A couple of days ago we journeyed to the home of my father’s sister at Darkes Forest, a rural hamlet a bit off the beaten track, nearly an hour and a half’s drive away. Liquorice had an invite too and traveled along cuddled into my father’s side. My father is 83 years old and the youngest of a family of six children thus making him the baby of the family! Only Dad and Auntie Mayley are still kicking these days and while they talk on the telephone it is several years since they have actually seen each other. Mayley at 91 has had her share of health and mobility problems however she still drives and is as bright as a button. Uncle Syd’s health is currently not the best. They grew up on neighboring small farms and were childhood sweethearts. And obviously still are. Syd was a builder most of his working life while Mayley had small nursery and sold her favorite Fuchsias in her “roadside” stall at the front of their home. Unfortunately, those days are now long gone. My cousin Merle was in attendance to act as “hostess”. Our visit was organized to be a short one, simply a cup of tea and a chat, as Mayley and Syd tire easily and, combined with the drive so would Ma and Pa!
After an uneventful trip, remembering past travels along those roads after bushfires, we stopped on the side of the quiet road a mile from Auntie Mayley’s to let my little darling out to have a leak. Once she stopped scenting the new territory my command to “Have a leak” was one that appealed, despite the “crudeness” of my language, so she acted on it. Getting back to the car though we had a problem. You see Liquorice always enters the car from the passenger side, the same side as her “oldies”. I as her chauffeur, preparer of meals, groom and lowly butler, only enter the car from the driver’s side. Apparently to Liquorice that made my side of the car the “servant’s entrance”. Now Liquorice is a young lady of privilege and would therefore not enter her car by the servant’s entrance with any willingness. So I had to lift one front paw to the seat followed by the other then heave what was left up onto the back seat of the car. Thus it came to pass that I resolved to put my little darling on yet another diet!
We pulled up in the shade of a tree outside of Mayley and Syd’s home. Ma and Pa emerged slowly from the car, Liquorice followed, and we made our way to the front door to be greeted by Merle who was expecting a little puppy, not quite the nearly eleven month old “giantess” before her. She felt that Liquorice should stay on the enclosed front verandah so as not to “bump” her newfound “oldies”. I removed her bright blue lead that she has for “best” and was a present from a very good friend. Liquorice roamed along the verandah inspecting the pot plants on one side and various packets of stuff on the other and returned to enter the house. Folding her lead and placing it on the step. I said, “Be seated” and my little darling sat. Going inside I turned to look at Liquorice through wire the screen door. She understood and simply lay down, resting her head on her special lead and looked at me with those dark brown eyes that can so easily pierce my soul at times. I sat where Liquorice could see me and I could watch my little darling.
Liquorice lay peacefully as her clan reminisced happily of times past. Ma was reminded of the time a soldier, during WW2, annoyed her in a railway carriage. So she threw his hat out of the window! Or of Uncle Syd introducing a 13 year-old granddaughter as his grandson! Decades later she still sees no humor in that situation! Liquorice dreamed on as friends old and new were discussed. Who is still alive and where they are. Who is not still in the land of the living, and where they are! Illnesses featured, and were compared sympathetically. From time to time I looked over at my little darling, sometimes she was asleep other times those soft dark eyes were open and looking at me. Tea and coffee were consumed and cake in abundance. Poor Liquorice missed out on that!
Our supposedly brief visit quickly went into overtime. After three hours, which seemed like only one, Mayley asked that my little darling be brought inside, so Liquorice entered quietly on her lead, sat next to my chair and looked around the table. Mayley had known our Nanny and knew what to expect but Uncle Syd had never seen a dog “that size” let alone a puppy! Needless to say Liquorice’s eyes fell on the remains of a Carrot cake and a Passionfruit sponge cake with thick cream filling! When Merle cut the sponge cake earlier Auntie Mayley said she would have a wedge from the other side of that cake, as the cream was thicker there! And that is what she had. But I could read my little darling’s mind and leaned over to pat her and whispered “no” into her ear. She understood so there was no flood of drool drenching the tablecloth. Liquorice then looked at each new person sitting at the table as the usual comments were made of her and slowly she took in each new face. Then she raised her nose higher and scented each of these new faces from where she was sitting. I thought that it was a bit rude, however nobody commented. When she had digested each scent she lay down on the floor with one last hopeful look at those cakes.
When at last we were leaving I placed Liquorice in the car, and through the “proper” side as befitted her station in life. Mayley asked where Liquorice was so I gladly opened the back door to display my little darling. Liquorice sat up as Mayley pushed her walking frame to one side so she could get in closer to pat our pup. Liquorice graciously accepted her Auntie Mayley’s hand caressing her neck and head. Mayley could not get over the silky softness of Liquorice’s fur or the gentleness of her nature. When Mayley would stop Liquorice tenderly rested her massive head alongside Mayley’s hand or arm, just touching with her hair, so as to get another kindly dose of affection. It was lovely to watch. Eventually Ma and Pa were seated were seated in the car as well, however Ma continued to chat with Merle in the front and Mayley continued to gossip to her baby brother. Once more Mayley was in awe at the way Liquorice snuggled contentedly into Pa’s side in the back of the car. After nearly five hours our “short” visit came to an unwanted end. It had been a Magic Afternoon for all concerned.
Throughout the entire day Liquorice displayed only the very best of manners and perfect behavior. She did us proud, as always!
On arrival home Ma and Pa once more emerged from the car followed by Liquorice who went out on the back lawn and had a l-o-n-g leak! As she finished she looked back at me as if to say, “That was good!”
Arthur Witten
Liquorice – My Dad is my favorite oldie!