The Forgotten Puppy

Chapter Five

It was perfect timing – snow for the holidays. And there was a whole week off school! Emi knew she ought to be happy – and she was, most of the time. Building a snowman and trying to build an igloo (it didn’t really work, it just kept collapsing on her head) and going out on Jess’s sledge with Rina. It was all brilliant.

But she was spending part of half-term at Dad’s and, much as she wanted to see him, she would miss Rina. He’d called her and Ben and told them all about the exciting trips he had planned – there was a science show at the museum, and the shopping centre close to him had set up a mini ice rink. Emi loved the sound of that, she’d never been ice-skating. And he said the woods looked amazing in the snow. There were all sorts of fun things to do. Emi was really looking forward to seeing Dad for a bit longer than a weekend, too. But it did mean four whole days away from Rina.

Emi had missed her so much, the two weekends they had been at Dad’s. And she knew that Rina had missed her, too. And Ben, probably, Emi admitted to herself. Rina loved to play rough and tumble roly-poly wrestling games with him, and she quite liked sitting on his lap and watching him play on his computer. Especially when he was talking to his friends. Ben got them to say hello to her, too, and it made her really confused, hearing the voices saying her name coming out of the laptop.

Emi sighed as she stuffed some more clothes into her bag. Rina would be fine. Mum would look after her – and it would be nice for Mum to have Rina, otherwise she’d be lonely while they were away. But still…

“I wish you could come, too,” she told Rina, who was sitting next to the rucksack, staring at it suspiciously.

Rina knew what the bag meant by now. Emi was going away. Again!

As soon as Emi turned round to get the rest of her stuff out of the chest of drawers, Rina nudged the bag hard with her nose, so that it tipped over and the clothes spilled out all over the floor.

“Rina!” Emi looked round at her. “Silly! What are you doing?” She crouched down next to the bag and started putting the clothes back inside. But Rina grabbed a pair of jeans in her teeth and pulled them across the room. Then she sat there in the corner with them, looking determined.

“Oh, Rina…” Emi sighed. “Are you trying to stop me from going? I’ll miss you, too, I really will. But I have to go and see Dad. Let’s go downstairs and get a drink. I’ll finish packing later.”

Rina followed her out of the room triumphantly, glancing back at the clothes all over the floor. But the bag was still there and the bright curl of her tail sagged a little as she hurried after Emi.

“Are you all packed, Emi?” Mum was smiling, but she looked as though she was trying a bit too hard, Emi thought. She knew Mum missed them when they were away, even though she always said she loved how quiet the house was without Ben, and how she could cook for herself without worrying about Emi saying everything was too spicy.

“I just need to zip up my bag,” Emi said, crossing her fingers behind her back. She was packed, or rather she had been. But she’d have to put back all the things that Rina had knocked on to the floor.

Now where had Rina gone? Emi popped her head round the living-room door, to see if there was a fluffy ball snoozing on the sofa. Mum had given up even saying that Rina wasn’t allowed – she was too cosy. But the living room was empty. Emi headed up the stairs. Rina was probably with Ben.

Emi hurried round her room, picking up all the things that Rina had pulled out of her bag. She was a bit worried about how it was all going to fit back in. It still looked really full. But her things had all gone in before…

She knelt beside the bag and pulled it wider open, scooping up a pile of clothes ready to put in. Then she stopped, hugging the jumpers against her as her eyes filled up with tears. That was why the bag was so full. Rina was curled up inside, fast asleep! The puppy had decided that if Emi had to go away again, then this time she was going with her.

Rina stood by the front door, her tail wriggling happily as Emi’s mum picked up the lead.

“Not a long walk, though,” Mum murmured. “It’s still freezing cold out there. And really slippery. The snow melted a bit yesterday and now it’s frozen over again. Not so good for walking on, Rina. I haven’t got clever claws like you, have I?”

Rina nuzzled against Mum’s legs. She wanted to go out so much – they hadn’t been on as many walks as usual over the last few days. Mum had a lot of work on, and with Ben and Emi away it was a good chance to get it done. Rina had spent lots of the time curled up on Mum’s feet in her little office. They had kept each other warm.

Rina sniffed thoughtfully at a pair of Emi’s shoes as she waited for Mum to get her coat on. Where was Emi? Whenever Emi and Ben had gone away before, they’d come back sooner than this, Rina was sure. It felt as though Emi had been away for a very long time. Rina laid her ears back anxiously, almost forgetting the excitement of the walk. Perhaps Emi wasn’t coming back? Perhaps something had happened? What if Emi had forgotten her?

She and Mum had taken Emi and Ben to the station, just like before, so why hadn’t they returned? Maybe they were still at the station, waiting? Rina gave a worried little whine. She wanted Emi back now. It must be time to go and fetch her, she was sure. That had to be where they were going now. Her tail started to wriggle again and her ears pricked forward. She would see Emi soon!

“All right. Let’s go.” Mum picked up the keys and opened the door. “Just down the road to the park for a bit, mmm? Then back for a nice cup of tea. Maybe some dog treats for you.”

They set off, with Rina sniffing hopefully along the snowy pavement, wondering if she would come across Emi’s scent, or Ben’s. At the end of the road, Mum turned left, making for the park. But Rina stopped, confused. The station was the other way. They were going to the station to meet Emi and Ben, weren’t they? She tugged on the lead, digging her claws into the snow.

“It’s so icy. Don’t pull, sweetheart,” Mum said. “I don’t want to slip over. Come on.”

Rina shook her ears frantically. Mum was taking them the wrong way. Emi and Ben would be waiting. She and Mum might miss them if they didn’t go soon.

She pulled again and let out a questioning whine, but Mum didn’t turn back towards the station.

“No, Rina,” she said firmly. “Come on, we’re going to the park. Good girl. That’s it.”

Rina had been going to puppy classes with Mum and Emi, and the trainer had told them how important the tone of voice was for dog training. You have to sound as though you mean it, she’d said. And Kaii had explained to them when they’d first got Rina that Shiba Inus could be hard to train if they didn’t know that their owners were their pack leaders. Mum had to be top dog, he’d told them. Mum had practised the firm voice carefully.

So even though Rina didn’t want to go down the road to the park, she still did as she was told. She laid her ears back and plodded along like a miserable snail.

But just as they got halfway down the road, Mum slipped over on the ice and let go of Rina’s lead. Rina sniffed at her carefully and made sure that she was all right. When Mum started to get up, Rina gave her cheek a quick, apologetic, loving lick. And then she darted away, back down the road, before Mum had a chance to catch her breath and call after her.