Oscar's Lonely Christmas

Chapter Eight

Oscar padded happily through the crisp snow, his paws crunching at every step. It felt good and he wanted to run. He looked up hopefully at Hannah. She laughed, and they raced down the road.

“I’ve got some carrots,” Hannah told Oscar, when they stopped, panting, the cold air burning their throats. “Shall we go and see the horses?”

They walked past Hannah’s school, where the playground was a sheet of snow, without a single footprint. At last, they reached the riding school fields. The horses were standing clustered together, looking rather mournful.

“The carrots will cheer them up,” Hannah told Oscar. As they reached the fence, she boosted Oscar up so that he had his paws on the top rail, and she rested his bottom against her. “Ooh, Oscar, I’m not sure how long I can do this,” she told him. “You’re definitely getting heavier!”

She held the carrots out invitingly, and the horses came trotting over.

Oscar wagged his tail delightedly and stretched out his nose to nuzzle at the horses as they gobbled the carrots.

“Mind they don’t accidentally nibble you too,” Hannah warned him, laughing as she pulled him away. They watched happily as the horses nosed around, looking for more carrots. Finally, they gave up and wandered off.

Hannah sighed. “I suppose we should go home. It’s starting to snow again, look!”

Oscar gazed up at her. He could tell from her tone that she didn’t really want to, and he wagged his tail hopefully.

“I suppose we could stay out a little longer,” Hannah said slowly. “It isn’t getting dark yet, and I shouldn’t think anyone will have missed us.” She sighed again and hugged Oscar close, feeling suddenly lonely.

But her sad mood was quickly broken as Oscar licked her face lavishly, making her splutter and giggle. “OK. Let’s go to the woods, shall we? We can walk down to the stream. It might even be frozen!”

They tramped along the snowy path, Hannah admiring the layer of crystal snow decorating the branches as they drew closer to the woods. It had drifted deeply under the trees, and Hannah and Oscar ran along kicking up the snow, Oscar barking happily. His barks echoed around the empty woodland, and Hannah chased him in and out of the dark trees.

Oscar felt better than he had in ages. All the grumpiness had gone. He shook his ears and barked, then barked again as a load of snow fell down from a branch with a shivery thump.

At last, they settled down for a rest on a fallen tree by the edge of the stream. It was so beautiful – the stream was just starting to ice over at the edges. Hannah sighed happily. This was much better than sitting in the stuffy house. But they should probably go back soon, or it would be getting dark. She looked up at the sky and realized with a sharp shock that the sun was out again, but it was low in the sky, and the shadows had grown longer and darker. They must have been out longer than she had thought. She sprang up anxiously. “We need to go home, Oscar. It’s late.”

Oscar looked up at her, and wagged his tail uncertainly. Hannah sounded upset.

She looked around, her eyes wide. “Oscar, which way did we come? I can only see our footsteps just here by the fallen tree, the snow’s covered the rest of them.” She shook herself angrily. “Oh, this is stupid, we can’t be lost.” She walked around the tree trunk, looking carefully at the little paths leading off between the trees. Which one had they come along? Panic was growing inside her, and her heart was racing. Every time she looked up, the sky was a deeper shade of eerie night-time blue.

“It’s this one, I think,” she muttered uncertainly. “Come on, Oscar.” She didn’t notice Oscar looking back as they set off down the path. He sniffed at the tree trunks thoughtfully as they walked. Why were they going this way?

“This isn’t right,” Hannah said anxiously, after a few minutes. “We ought to be coming out of the trees by now. We’ll have to go back.” She led Oscar down the path again, stumbling over the snow in the gathering dark. Back at the clearing by the stream, Hannah sat down again, for her legs were shaking. She had to admit that she didn’t know the way.

They were lost.

Oscar looked up at Hannah, confused. She was crying, and he didn’t know why. He leaned his head against her leg lovingly, and she looked down and patted him.

“I’m scared, Oscar,” she murmured. “And it’s so cold. I just want to go home.”

Oscar bounced up, wagging his tail. He knew home, and he could get there. Was that all Hannah wanted? He pulled gently on his lead, and gave a little whine. When she looked up, he barked, telling her to follow.

Hannah blinked. “Home?” she asked. “Can you get us home, Oscar?”

Oscar tugged his lead, and Hannah stumbled after him. The path he chose looked just like all the others to her, but he seemed so sure. Every so often he would stop to sniff at the bushes, then he’d wag his tail and pull her on.

