Fantasy House

by Ruth Hay

  By the time a panic-stricken Vilma arrived on the scene, Andy had a hand on each collar and the dogs were wagging their tails.

  “How in God’s Name did you do that? she puffed out. “They went crazy when they heard the tractor noise. I do apologize. These two are very hard to handle.”

  “New to dogs, are you?”

  Vilma ignored the implied criticism and decided the truth was her best option.

  “I’m afraid I am finding it a challenge to control these two. I may have to give them up.”

  The words shocked her. She had not known this thought was in her mind.

  “Oh, that would be a real shame,” he said, almost pleading, and looking for the first time into her eyes.

  “These dogs are beauties. I know a bit about the breed. How long have you had them? Here, let me have that leash for a minute.”

  He clipped the leads onto their collars while the dogs stood quietly and watched his every move, as did Vilma. There was something calm and confident about his movements; something that brought to mind the woman in the training hall. He raised one hand and gave the command, “Sit!”

  To her amazement, they sat.

  “Oh, I see the problem. I am not a man!”

  It came out as a bit of a whine which sounded weak and girlish, even to Vilma’s ears.

  He ignored the tone and reacted instead to the core problem as he saw it.

  “It’s likely they were trained by a man but there’s no reason why they would not respond to you. May I ask what your routine is with them?”

  “Ask anything you want to. It’s Andy, am I right? I am Vilma Smith.”

  She reached out her hand and he removed a leather gauntlet and shook hers.

  “If there’s any advice you can give I would very much appreciate it. As you guessed I am an amateur at this game and it’s beginning to get me down.”

  “That’s not good. Dogs should be a pleasure. Um….you are one of the owners here, Miss Smith?

  May I stop and talk to you about this? First I need to remove the mower onto the path. The weight of the machine can crush the grass.”

  Vilma was nodding in accord with everything he asked. His green eyes were remote but sincere and he was obviously keen on dogs. For the first time she felt a glimmer of hope.

  While Andy moved the tractor, she took the dogs up to the porch and tied them onto the railing. Then she raced inside to see if there was a beer in the fridge for him and a Pepsi, or other soft drink, for her.

  This might not be a long talk but it was certainly an important one and she owed him a drink at least.

  He was glad to accept the drink and he wasted no time after analyzing the problems she was causing.

  “The walking is good but you are with them all day by the sounds of it and exhausting yourself. You need to buy a cage where you can leave them safely while you get on with your life.”

  “A cage? Isn’t that cruel?”

  “Not at all! It’s a secure place which they see as a place to sleep uninterrupted. There would be enough room for them to stand and turn comfortably.”

  “So this is a large item?” She was wondering where to put it and thinking how fortunate it was she had left such a clear floor area in her room.

  “Yes. Most dog owners have them. The other advantage is if one dog is misbehaving it can be segregated for a time-out without setting up a chain reaction.”

  Vilma sat back and sipped at her soft drink. Many thoughts were flying through her brain. Foremost was the realization that this gardener was giving her more useful advice than any book or expert had produced to this point. She decided to capitalize on the opportunity he presented.

  “Look, Andy, it must be clear to you I need help with these two. Would it be possible for you to give me some time? I will happily pay for your expertise and any lost work time.”

  “That’s not necessary, Miss Smith.” He bristled at the mere suggestion of payment and Vilma backed down immediately.

  “If that plan does not suit you, Andy, please tell me what to do next. I can see the value of what you have already suggested.”

  He put aside the beer, still almost full, and made to stand up. Vilma closed her eyes so he would not see her despair. Just when she had hope restored to her, this expert was leaving.

  He patted the dogs and pulled on his gauntlets as he stood. She expected him to say a swift goodbye but he turned toward her and spoke solemnly.

  “I used to serve in the Police Canine Unit. I handled dogs of a type similar to your two. I would be glad to help you, but now I need to get on with my work here. Wednesday is my day for this crescent. I’ll think about what to do with your dogs and if you can be here with them next week around 8:00am we can discuss more strategies.”

  “Oh, yes please! And thank you so very much. You have saved me from a big mistake. I would never have forgiven myself for giving up on this pair.”

  She watched as he went to retrieve his riding mower and when the engine roared again the dogs were not alarmed. They knew he was in control.

  Vilma untied the leash and decided to find her smartphone and look up places where she could order a dog cage.

  * * *

  She did not know the entire incident had been observed by a number of persons alerted by the frantic barking of the dogs.

  Louise Ridley had gone so far as to push between the fir trees bordering her property until she could see what was happening. She hoped to find evidence of the feral nature of the two dogs. Evidence she could use to start a petition. Instead, she watched as her gardener went up on the porch like he belonged there. She decided to grill Andy Patterson mercilessly on his next visit, until he revealed all that had been said and done on that porch.

