Chapter Two
Em had decided that the big gap in her life would be filled only by a dog. Arriving in Glasgow a couple of months ago now, with a few bits and bobs crammed into her holdall, she had moved in with her cousin and was living the life the rest of us want but know we cannot have; that’s flinging around doing what we like, dressing in any old thing and no worries in the world. At 17, the burdens of what to do next had been solved by Em, in this smart runaway move from home to Glasgow.
I mean home knew where she was, and corresponded weekly:
Dear Emmaline
Are you eating properly?
Having an awful time of it on the training course. Are you coming down for Easter?
Love Ma x
This went on for a while, with a postcard here and some money up there until suddenly the getting of a dog was paramount and Em had informed Ma of this by letter.
The day of viewing said puppies arrived, and Cousin and Em set out, by bus, to a more desolate landscape, Drumchapel. We are now somewhere down in the left-hand corner of the spell, which has woven in exquisite detail the journey and its purpose. How Cousin, in his right mind, we think, came to mention the litter of puppies, and suggested they take a look; all this then was part of the plan.
The journey, would take them from the city, with its fine redbrick tenements, impressive entrances surrounded by gardens and greenery, to the vast estates of grey and glass and chipboard. Where the shops look more like torture chambers heavily grilled outside and grimmer still within; this Glasgow was still a chrysalis waiting to make the change, rather like Em in fact. The deed was quickly over, for the spell and Diva’s plan, were working hard on that day.
‘Diva!’ Even the name was plucked from the magic air around her, as Em only had eyes for one puppy of the three. ‘That’s the one.’
‘What?’ said Cousin, who not being part of the spell felt no special pull one way or another, except the pull to go home, and then the pull of what to do with Em. So really all he felt was annoyance at this new burden (Diva) bound to be an encumbrance.
‘Her name is Diva.’ Em informed Cousin of how it was going to be, now that she had fallen in love and found the very thing to sort her life out. Never had fate seemed so unswerving and true. None of that fooling around trying to make a decision, it had scored a direct hit. Yes! The Spell was working well, finding Em and matching her up with Diva.
For now, Good fairy’s work was being rewarded, in colours radiant to the eye if you were quick enough to see them; they glowed bright in the Spell and shivered along the delicate threads that wove her name. Diva.
I need now, to introduce another dog into this story, and she is called Kimmy dog. Like the Bad fairy, who is always noticed because she is up to no good, you may know someone, who is as good as gold, quiet, unassuming and kind. Or, perhaps you haven’t noticed them at all? This would be Kimmy dog for you. So patient that Ma often forgets she is there. Yes, she is Ma’s keeper and in the most gentle way possible, keeps her in check, especially on days when there is a correspondence from daughter Em.
Dear Ma
You’ll never guess what….
This was the card to stop Ma in her tracks and learn of the new arrival.
Anything that begins with ‘Guess what,’ is going to cause a nervous reaction, and it took all of Kimmy dog’s gentle persuasion to calm Ma down. Saying things like:
‘The responsibility,’ and ‘good for Em,’ and ‘it could be worse!!’ – Which was true, soothed the troubled mind of Ma, who absentmindedly fed everyone twice – and then ate two bars of chocolate into the bargain. The training course was wearing her out, with all that preparation and lesson planning stuff, and goodness knows she could have done with the kind of daughter that turns up in books (Little Women) who rally round their Mothers and make them feel better.
A golden puppy named Diva had turned up, with a parcel of brothers and sisters, (prone to exaggeration was Ma) born into this world more specifically, in Drumchapel, a housing estate in Glasgow yet to be touched with the magic wand of social enterprise. As far as Ma knew, it had retained the flavour of a magnificent impoverished housing estate dedicated to those stalwarts of the land choosing to live there. By the time the bus coughed you up there, you just got on with it, and it seemed that Em had done just that. On reflection, Ma thought it could have been worse (a baby baby) and as for the Scottish cousin who was bravely giving them a home, he was even now pondering on how long for.
Diva slowly came to, her velvet ears pricking up to a soft melodic voice and a sort of tickling sensation that was altogether heavenly.
‘I’m your good fairy,’ Good fairy whispered to the sleepy puppy, ‘and I am always here to guide and help – like teaching you a few good puppy ways; are you ready?’
Am I ready! Thought Diva, and what fun to have a little breezy thing in my ear telling me secrets and whatnot!
‘Yes! I’m ready!’ and this came out as a series of shrill barks that woke Em up but did not penetrate Cousin’s comatose state. Em just turned over and Cousin sank even further into his dreamless sleep.
Noise control was high on Good fairy’s agenda, and it took some time before Diva realised it was her making the noise. ‘What noise?’ she barked. ‘Is it me making it?!’
The low sweet persistent voice of Good fairy finally broke through. ‘Prolonged barking is to be avoided Diva’ and so began the behaviour lessons according to the Spell, which was unravelling as it should. Oh! Did you sense a change there? A tiny wind a blowing, and growing in strength, to blow hard at a fragile situation and force change.
Em’s life was in turmoil, and the long-awaited confrontation with Cousin came soon.
To be continued
Wonka Presents! 'The Story of Diva' - Part one Page 3
