The Day I Met Charley

by Akke Halma, June 2006

Hi all, my name is Leo and I'm a Bedlington Terrier. I’m a very lucky boy nowadays coz I've got such a terrific best friend. Her name is Charley and she is only still quite young.

I should tell you about the day she arrived here to live with me.

One day my two mums went out in the car without me. I was outraged of course being left behind while they, as I strongly suspected, drove to the park. I mean, where else would they go! I found out later they went to the airport. I know what that is, I arrived in one myself over two years ago – shivering in my little paws. Let me tell you it's no picnic for a wee cute puppy (I'm still cute!) being shoved into this huge and terribly noisy metal bird with only a blanket as your luggage, could scar a fragile pup for.....sorry I digress. Anyway when they came home one of them had a little something in her arms. A present!? "For me, for me", I barked jumping up and down with excitement and immediately forgiving them for having abandoned me.

They took me to the backyard. They said that I had to be very gentle and then they put this tiny little fur ball on the ground near me. Needless to say I'm a tough bloke but I can be gentle when asked to, especially when there is a biscuit involved. "But what's this", I marvelled: my new toy moved, two black eyes looked at me quizzically, and yikes! all of a sudden a pink tongue licked my nose. I jumped back in utter amazement, this was way better than a toy, better than anything in the world, this had the potential of becoming my best mate. Well, closer inspection revealed it was a girl, but who is complaining. They told me that this was Charley, my new puppy sister and that she was a Bedlington too. As if I hadn't figured that out myself, what do they take me for. Sometimes you do wonder. I had another good sniff, copped another lick and two tiny paws on my back. Then we pushed our noses together and, wow! what can I say, it was love at first sniff.

That night something happened that my mum still talks about. I had been out on my own. When I came back in I immediately had a sense of foreboding, something was amiss. Alarmed I raced through the house. Charley had disappeared. "Where is she?" "Oh goodie I see, we are playing hide and seek", I finally concluded. But no matter where I looked MY puppy was nowhere to be seen or heard. I raced around the house three times searching for her, passing my somewhat amused humans. I was already on the verge of total hysteria when finally Mum took pity upon me and said,"It's all right Leo she is here on my lap". And there she was, curled up and fast asleep. Who was the happiest boy in the world? And who felt stupid now?

Charley was too young to do zoomies or play other fabulous games with me when she first arrived but now she is all grown up, and boy do we zoom all over the back yard together. She is not a bad sparring partner at tug of war either. I love it that she can keep up with me now and we can run with the wind in our faces.

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