Day 22: Puffky

Dedicated to Brigid Mahoney

“Liam, no!”

Liam looks up, wide eyed and incredulous, one Nutella hand in Tara's handbag, the other on the wall.

“What’s mummy said about food?”

Tara snatches her handbag and retrieves the half piece of toast stuck to the lining.

“If you’ve finished, let’s wash your face and hands, come on.”

She bends and takes him, gently, by the wrist.

“NO.”

“Liam.”

“NO MUMMY NO MUMMY NO MUMMY.”

He squirms and wriggles, getting the chocolate that’s on his face on the carpet.

“LIAM!”

Liam pulls himself violently away, hitting his head on the wall.

“OW MUMMY!”

His face reddens and screws up, in a mixture of pain and fury and he starts to wail. Elliot comes running in.

“Mum, what happened?”

“Not now darling.”

“Why’s Liam shouting?”

“Because he’s two which means he’s horrible.”

“Tell him off. He’s too loud.”

“You were horrible when you were two.”

“I wasn’t. I remember. I was never horrible.”

Having lost Tara’s attention, Liam is wailing like he’s being abducted by an evil clown who keeps smacking him. His arms are around her ankles. She picks him up and turns to Elliot.

“Where’s Jacob darling?”

“He’s in our room.”

“Can you go and brush your teeth and make sure Jacob does too?”

“Where are we going?”

“Nowhere yet, but you should still brush your teeth… Liam, no that hurts Mummy.” She prizes her hair from his hands, causing him to start wailing again.

“Why if we’re not going anywhere?”

“Please Elli, just do as I say.”

“I want to go out. I want to go swimming.”

“Maybe we will.”

“It’s so hot.”

“We are not talking about this until you’ve brushed your teeth.”

“Will we definitely afterwards?”

“Yes.”

“If I brush my teeth, we will definitely talk about swimming and maybe actually go swimming?”

For fucks sake.

“Yes, we will talk about anything you want. Brush your teeth and ask Jacob to, too please.”

Satisfied, Elliot turns on his heel and heads upstairs.

“JACOB, JACOB. YOU HAVE TO BRUSH YOUR TEETH OR ELSE…… BECAUSE MUMMY SAYS I’M IN CHARGE.”

Tara hears Jacob start crying as she goes to the kitchen with Liam. She wipes his face and hands, to more cries of “OW OW OW” and heads upstairs to pacify the other two.

An hour later, she’s finally convinced them to clean their teeth and stop fighting and Liam has gone down for a nap. She’s cleaning Nutella off the wall and carpet when there’s a knock at the door. That’ll be social services, she thinks. The neighbours must have heard the boys screaming and reported me.

Tara opens the door. It’s not social services. It’s worse. It’s Rachel from across the road.

“Oh hi Tara!” she says as if she was expecting someone else to answer.

“Hi Rachel.”

“Are you up to much today?”

“Mostly just torturing my children with toothbrushes and flannels and keeping them home because I hate them.”

Rachel doesn’t laugh. It’s now that Tara notices she has a dog with her.

“New pet?”

“What? Oh no, I just found him lost, poor thing.” When Tara doesn’t respond she continues, “I’ve taken a photo of him, I’m going to get some posters printed.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Oh?” Until now, Tara wasn’t aware her approval meant that much to Rachel.

“I can’t keep him at home though.”

Tara starts to panic when she realises where this is going.

“Can’t you call the council?”

“No, good, he’s got no tag. They’d…” she pauses for dramatic effect “impound him!”

“Why can’t he stay at yours?”

“Dexter and Sid.” These were Rachel’s cats. “They’d hate it, especially Sid… Anyway, I was wondering if you could keep him here.”

“Oh ordinarily I’d love to help, but I’m taking the boys to the outdoor pool all day.”

“YES!”

Tara hadn’t realised Elliot and Jacob were standing behind her. She turns around and Elliot looks at her suspiciously.

“All day, Mummy?”

There was nothing for it.

“Yes, Elli, so we can’t look after this nice dog, can we?” she turns back to Rachel and shrugs in a way she hopes looks apologetic.

“I want to play with the doggy!” says Jacob suddenly.

“Maybe you could take the boys swimming tomorrow instead?”

Rachel really has a nerve.

“No, Elliot really wanted to go today, didn’t you Elli?” she looks back at him.

“Wait, can we look after the dog today and then go swimming tomorrow?”

“No.”

“Oh I’m sure you could!”

“Yes mummy, why can’t we?”

Traitor. Tara is rapidly going off her despotic first born. She is about to look imploringly at Rachel when she remembers she’s the enemy too. Elliot and Jacob have started chanting, “doggy, doggy, doggy.”

“I think that settles it then!” Rachel is triumphant. “He’s really very friendly.”

