's voice, wagged his tail. She melted. The poor dog was in a terrible state, limping along because Simon wanted him to keep up. For the first time ever, she really saw what Simon saw in this poor, broken down dog. Through no fault of his own, he was permanently injured and although he didn't know it, it was humans who had caused his difficulties. Through his tears, Simon gulped "But that man's going to take him, you heard him, he said he used to own River so he must have some sort of right over him. I can't let him go, Mum, I don't know what would happen to him. I love him so much." Simone started crying too, she had never heard such an impassioned speech from her son, he usually kept his emotions under wraps and it was only the odd brief hug or shoulder squeeze which told her how much her son cared for her.

She said "Don't you worry about the man. We've been driving together for a while and he seems OK. If I'd thought he was dodgy in any way, I wouldn't even have let him into the car. Come on, let's go home, have a cup of tea and hear him out. I won't let him take River, I promise." She held up her right hand with its little finger crooked "Pinky promise?" He smiled and wiped away his tears. "Muuuuum, I don't do Pinky promise now, I'm a teenager, remember?" She so wanted to hug him but she knew it would make things worse. He would try and avoid being hugged and she would be upset so she just patted him on the shoulder and took River's lead. "Come on boy, let's go home," she said quietly. River wobbled, his back legs were going to give up the ghost unless she put him into the car quickly.

Simone's phone rang, she gave Simon the dog lead and mouthed "Put him on the back seat" before saying "Hi Jecko, thanks for calling back. Yes, we've found him. It's a long story, I'll get him to ring you later. Thanks again, bye bye." She walked slowly back towards the car, hoping River was going to be OK after his ordeal. Then, the strangest thing happened.