“What’s her …” She looked between the dog’s back legs. “… yeah, her name?”
“Ruby. Her owner died a month ago. The neighbour brought her into the shelter. She’s fully house trained. Only three years old, though. Full of energy, so she’ll love to run. Cattle, Kelpie cross. She’s all yours if you want her.”
Ruby sat with her tail sweeping the deck in a wide arc, making grunting, happy noises. Veronica’s beatific face turned to mine, her smile stretched wide.
“Really?” The word came out as more of a squeak.
When I nodded, the smile faded, and her eyes filled with tears.
I relaxed back on my heels, watching the scene unfold. My heart grew to twice the size, and lodged in my throat. I’d made her so happy … she cried. I hadn’t known her for all that long, but I was pretty sure Veronica didn’t let tears fall from her eyes. Not as often as she should, or at all.
“I’m sorry you lost your owners,” she whispered in Ruby’s ear with all the compassion of someone who’d been there.
God, she pulled at my heart. I swallowed the lump in my throat, wishing Tish could be a part of this, too. Now my eyes clouded over.
“Can she come inside?”
“She’s fully house trained, supposedly. Yes, she can. I don’t think I like the idea of shutting her outside.”
Veronica took the leash and showed Ruby through the house. The dog headed straight for the kitchen, sniffing around the bin, and then scooted into the lounge before jumping on the couch.
“Ruby, no,” Veronica scolded.
The dog put her head down, and sat on the floor at her new master’s feet. Okay, house trained, but overexcited.
They travelled back up the hall to the bedrooms, inspecting the blue one first. Ruby let out a big sneeze. The paint smell still lingered. I guess it was too strong for her sensitive nose. She pulled out of Veronica’s grasp and barged across the hall to the other bedroom. She launched into a barking rant at the bed, and dipped her back legs to pee on the floor.
“Ruby!” The dog had the gall to look over her shoulder and raise her eyebrow, not bothering to stop her destruction of the carpet.
Veronica tugged on the leash. Casually, the dog trotted out of the room, through the house and out the back door, with Veronica in tow. I was left dumbfounded. I thought it was only boy dogs who marked their territory. Guess I’d better find an old towel that Ruby could claim as her own. I was sure as hell not using it after it had been soaked in dog pee.
Welcome to the family, Ruby.
Ronnie
Oh, my God. The smell of pee-soaked carpet was repulsive.
We shut the door yesterday after trying to clean the spot as best as we could. But the carpet was so badly stained, there was no saving it. Vile odours just about knocked me out when I opened the door this morning. Instead of going for our run, we shifted all the furniture out into the lounge and dining room before Brad had to leave for uni. I didn’t have to start work until later, so I thought I’d ditch the carpet down the front steps.
With all the furniture gone, the carpet looked even worse. It was torn in one corner where the chest of drawers had been. That was going to make the job easier than I thought. Gripping the loose edge, I yanked hard to free the tiny nails that kept it in place. Fine fibres sprayed out, adding a dusty smell to the putrid animal stink. I folded down the carpet, rolling it towards me. Large patches of mould blackened the underside. I would’ve been breathing that in for months. Gross. The turbulence in my stomach intensified.
Five minutes. That was all it took because the backing fibres were so perished they tore as they were released from the sharp nails. Folding the roll in half, I tossed it out the door into the front yard, and went back for the foam underlay. The amount of dirt and dust that had collected on the wood flooring underneath was astounding. I didn’t want to replace the carpet. Not if that was what happened over the years.
I dragged in gulps of air trying to cleanse my tarnished lungs as I searched the house for the broom, finally finding it tucked beside the fridge. It’d be quicker to sweep, than to drag out the ancient vacuum that didn’t work well anyway. I got the job done quickly, and stuck my head out the window to breathe in some fresh air. There, outside the window, I looked down on Letitia’s long chestnut hair as she rested on the bench by the front door.
“What’re you doing?”
She didn’t move an inch. “Waiting.” The flat tone in her voice set off alarm bells.
“For what?” I asked with caution.
“You’ll see.” Her unmoving form appeared to fade as I gazed at the crown of her head, before she turned to wisps of smoke that blew away to nothingness.
I whirled around, scanning the room from ceiling to floor. What was she talking about? I saw nothing but the pile of dirt I’d just swept into the corner. I’m missing something. I could feel the anxiety scratching at my lungs, making my breathlessness worse as I sought out the dustpan and brush.
I ran back to the room. I needed to know what she meant, but I had to leave for work soon. After scooping the dirt into the pan, I noticed that the floor boards had been cut, leaving a small, rectangular section loose. Someone had drilled a hole
