A Home for Molly

Chapter Five

“Molly! Molly!”

Molly was curled up under the beach huts, where she’d run after the huge Labrador had chased her. She had been so frightened that she felt shaky and for ages she couldn’t stop panting. Her tail was still tucked tightly between her legs and she had curled herself into the smallest ball she could, right at the back of the beach hut where it stood against the cliff wall. Exhausted, she’d fallen into an uneasy sleep, twitching as the big dog ran after her in her dreams.

She woke up with a start, feeling puzzled. Was someone calling her? She was almost sure she’d heard her name. Her ears pricked up – as much as her frizzy, curly ears ever did – and she listened intently. But there was no one there. Molly sighed and turned around a few times on the dusty, sandy concrete, trying to go back to sleep. She would wait a while longer before she trotted down to her comfy hollow in the marram grass. She wanted to make sure that the Labrador really was gone.

Molly laid her nose down on her paws and tried to ignore how hungry she felt – a few chips didn’t go far. She was just starting to snooze when she heard the voice again. She was sure this time. Someone was calling her name!

Molly wriggled forward under the beach hut, until she could see out from behind the little steps at the front.

Standing on the promenade was a girl – the girl she had played with on the beach, who had given her a biscuit!

“Molly! Molly! Please come out!”

Molly yelped and scrabbled her way from behind the steps, darting across the promenade to Anya.

“Molly! You’re here, oh, it really is you! I was right.” Anya rubbed the excited little dog’s ears and laughed as Molly danced around her. “Oh, Molly, you’re so messy! Look, you’re all covered in sand and grot. I’m so glad I found you – I thought maybe I’d imagined it and it hadn’t been you I saw at all.” Then she stopped and frowned. “But it’s all very well finding you, Moll. We’ve still got to get you home and I don’t know where Rachel and the others are staying.” Anya sat down on the edge of the promenade with her feet in the sand and her arm round Molly.

Molly licked Anya’s face, delighted that she could reach it properly now.

“Uuugh, Molly!” Anya rubbed it off and gave the puppy a hug. “All Rachel said was that your cottage was really close to the ice-cream shop – the same one where I got my bodyboard. She said it was great, because they were always going past it and if they all begged, her mum almost always said yes… So I suppose we’ll just have to go and have a look around there. Maybe we’ll see Rachel or Lily or Zach looking out of a window, or something.” She gazed down at Molly doubtfully. “I wish I had a lead for you, sweetheart. I don’t really want to take you over the road without holding on to you properly.” She shuddered at the thought of Molly dashing out in front of a car. “Mum and Dad make enough fuss about me crossing roads, even if they do let me walk most of the way home from school now.” She looked around, hoping for a bit of string or something that she could tie through Molly’s tatty collar.

“Oh! Your collar! Maybe you’ve got Rachel’s mum or dad’s number on there. Let’s hope it’s a mobile…” She turned the collar round carefully, looking for the tag. Molly’s fur was matted underneath it and Anya bit her lip. She really liked Rachel’s family, but she didn’t think they were great at looking after Molly. The poor little dog needed a really good brush – probably a trim from a proper dog groomer, too. “No tag… It’s just got Molly woven on as part of the collar. That’s no good. Oh well, maybe the tag with the number came off.” Anya sighed. “Back to Plan A, then.” She was just looking at a heap of seaweed and wondering if she could twist it together to make a sort of rope, when she rolled her eyes. “I’m so stupid, Molly. My scarf!”

Anya was wearing a pretty flowered bandanna that Mum had bought her to wear over her hair instead of a sunhat. She pulled it off and undid the knot, stretching it out. It wasn’t that long, but it would be OK if she bent down a bit.

“Here, Molly. A nice new lead, look.” She tied one corner of the bandanna through the strong metal ring on Molly’s collar and stood up, keeping a tight hold on the other end. “That’ll do… Come on, Molly! Let’s go and take you home!”

Molly walked along beside Anya as they headed up the stepped path to the top of the cliff. She sniffed happily at the clumps of wild plants that were growing out over the concrete steps and Anya smiled down at her proudly. She was so lovely, even if she was a bit scruffy. As they walked along the seafront path, Anya couldn’t help pretending to herself that Molly was her own dog. She could imagine it for five minutes, couldn’t she?

