Chapter Four
No Dog!
Evelyn wasn't worried too much about her job at the British Museum; she knew the curator would need her help sooner or later with the new artifacts and filling out papers to send to the Brimbridge Scholars. No, she was not worried so she decided not to let it bother her. What did bother her, however, was the fact that they were bringing home a beautiful, friendly stray dog to her husband. What did bother her was convincing her husband to let the dog stay because it was clear Alex was already attached. And the true was, Evelyn was attached to Seti too.
Evelyn, Alex and Seti were walking down the sidewalk, since they couldn't take the dog on the bus. The rain had finally stopped, there was only a small drizzle now so the trek wasn't too bad. They walked in silence; Evelyn was trying to think of a way to convince Rick to keep the dog. Alex was walking a head with Seti, stroking his back.
By the time the trio had arrived at their home, Evelyn had figured out somewhat of a plan. They, she and Alex, would wash Seti and clean him so that he looked like a "nice dog"; then when the timing was right they would bring Seti inside and ask Rick if they could keep him.
Evelyn and Alex snuck Seti around to the back of the house, to the large garden. "We can take Seti to my tree-fort." Alex told his mother.
Evelyn agreed that that was a good idea. Alex climbed the ladder first; Evelyn lifted Seti onto the rungs and pushed him upward. Alex pulled Seti into the tree-fort and then helped his mother into the fort as well. "Okay, now what?" Alex asked.
"We need to clean him. We need combs and water and sponges." Evelyn muttered, counting the things on her finger. They couldn't risk going into the house so they got what they could out of the garden shed.
After an hour and a half or so of cleaning and brushing Seti, his coat finally glimmered and shown. Seti panted and licked their faces. "Alright, now all we need to do is convince your father that we 'need' a dog. Then we'll bring Seti in the house, he'll fall in love with him and then we'll get to keep him." Evelyn said, patting Seti's head.
Evelyn, Alex and Seti left the tree-fort, Seti jumped as dog would; Alex took a piece of stray rope and tied Seti up to one of the benches in the garden. Evelyn and Alex left Seti and walked around to the front of the house so that they would come through the front door and not the back door.
Inside the house, Rick heard the front door open and shut. He had been sitting in the parlor waiting for his son and wife to come home; Rick left the parlor and headed to the door to greet them. Evelyn threw her arms around Rick's shoulders and kissed him. Rick broke the kiss and looked down at Alex. "So, you rode the bus okay by yourself I see." Rick said.
Alex nodded. "I told you I was old enough Dad." Alex answered. Alex decided to use this as a "good opportunity" to ask about Seti. "I'm more responsible now too." Alex added.
"What are you getting at Alex?" Rick asked, knowing that his son was concocting something inside his head.
"Rick, before you say no let's sit down and talk about what Alex is thinking of." Evelyn said and motioned for them all to take a seat on the couch.
Outside Seti was not fond of being tied up. He was shaking his head back and forth trying to pull the rope off the bench. Seti growled and backed up, trashing his head. Finally he stopped, realizing that tact wasn't working. He began to gnaw on the rope, which easily frayed. Seti pulled free of the bench and shook himself.
Inside the manor, Alex and Evelyn had warmed the conversation up to the subject of getting a dog. Rick didn't seem to have a problem with the idea. "A dog? I don't see why not, every boy should have a dog. Like a nice little puppy or something." Rick said, nodding.
Alex looked over to his mother; he didn't want a "nice little puppy" he wanted Seti. Evelyn shrugged and decided to try a different angle. "Yes Rick, a puppy would be nice but they're hard to train. Why not a full grown dog?" Evelyn asked, she looked at her husband.
Seti sniffed his way to the front of the house; he sloshed through the mud and wet grass, following the scent of Evelyn and Alex. He stood at the front of the house and barked; he kept barking.
Inside the manor, the O'Connells heard Seti barking. Evelyn and Alex looked at each other, worried; Rick stood up, confused, and headed to the front door. He opened the door to see what was going on outside. As soon as he opened the door Seti charged forward. Rick jumped out of the way as Seti bounded into the manor; he barked and ran circles. He was tracking mud everywhere; Alex, Evelyn and Rick yelled at the dog but that just made him more confused.
"Seti! Seti stop!" Evelyn cried.
Seti barked and jumped up onto the couch, getting mud and water all over it. Alex grabbed Seti around the neck like he was hugging him. Seti calmed down but continued barking.
Rick looked at Seti then to Evelyn and Alex. They had pleading looks on their faces. "This dog?" Rick asked, understanding what the talk about dogs had been truly about.
Evelyn and Alex nodded; Seti barked. Rick shook his head and walked over to where his son held the dog. "No, absolutely not. This dog is wild and unruly. No, this dog is not staying in our house." Rick said, sternly and grabbed the dog by the scruff of the neck. He pulled Seti away from Alex and led him to the door. Seti whimpered and trying to pull away; Rick held him tightly and pushed him outside. "Get out of here!" Rick commanded. Seti whimpered and crawled toward the back of the house, toward the woods that surrounded the house on its right side.
Rick shut the door and locked it. Rick turned back to face his wife and son. "That dog is not to enter this house again. If you want a dog Alex then we'll get you a dog, a nice dog that's trained." Rick said.
Alex began to cry, as an eight-year old boy would because he really wanted Seti. He ran up to his room and slammed to door. Rick looked over to Evelyn to confirm that what he had done was the right thing. The look on his wife's face told him just the opposite; Rick sighed and looked around the mud-covered sitting room. At least he believed what he had done was the right thing; that dog would destroy the manor before the door closed. No, this house was no place for that dog.
