Hero the greyhound (Simon's Hero)

Hero the Greyhound (Chapter 22)

Gareth now knew for sure it was Hero and wanted to run to them and stroke the poor dog's head but he knew it would upset the boy so he decided against it. "Come on River", Simon's encouraging voice sounded strangely loud on the country lane, "you can do it, just a few more steps and we'll be there." The greyhound spotted Gareth standing beside the driver's door and, to Simon's surprise (and Simone's astonishment) he tried to walk a little faster. He started wagging his tail and by the time he was up close, he seemed very excited indeed. "Hello lovely boy," said Gareth, as he stroked his head, "it's good to see you again." River nuzzled Gareth's thigh, it was his way of showing affection and it brought a lump to Gareth's throat to see poor Hero in such a state. He had been a fine racer, a famous champion and now, he found it difficult to walk any distance at all.

Simone watched the unexpected reunion from a distance. It was clear the dog recognised the man (she really must find out his name) so she needed to know exactly who he was and what his connection was to River before contacting Dogs Trust to speak to Christian. She might need his help in proving they'd officially adopted the dog but she was prepared to hear the man out first. She got back to the car and said "Well, he obviously recognises you, I've never seen him react like that before. I've just realised I don't know your name, mine's Simone Ellis and my son's name is Simon. You've met River so why don't we all go back to our house, put the kettle on and you can tell us how you found us and what you want." She didn't sound angry but Gareth sensed she was on the defensive so he nodded and got into the passenger seat. There was no point in trying to explain things now, he would wait until he could speak to them both face to face. "I'm Gareth, Gareth Evans and yes, let's go back to yours and I'll try and explain everything to you there."

They drove in silence and as they approached number seven, Simone parked the car on the road, close to the kerb just outside the house. She knew getting River out of the car would be difficult and there simply wasn't room in the narrow driveway. They all got out and Gareth helped Simon to manoeuvre River's legs so they could lift him out. He was panting, dogs sometimes pant when they're stressed so Gareth said "Come on butty, that's the way, we'll have you inside in no time." River ground to a halt and his legs started shaking; he simply couldn't walk the few steps to the front door so Gareth gently scooped him up in his arms and carried him to the house. Simon began to soften towards him, he obviously cared about River and wanted to help so maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

Simone was exhausted but she opened the front door and asked Gareth and Simon to take River to the front room, where his bed lay next to the sofa. She forced her tired legs to walk the few extra steps to the kitchen, filled the kettle, hit the 'On' switch and found some biscuits in a cupboard. She placed two cups of tea, a small jug of milk, the sugar bowl, a plate of biscuits and a glass of orange squash onto an old tea tray and slowly walked to the lounge, nudging the door open with her foot. Simon was sitting on the floor with River's head in his lap, he was stroking the dog's head and whenever he stopped, River would paw at him to make him start again. Greyhounds are quiet dogs but they do have a way of letting you know what they want.

Gareth was still standing up and was talking to someone on his mobile and smiling broadly. "Really? That's great news, couldn't have come at a better time. Thank you. I have to go now but thank you very much." He put his phone away and said "Sorry, just someone ringing with some news about a job interview I had last week. I start next month." He noticed Simone's rather tired expression and said: "Sorry, you don't really care about that do you?"

Simone said stiffly "Please, do sit down" and nodded towards an old armchair which had seen better days, "Would you like black or white tea? Do you take sugar?" She felt a little frustrated. There she was, trying hard to make ends meet and he had just been told he had a new job to look forward to. Gareth, sensing her mood, thought it best to just keep quiet about the new job. She couldn't possibly know he'd been out of work for months on end after he'd left his job. Or that, when he had found freelance work, the money sometimes didn't even cover his monthly bills. He sat in the tatty old chair, he could feel the springs coming through the base; it really wasn't very comfortable. He thought he might buy them a new one, once his first pay cheque came through, to say 'sorry' for today.