Hannah looked around doubtfully, but Oscar knew exactly where he was going. He trotted on through the wood, and at last she saw the riding school fields at the end of the pathway.

“Oh, Oscar, you little star!” she murmured, crouching down to give him a hug. “But we have to hurry up and get home.” Then her shoulders drooped. “Actually, I suppose it doesn’t matter, except that I’m getting really cold, and I bet you are too. I shouldn’t think anyone will have noticed we’ve been gone.”

They trudged home, past the school, and turned at last into their road. Oscar pricked up his ears as they came round the corner, and Hannah stopped in surprise. Someone was calling her name. And there it was again. It sounded like Gran.

“Hannah! Hannah!” And that was her dad.

Hannah started walking again, Oscar pulling her down the road. Gran, and Granny and Grandpa, Dad and Uncle Mark, and even Auntie Jess were out in her road, all calling for her.

They had missed her then! Her dad looked really worried, and Hannah slowed down a little, realizing that he was probably going to be furious.

“Hannah!” Dad caught sight of her and ran up the road, swinging her into his arms and squeezing her tight. “Where were you? We were so worried, we had no idea where you were!”

“I left a note!” Hannah said, surprised. “You and Mum were busy with Zak, and Oscar was so miserable… I’m sorry,” she added. “I didn’t mean to be so late. I got lost in the wood, and Oscar found the way home. He was really clever.”

Dad was still holding her as though he thought she might disappear. “We didn’t find a note. Oh, Hannah, you should have told us.”

“But Zak was screaming…”

“It’s OK – we’re not cross. We were scared, Hannah. Please promise you’ll never go off like that again.”

“I won’t. Promise.” Hannah nodded.

Dad crouched down to make a fuss of Oscar. “He brought Hannah home,” he told everyone, as they came up the garden path. “Get inside, Hannah, you must be frozen.”

“Oscar brought you back?” Auntie Jess asked in surprise. “But he’s still just a puppy! Clever boy, Oscar!” And she reached down and patted him gently.

Hannah beamed – Auntie Jess had never stroked Oscar before.

“Hannah!” Zak came running to hug her, and then he hugged Oscar too.

“We were so worried about you!” Mum told her.

“Sorry,” Hannah whispered, but she was watching Zak and Oscar worriedly. Then she realized that Oscar didn’t have his ears laid back, and he was thumping his tail on the hall floor.

“Wow!” Mum murmured. “Oscar’s not being nervous around Zak.” She looked at Oscar thoughtfully. “I suppose he’s just had a really good long walk. You’ve exercised some of his nerves away, Hannah.” Then she frowned as Zak tried to pick Oscar up. “No, Zak. You can stroke Oscar, but you don’t pull him around, OK.”

Hannah looked at Mum in amazement, as she gently pulled Zak away. “Come on, Oscar’s tired and he wants to go and lie on his cushion now. You play with your new aeroplane. Granny and Grandpa want to see it.” Zak made a face, but he did as he was told, and Mum looked over at Hannah. “What is it?”

“You never make Zak leave Oscar alone!” Hannah gasped.

Mum sighed. “Well, we probably should have done. Oscar’s a patient dog, but Zak needs to be a bit more gentle. We’ve been letting him get away with stuff because he’s only little, but this is important. Sorry, Hannah. I know it’s hard being the big sister sometimes.”

“Thanks, Mum!” Hannah threw her arms round her. Then she let go, looking thoughtfully through the living-room door at Zak playing with their grandparents. “Oscar is Zak’s dog too, though, I suppose. I probably ought to let him join in more.” She sighed, and then brightened up. “When we start dog-training, do you think Zak can come too? He might learn to be more gentle with Oscar if he saw everybody at dog-training being really careful with their dogs.”

Mum laughed. “We need to get on and book those classes after Christmas. But right now Oscar deserves a bit more turkey, don’t you think? Come on, Oscar!”

Hannah nodded, then she put her head round the living-room door. “Zak! Do you want to come and give Oscar some turkey?”

Zak jumped up and took Hannah’s hand. They followed Oscar as he trotted eagerly into the kitchen, and watched him gobble up the turkey. He pushed the bowl round the floor, licking round the sides, making sure he hadn’t missed any. Then he sighed happily, licked Hannah’s foot and slumped down on his cushion.

Hannah giggled, and Zak giggled too, looking up at his big sister. Oscar was stretched out on his cushion with his nose in one corner and his back paws almost touching the other. He thumped his tail just a little as he heard them laugh. Then he sighed and wriggled himself back into a ball – worn out, and full, and very, very happy to be home.