But the walk to the ice-cream shop was far too short. Soon Anya was standing outside and staring at the closed shutters. If it had still been open, she could have nipped in to ask if they happened to know where Rachel’s family were staying, seeing as Rachel reckoned they were the shop’s best customers.

“There’s a lot of houses along here, Molly,” Anya murmured, looking around at the little green, surrounded by cottages. “I suppose I’m just going to have to ring the doorbells and ask.” But she stood on the grassy patch for a little while, hoping she’d suddenly spot Rachel. She hated the thought of having to ask at all those houses. She’d told Mum and Dad she wouldn’t talk to strangers, for a start. And what if Rachel’s family weren’t even staying in one of them? Maybe they were in one of the streets close to the green?

Anya sighed. She was just going to have to be brave. She marched over to the nearest house and rang the bell. There were buckets and spades in the little doorway, so at least there were children here.

The door opened and Anya found herself staring at a boy a bit older than her – but it definitely wasn’t Zach. And there was a littler boy peering round him, too.

“Oh! Sorry! Wrong house,” Anya stammered. “Um, I don’t suppose you know where Zach and Rachel are staying, do you?”

“No,” the boy said, staring at her as though she was mad.

“Sorry…” Anya backed away, blushing scarlet and gently tugging Molly after her.

“I should have explained why I was asking,” Anya muttered to Molly, as they went on to the next house. “Oh, that was so embarrassing.”

No one answered at the following two houses – which Anya was secretly relieved about. The next door was opened by a friendly looking lady, who smiled at Molly and said, “Oh, what a sweet dog.”

“She isn’t mine,” Anya said, grateful that the lady had made it easy for her to explain. “I found her on the beach, but I know who she belongs to and I’m pretty sure they’re staying round here. They told me they were in a cottage by the ice-cream shop. No one’s asked about a dog, have they? There’s three children – a boy and two girls.”

The lady looked at the houses around the green, thoughtfully. “It’s very nice of you to try to bring her home. I wonder if it’s Mrs Merritt’s family? I know they were staying with her and she does have three grandchildren. She told me she was going to have trouble squashing them and their dog all in, especially now her grandson’s so tall.”

“Oh!” Anya said delightedly. “That sounds right! Zach is really tall. Where does she live, please?”

“That white house over there in the corner. Good luck! If you don’t find her owners, do you know where the vet’s surgery is? I’m sure they’d help you out – it’s on the high street.”

“Thanks!” Anya beamed at her. “Come on, Molly.” She patted her leg and Molly scampered after her across the green to the white house. Anya hurried up the little path between the bright flowerbeds and rang the doorbell firmly, not feeling as nervous as she had before. She was sure this had to be the right place, even though Rachel hadn’t mentioned that they were staying with their grandma.

The door took a long time to be answered, though. Wasn’t that a bit odd? Wouldn’t Rachel or Zach or Lily have run to get it? Perhaps they were out? In fact, they were probably out looking for Molly. Anya sighed and pressed the bell one last time, just in case.

The door swung open sharply and a very cross-looking elderly lady stared out at Anya.

“What is it? Couldn’t you tell that I was coming? I was asleep – so rude!”

“Oh… Oh, I’m really sorry.” Anya backed away and so did Molly, with a little whimper. “The lady across the road thought this might be your grandchildren’s dog – she said they were staying with you.”

“Of course it isn’t. They have a Jack Russell. And they went home yesterday. Silly woman.”

“I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up. I was just trying to find the dog’s owners, that’s all.” Anya swallowed, trying not to cry. The old lady seemed so grumpy.

“Hmm. Well, I hope you find them.” The old lady looked slightly less annoyed. “There are children in the house next door but one, that way – why don’t you try there?”

Anya nodded. “Thank you,” she said, hurrying off as fast as she could and ringing the bell at the house the old lady had pointed to.

She had to stand on the step for a few moments, but when the door opened, it was worth the wait. “Oh, thank goodness it’s you!” she gasped, as Rachel peered round the door in front of her.