  * * *

  Mavis was concerned when she saw the dogs race away from Vilma. She followed, in case she could help in some way, but when she saw Andy take charge, she backed away and returned to the house through the open patio doors. As she suspected, Honor had also heard the noise and was alarmed enough to go toward the steps to close the side door off the porch in case an animal came through unexpectedly. Mavis reassured her and went up the steps herself to close the door behind her. Now she was on the porch, out of sight of Vilma and Andy, but perfectly placed to overhear their conversation.

  The brief spasm of shame she experienced was quelled when she heard the gardener’s confession about his former occupation. The question that immediately arose was; why would a police services man, obviously still young and in good health, give that profession up and become a gardener?

  Vilma eventually found a cage of the recommended size and had it delivered to her room. She watched while it was assembled. She had also purchased a dog bed large enough for the interior of the cage and with a washable cover. She shut the dogs in the ensuite washroom while the men were working and gave them large biscuit treats to keep them quiet. The company representative who had advised her about the required size of cage said to leave the door open for a day or two so the dogs could go in and out and become accustomed to the new addition to their environment.

  She tipped the men and watched them leave before taking a good look around the room to ensure she had picked the right spot for the cage. It was against the wall of the washroom but visible from her bed.

  Another reason why the cage was a good idea was that she had been having trouble keeping the dogs from trying to jump up on her bed at night. Two heavy lumps of unyielding dog were not welcome sleep companions. Now she had the perfect place for them to sleep. The company advisor told her to place a sheet over the cage at night so both she and the animals could rest.

  She waited just long enough for the dogs to finish their biscuits. Another discovery was that any messy eating and drinking was easier to clean up from the marble floor of the washroom than from the carpeted area.

  She called them by their names and they trotted out keen to see what the noises and talk had been about. In seconds they had separately explored the interesting
new object. Astrid lay down inside and looked around her from this new viewpoint. Oscar returned to the washroom to make sure there were no tasty crumbs left behind, then he joined his litter mate nosing her aside slightly to obtain a better position.

  Vilma sat down on her desk chair and sighed happily. This was a good start. She felt she was finally on the road to understanding dog ownership. She found this week’s training session to be much more useful. It was not that the instructor had changed in any way. It was her personal attitude that had changed. Instead of relaxing because she did not need to be responsible for a brief period, she was now watching intently as hand motions and voice inflections were used to inform the dogs in the class what they were required to do. She realized she had been allowing her dogs to forge ahead of her instead of walking by her side. She began to see that respect came from being in control and that the dogs would be happier knowing they were in good hands, both literally and metaphorically.

  It was with this improved attitude that Vilma looked forward to the next Wednesday session.

  Andy was ready and waiting by the garages. He greeted her first, then spoke to the dogs. Oscar and Astrid seemed to remember him and wagged their plumy tails.

  “I have bought a cage for them and it is working out very well. I didn’t realize how much stress I was under. Now the dogs are safely contained, I can go out for short periods or just relax in the house. Thank you for that suggestion, Andy.”

  “Good. Now let’s move to the area between the gardens and the woods. I brought a couple of rubber balls. You will teach them to retrieve for you. It’s great exercise for them and these dogs need different kinds of stimulation. This one should be easy.”

  Vilma noted that she was to be in charge but she felt so much more confident knowing Andy was there to pick up the pieces if, and when, she did something wrong.

  With the assistance of his prompts, she managed to get the dogs racing away after the ball. Andy thought they had exercised this way before. He showed her how to reinforce the objective which was to get the dogs to return to her with the ball. He did not comment on her poor throwing skills but she noticed how much further his arm could throw than her own.

  I’ll work on this and surprise him next time.

  In minutes they were throwing two balls and the dogs were loving the activity. When Vilma’s throw sent Astrid closer to the tree line, the dog ran confidently into the woods and soon found the brightly-coloured ball. She was obviously proud of this accomplishment and Oscar noticed.

  With the addition of a quick lesson on making the dogs sit at her feet until the balls were thrown for them, Andy concluded the session saying he had to get back to his gardening routine.

  Vilma was flushed with exercise and success.

  “This has been wonderful! I can’t thank you enough, Andy. They are sitting quietly beside me now instead of pulling at the leash. For once they are tired out. Amazing!”

  “The dogs have done well. Same time next week?”

  “Definitely!”

  She reached out to shake his hand and saw him flinch just a little before he briefly grasped her hand then marched down the side path and out to the street for his first appointment. She wondered where his truck was parked but soon forgot that in the sheer joy of knowing her dogs were beginning to see her as more than the provider of food and comfort. Clearly, exercise was more important to them than anything else. And the best part was she was going to enjoy the exercise just as much as the dogs would.

  Free fitness for all.

  Chapter 8

  With Mavis’s photographs, and Hilary’s encouragement, Vilma tackled the matter of finances with Jannice. She invited her to meet the dogs in their room and soon discovered Jannice was not afraid of them.

  “They are so smart and they have beautiful coats. I think you are brave to take them on, Vilma, but nothing you do could ever surprise me. Sure, you took me on and I have everything to thank you for.”

