The first stars are twinkling in an opal sky and Oscar the Pug is scratching to go out. Oscar loves a gossip and since he isn’t allowed to stop and chat to his friends on walks these days, the Twilight Barking is the highlight of his day.
Once released to scamper out and join in, Oscar finds everyone agreeing that their pets are still being odd. Sidney the ancient Staffie has learned enough human to be the acknowledged authority on what’s going on. ‘They haven’t finished hiding from the disease,’ he tells the others. This is not good news for Rolo the Dachshund, who was so happy at the start of lockdown to have his whole family of pets home that he over-wagged and sprained his tail. He still loves having everyone around but he rather needs them all to go back to work and school so his precious appendage can recover. But Pansy the Poodle is pleased at the further postponement of her social life: with the grooming parlour closed, her pet took upon herself Pansy’s spring coiffure. It’s a hairdressing dogastrophe and even the guinea-pig is laughing at her. Lottie the Labrador is also pleased that school won’t be starting just yet: she spends many hours a day watching TV with her pet’s children and has developed an ardent crush on Scooby Doo. Nobody likes to tell her he’s just a cartoon. Let her dream.
The conversation turns to walks. Fred the Shorthaired Pointer lives in a household whose human inhabitants are so desperate to escape one another that he gets dragged out for five walks a day and has resorted to seeking refuge on top of the kitchen wall-units. Hamlet the Great Dane tells him to get a grip: ‘A big strong dog like you shirking your duty and clambering about on cupboards – you should be ashamed of yourself.’ Milo the Spaniel agrees. ‘I could walk for miles and miles and miles without being tired,’ he boasts, before being told by McTavish the Westie to stop showing off. Everyone feels sorry for Barney the Boxer whose pet is an A&E doctor and who is stuck indoors all day. But Barney has made the most of his confinement by suspending hostilities with the cat, and they chase one another round the apartment for fun and then lie about on the sofas chatting. ‘It’s amazing who you can get on with if you try,’ says Barney.
One by one the twilight barkers are called indoors, but they all feel better for remembering they have canine friends as well as human ones.
***
In memory of Muckle the beloved Border Terrier, who went to sleep on Wednesday and is now chasing heavenly squirrels. And catching them.
© C P Jenkinson 01/05/2020. With apologies to Dodie Smith.
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