Standing Tall Coffee Break Tale
For once my sister’s advice turned out to be right for me – if not quite in the way she intended!
Get a big dog to look after you.” That’s what my big sister told me to do when my ex moved out of my house. Being nearly six feet tall, Hannah always liked to scale things up.
“Now I’m on my own too, I wouldn’t be without a dog,” she added.
We did seem very similar in those days. We both worked from home, we’d both just broken up with our boyfriends. That might be why I gave in to her logic in the end.
I hurried off to the nearest rescue centre and picked out a companion.
The first time I took Bruno out after I brought him home, he dragged me along with his tail held high, his muscular body all aquiver over every scent that entered his black nose.
I have to say I did feel more secure with him around.
Before we turned back and retraced our steps, my mobile rang.
“It’s me,” Hannah said into my ear. “Have you had any thoughts about your summer holiday this year? There are some lovely resorts in Italy. Going as a pair might be cheaper for us. Have you booked the days you’re going to take off work yet?”
“Er… no,” I replied. “Actually, I can’t talk right now. I’m out with my new dog. He’s just tried to pull me through a hedge then across a field full of cows.”
“Oh. Really? Why didn’t you ask me to come along with you when you went to pick him out? Some big dogs can be hard to handle.” My hand tightened on Bruno’s lead. “I thought you might be too busy to bother with me.”
“I’m never too busy for you, Soph. We can kennel our dogs together when we go away. Tell you what; I’ll come round at lunchtime, we’ll talk about Italy and I’ll give you a few dog training tips into the bargain. See you soon.”
“Bruno. Home, boy,” I said with a sigh.
Bruno reached the hall first when my doorbell rang at midday. The tall dark shape beyond the glass could only be one person.
My lofty sister loomed over me in the porch, one of her hands wrapped around her own huge dog’s lead. My mum and dad are as tall as she is, yet even on my tiptoes I struggle to reach five foot four.
Bruno had a sniff and a yap as he took a closer look at Hannah’s Rottweiler while Hannah herself gawped. “What… what the heck is that?” “That’s Bruno.” “You can’t keep him, Soph. He’ll be useless as a guard dog. He’s so…”
“Small?” I tagged on. “Yes, I know. I decided I didn’t want a big dog. My house is too small, and so am I.”
Bruno’s a little mongrel, part Dalmatian, part fifty-six other breeds and will never come past my knees. Still, I copied his stance just then; I spread my feet and held my head up high. It really isn’t how tall you are that matters; it’s how well you stand up for yourself.
“Hannah, I’ve decided not to go on holiday with you this year,” I said in very assertive tones. “Before I split up from Jack I thought his every word was right. I agreed with everything he said. I think we’d both decided because I was small I could be easily led.” I glanced aside. Just then Bruno growled as if saying something forthright to huge Larry the Rottweiler, too. I think Hannah realised what she’d been doing then. It’s so easy to be dominated. It’s equally easy to take over. “Oh, I see.” She paused for a moment before she went on, “In that case… there’s a wine-tasting week on at a vineyard in Italy I had my eye on. I always loved going to places like that before… before Tom and I split up.” She squinted as if she’d just realised something else. Honestly, it really doesn’t matter how huge you are, anybody can find themselves being controlled. “Right,” she said. “That settles it then. You’re big enough to know your own mind and so am I.” She stroked big Larry’s back. Bruno leaned into my leg so I tickled his ears. Thankyou,Bruno, I thought. Ireally dofeelmore“secure”withyoubymyside. You’llbemyfurryreminderthatI mightbesmall,butthatdoesn’tmeanI havetobebossedaround.