  Vilma smiled and patted the comfy seat beside her at the small table where she had set a tray with tea and cakes, hot from Eve’s oven in the kitchen. She told the dogs to sit and they did so with eyes on every morsel of food in front of them.

  “I wanted you to meet Astrid and Oscar, of course, but I also had another reason for this private get together. You see a little bird told me you had not yet furnished your room and I want to help with that.

  “Now, Vilma, I love you to bits but if I don’t start to stand on my own two feet, you will begin to resent me and I can’t have that. No, I can’t take any more from you.”

  “Wait a minute! This is not about charity, believe me. I have a job for you.”

  “What kind of a job?”

  “One that Harmony House needs. It’s about doing a little light housework in the common areas like the porch, the patio and the guest room. You know the kind of thing; just dusting and windows and such. We have several good vacuum cleaners and anything else you might need can be purchased.”

  “Well now, I would be glad to take this on. Until I get regular work I have plenty of time to spare. I’ve been thinking of helping you with these two animals and that would allow me to borrow your tablet for when I take the online courses.”

  “Excellent! But I don’t think you realize this is a paid position Jannice.”

  “Oh there’s no need for that at all! I owe you all so much. I’ll be glad to help out.”

  Vilma now had a choice to make. She had to risk offending Jannice’s pride by telling her the truth or let the woman continue to sleep on the floor until a distant time when she could afford furniture.

  “Look, Jannice, I will be blunt. I know about your present sleeping conditions and if you agree to take on the housekeeping tasks you will receive a weekly payment from the general maintenance funds. I have Hilary’s permission to offer you an advance on that payment if you wish.”

  Vilma watched to see the reaction to her statements. Jannice’s head dropped. A flush rose over her cheeks and she sighed deeply. Vilma suspected the answer she received was not going to be a welcome one.

  Finally, Jannice’s head came up and she spoke directly to Vilma.

  “I see. It’s no use denying the facts. I have less money than anyone else here. You know I just scraped together the price of admission. I do need a job but it will be months before I can earn a decent income.

  Yes, I have been hiding the lack of furniture. Yes, I do need help but this is a way to give back as well as meet a need. I will gladly accept your offer, Vilma.”

  “Good! Now, I have sent a spy out to look at antique markets outside London and I can show you some likely samples. She quickly cleared off the tray and spread out the photos. Take these with you and see what you like. We will plan an expedition to find you the basics for your room.”

  “Oh, there are some lovely bits here, Vilma. You and the others are altogether too good to me. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve all this kindness.”

  “Oh, no tears, please! If you start me off, the dogs will howl with me. Off you go and put check marks on any likely candidates. This will be a fun trip and maybe we can take the dogs along.”

  * * *

  Vilma had fitted two adaptive seat belts in the rear seat of her car. First, she bought a large washable mat which looped over the seatback and protected the upholstery. When she had placed a dish and a bottle of water and some dog treats in a backpack, she declared herself ready for the trip with Jannice.

  The dogs settled into the rear seat as if they welcomed this outing. Vilma let the windows down an inch or two and strapped the dogs in securely. She had been advised not to permit them to lean out of the windows as many dog owners did. There was a danger of flying objects getting into the dogs’ eyes.

  Jannice was just as excited as the dogs. She greeted Astrid and Oscar and settled beside the driver with the photos in an envelope on her lap.

  “What a lovely day for a drive!”

  “We’ll take a look around and see what
’s likely to suit you. Anything small might fit in the car trunk and the rest can be delivered. I will pay today, but the bill will come to you, Jannice, and you can pay it off whenever you can.”

  “Hilary gave me an advance on my cleaning work so I have some cash with me. This will be fun. I never, ever bought a thing for my old house. There was so much stuff there from decades before that I never felt the need. It will be something strange for me to pick what I like, for sure.”

  They set off toward Aylmer where a Mennonite community farmed. Vilma had been told by Mavis to buy some of their fresh fruit pies for the kitchen. They stopped at a roadside stand in front of a big barn and after choosing pies, they asked to see inside the barn. Jannice loved the simple style of the furniture on display with its clean lines and hand-crafted wood lovingly burnished, but the prices were high. They moved on to another site not far away where Mavis had taken several photos and she had remarked about the charming park outside the country town.

  The large Antiques store on the main street was packed full of what must have come from house clearances. There were china and kitchen wares piled on dressers and tables and the rear of the store held larger items arranged haphazardly. It was like a treasure cave where the treasure had to be unearthed.

  Vilma stayed at the front where she could keep an eye on the car and the dogs while Jannice wandered around happily, lifting up one thing after another and replacing them.

  The proprietor, a grizzled little man with a long grey beard, sensed a prospective buyer despite her casual habits. He followed along at a respectful distance awaiting his chance. Finally, Jannice turned to him and smiled with all the Irish charm at her disposal.

  “I want a few things perhaps, but I need a discount from you.”

  He did not hesitate. “I can do that for you madam, depending on the number of items you buy.”