Tara knows what ‘friendly’ means when it comes to dogs. It means loud and demanding and invasive. But Rachel is already walking away, leaving Tara looking down at a large chocolate brown Labrador.

Half an hour later, Tara sits in the garden watching Jacob and Elliot play with the dog. She squirms slightly, watching them stroke his fur. She didn’t even think that he could have fleas before. He licks their faces and she ignores irrational thoughts about rabies. She’s taken a picture of her own and is putting it on Facebook. Stupid Rachel with her printed posters, nobody looks at lampposts these days. She adds the home phone number and sets her FOUND post to public. This bloody thing had better be gone by the time Mike gets home. He’s always wanted a dog. She’s not giving him the satisfaction of seeing how much the children like this one.

Elliot comes running over.

“Mummy can we keep him?”

“No darling, he’s not our dog.”

“But we love him. Jacob tell mum we love the dog.”

“So do his owners. How do you think they will feel, missing him?”

“I suppose I will know later.”

Elliot sticks his bottom lip out and gives her a long and deliberate look. When did he get like this?

“Come on Jacob, let’s make the most of Puffky while we can.” He stalks off, shooting Tara a backwards glance.

Puffky? Isn’t that a Pokemon? Stupid name for a stupid dog. Tara’s thoughts are interrupted by Liam’s cries from upstairs. He’s woken up. She plods upstairs, thinking that surely Liam will at least dislike the dog. It’s loud and jumpy and Liam is her wimpiest, most highly-strung toddler yet.

“Hello darling, are you feeling better after your little snooze?”

Liam gives no indication he’s feeling any perkier and holds out his arms to be picked up. She cuddles him for a bit, watching the other two out of the window. She walks downstairs with him, still whining slightly.

“Are you hungry? Shall Mummy get you a yogurt?”

She grabs a yogurt from the fridge and sits back down outside with Liam on her lap. The dog runs over and she holds Liam protectively.

“It’s OK, I’ve got you.”

Liam, however isn’t the least perturbed. In fact, he’s stopped crying and is clapping and laughing as the dog sniffs him and licks his feet. Tara can’t remember the last time all three boys seemed so content all at once.

It’s official, she thinks, Puffky is a better parent than I am.

Then Puffky does a poo on the lawn.

If ever there were proof that Tara is not a dog person, it’s the feeling dog poo gives her. She’s managed, somehow, to pick up Puffky’s poo with the aid of rubber gloves and two nappy bags and now it’s all behind the shed, underneath a bucket. She’s not sure her hands will ever be clean enough to make lunch, and has been scrubbing them under hot water for almost five minutes.

The boys and Puffky are at the table already, Liam in his highchair and Puffky beating his tail on the floor.

“I’m hungry” whinges Jacob.

“Almost ready!”

“You haven’t started!” says Elliot.

Tara finally dries her hands, pulls the boys’ three plates out of the dishwasher and begins to aggressively chop carrots and apple. In under two minutes, lunch is served.

“What about Puffky?”

Elliot is right. Puffky is looking up at her with wide, sad eyes. What do dogs eat? Tuna? Normally that would be cats, but surely it’s OK for dogs too? She grabs her phone and Googles can dogs eat tuna? Apparently not only can they, but it’s a ‘very healthy treat.’

“Puffky it’s your lucky day!” Tara says as she grabs a can and opens it. He pants excitedly and wags his tail. As she puts down two bowls, one with water and one with tuna, she’s not sure she’s ever made anyone so happy before, ever.

After lunch, Tara fills the paddling pool. She sits with Liam between her legs while the other two pour water over each other and Puffky, who loves the game as much as they do. He runs around the outside of the pool, pausing occasionally to drink from it. Tara shudders every time, but she’s getting better. The phone rings. She would usually ignore it, but it might be Puffky’s – or whatever his real name is – owner. She climbs out of the pool with Liam, who screams in protest.

“Elliot. If I put Liam in his bath seat here, will you watch him very carefully?”

“Yes Mummy.” Elliot loves being in charge.

Tara gets to the phone just in time.

“Tara speaking”

“Tara, hi. Nick Jones here. I believe you have my dog.”

“Yes! Did you see my Facebook post?” asks Tara, walking to the window, so she can watch the children. Elliot is sat centimetres away from Liam, taking the task of ‘watching’ very literally. Jacob is still playing with Puffky.

“No actually, someone saw a poster in the library and sent me a picture.”

So Rachel put Tara’s number up all over town without asking, typical.

“OK, so when can you come and get… um…”

“Snorlax”

“Snorlax?”

“Don’t ask, the kids love Pokemon.”

Tara laughs, “mine have been calling him Puffky!” She feels a little sad for them all now, watching them outside they’re all so happy. Jacob and Elliot are getting along and even Liam is calmer than usual, watching the dog run around.