No Dog!
Evelyn wasn't worried too much about her job at the British Museum; she knew the curator would need her help sooner or later with the new artifacts and filling out papers to send to the Brimbridge Scholars. No, she was not worried so she decided not to let it bother her. What did bother her, however, was the fact that they were bringing home a beautiful, friendly stray dog to her husband. What did bother her was convincing her husband to let the dog stay because it was clear Alex was already attached. And the true was, Evelyn was attached to Seti too.
Evelyn, Alex and Seti were walking down the sidewalk, since they couldn't take the dog on the bus. The rain had finally stopped, there was only a small drizzle now so the trek wasn't too bad. They walked in silence; Evelyn was trying to think of a way to convince Rick to keep the dog. Alex was walking a head with Seti, stroking his back.
By the time the trio had arrived at their home, Evelyn had figured out somewhat of a plan. They, she and Alex, would wash Seti and clean him so that he looked like a "nice dog"; then when the timing was right they would bring Seti inside and ask Rick if they could keep him.
Evelyn and Alex snuck Seti around to the back of the house, to the large garden. "We can take Seti to my tree-fort." Alex told his mother.
Evelyn agreed that that was a good idea. Alex climbed the ladder first; Evelyn lifted Seti onto the rungs and pushed him upward. Alex pulled Seti into the tree-fort and then helped his mother into the fort as well. "Okay, now what?" Alex asked.
"We need to clean him. We need combs and water and sponges." Evelyn muttered, counting the things on her finger. They couldn't risk going into the house so they got what they could out of the garden shed.
After an hour and a half or so of cleaning and brushing Seti, his coat finally glimmered and shown. Seti panted and licked their faces. "Alright, now all we need to do is convince your father that we 'need' a dog. Then we'll bring Seti in the house, he'll fall in love with him and then we'll get to keep him." Evelyn said, patting Seti's head.
Evelyn, Alex and Seti left the tree-fort, Seti jumped as dog would; Alex took a piece of stray rope and tied Seti up to one of the benches in the garden. Evelyn and Alex left Seti and walked around to the front of the house so that they would come through the front door and not the back door.
Inside the house, Rick heard the front door open and shut. He had been sitting in the parlor waiting for his son and wife to come home; Rick left the parlor and headed to the door to greet them. Evelyn threw her arms around Rick's shoulders and kissed him. Rick broke the kiss and looked down at Alex. "So, you rode the bus okay by yourself I see." Rick said.
Alex nodded. "I told you I was old enough Dad." Alex answered. Alex decided to use this as a "good opportunity" to ask about Seti. "I'm more responsible now too." Alex added.
"What are you getting at Alex?" Rick asked, knowing that his son was concocting something inside his head.
"Rick, before you say no let's sit down and talk about what Alex is thinking of." Evelyn said and motioned for them all to take a seat on the couch.
Outside Seti was not fond of being tied up. He was shaking his head back and forth trying to pull the rope off the bench. Seti growled and backed up, trashing his head. Finally he stopped, realizing that tact wasn't working. He began to gnaw on the rope, which easily frayed. Seti pulled free of the bench and shook himself.
Inside the manor, Alex and Evelyn had warmed the conversation up to the subject of getting a dog. Rick didn't seem to have a problem with the idea. "A dog? I don't see why not, every boy should have a dog. Like a nice little puppy or something." Rick said, nodding.
Alex looked over to his mother; he didn't want a "nice little puppy" he wanted Seti. Evelyn shrugged and decided to try a different angle. "Yes Rick, a puppy would be nice but they're hard to train. Why not a full grown dog?" Evelyn asked, she looked at her husband.
Seti sniffed his way to the front of the house; he sloshed through the mud and wet grass, following the scent of Evelyn and Alex. He stood at the front of the house and barked; he kept barking.
Inside the manor, the O'Connells heard Seti barking. Evelyn and Alex looked at each other, worried; Rick stood up, confused, and headed to the front door. He opened the door to see what was going on outside. As soon as he opened the door Seti charged forward. Rick jumped out of the way as Seti bounded into the manor; he barked and ran circles. He was tracking mud everywhere; Alex, Evelyn and Rick yelled at the dog but that just made him more confused.
"Seti! Seti stop!" Evelyn cried.
Seti barked and jumped up onto the couch, getting mud and water all over it. Alex grabbed Seti around the neck like he was hugging him. Seti calmed down but continued barking.
Rick looked at Seti then to Evelyn and Alex. They had pleading looks on their faces. "This dog?" Rick asked, understanding what the talk about dogs had been truly about.
Evelyn and Alex nodded; Seti barked. Rick shook his head and walked over to where his son held the dog. "No, absolutely not. This dog is wild and unruly. No, this dog is not staying in our house." Rick said, sternly and grabbed the dog by the scruff of the neck. He pulled Seti away from Alex and led him to the door. Seti whimpered and trying to pull away; Rick held him tightly and pushed him outside. "Get out of here!" Rick commanded. Seti whimpered and crawled toward the back of the house, toward the woods that surrounded the house on its right side.
Rick shut the door and locked it. Rick turned back to face his wife and son. "That dog is not to enter this house again. If you want a dog Alex then we'll get you a dog, a nice dog that's trained." Rick said.
Alex began to cry, as an eight-year old boy would because he really wanted Seti. He ran up to his room and slammed to door. Rick looked over to Evelyn to confirm that what he had done was the right thing. The look on his wife's face told him just the opposite; Rick sighed and looked around the mud-covered sitting room. At least he believed what he had done was the right thing; that dog would destroy the manor before the door closed. No, this house was no place for that dog.