“Listen, I’m at work on the other side of town. My mum’s with the kids at home, but she can’t drive. Do you mind if I pick Snorlax up after five? I’ll leave work early, but I’m about to go into a meeting.”

It’s a bit cheeky, just to expect Tara to watch his dog for three more hours, but it actually hasn’t been too bad since the poo. He’s keeping the boys quiet.

“Sure, that’s fine, what’s your mobile number so I can text you our address?” She searches for a pen and paper. “Wait no, not yet… OK, now.”

Nick finishes telling her his number and then says, “I best let you go, sounds like something’s up.”

“OK bye.”

 They hang up. Sounds like something’s up?

Snorlax is barking, loudly.

Tara looks up and screams.

By the time she’s outside, Snorlax is already in the pool, lifting Liam by his t-shirt. The seat must have fallen over.

“Liam!”

“He just fell down Mummy!”

Tara grabs him from Snorlax.

“How long was he face down for?”

“I don’t know, is he dead?”

She checks for pulse. Then checks again. It might be wishful thinking, but she is sure she feels one. He’s cold.

Tara thinks frantically back to the infant first aid course she did when she was pregnant with Elliot, eight years ago. Pulse…. If there’s a pulse, you just do compressions… no, other way round, you just do the kiss. She never, ever thought she’d need this one.

She lies her baby down flat, tilts back his head, opens his mouth and puts her lips around his. She breathes into him and feels his chest rise. That’s good isn’t it? And again. And again. At what point should she be calling an ambulance, can she stop? She breathes into him again. And again. And again.

Until finally he coughs. Tara has never been so relieved. She rubs his chest and strokes his hair as he keeps coughing. At last he cries and she picks him up.

“Mummy’s here. Oh I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” She wraps him in a towel and rocks him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She is the worst mother in the world. The worst. She looks up at the other two. They are sat on the grass holding hands, for once, with Snorlax nuzzling them both.

In a daze, Tara calls 999, who tell her that as Liam is now conscious to drive to their nearest medical centre, promising her they’ll make sure they know she’s coming.

The staff are amazing. The receptionist comes outside to meet them and takes the older two boys under his wing straight away, promising to take good care of them. They have to leave Snorlax in the car, but he takes her keys so he can take water out to him and let the window down.

Doctor Cooper comes out to reception to meet Tara and puts a gentle arm around her. She’s wonderful with Liam and he doesn’t cry once as she’s examining him. She listens to his chest, checks his pulse and temperature, shines lights into his eyes and asks him little questions, like ‘what’s your name?’ and ‘who’s that?’ She takes her time, gives him things to play with and a cracker to try and eat. She pulls faces and makes him laugh.

Afterwards, she writes copious notes down for Tara, but assures her he is fine.

“You saved Liam’s life, Tara.”

“The dog saved his life. I nearly killed him.”

She bursts into tears and Doctor Cooper hugs her, long and hard.

“Do you need to call anyone?”

“I called my husband, he’s getting back home as quickly as he can.”

“You’re a wonderful mum, of three wonderful boys. And by the sound of it, a great dog. I promise.”

They drive back home, arriving just behind Mike. He gets out the car first and stands, waiting for Tara to pull up, his arms held wide. Tara parks and they all pile out.

“Daddy!” shouts Jacob as Tara is taking Liam out of his seat. Mike picks him up and winks at Tara. They stand, all hugging as a family, with Snorlax running around their legs.

At first they don’t notice the other car pull up. It’s not until Snorlax starts barking excitedly that Tara looks around to see a man stepping out. Snorlax runs over to him.

“Hello buddy!”

Tara pulls away at last and passes Liam to Mike.

“You must be Nick.”

He extends a hand, “thank you so much for taking care of my dog.”

“He took care of us, truly” says Tara, trying not to choke up again.

“He’s a good dog. You have any?”

“No.”

There’s an awkward pause.

“Would you like to come in for a drink or something?”

“I can’t, have to relieve my mother, and the kids will be missing this one like crazy… do yours want to say goodbye?”

Tara turns around, to see all three boys standing on the pavement. Jacob is crying and Elliot has protective arms around both his brothers.

“Come and say goodbye boys.”

They all walk over.

“Goodbye Puffky. You’re a hero” says Elliot, then promptly starts crying too. 

“Puffky’s the best” manages Jacob through his sobs.

Liam just smiles and pulls his ear.

As Nick drives away with Snorlax, Tara and Mike do their best to console their boys. They walk up the drive together and Mike puts his arms around Tara. She buries her face in his chest.

“So how about that dog then?” he whispers into her hair.

She looks up at him.

“Can we call him Puffky?”

Words: 2668

Challenge from Brigid Mahoney. Write a story about a dog called Puffky.