The Dog Trainer, Oi!

As the birds swoop low, by the old fence at the bottom of my plot, I see Sarah on the other side. "Hey Oi, how are you?" Sarah calls. 

"Hey there my friend, I'm good!"

"I'm good too friend, how are the dogs today?"

"Well Molly just had her hair cut and I decided to have her dyed pink again"

Molly is a Standard Poodle she is lying by the old wood fired oven in the kitchen, her favorite place on earth. "Oi!" Molly jumps to her feet as she hears her cue and runs to his feet, she sits at Oi's heels and waits. He pats her on the head and she whines in pleasure. "Good dog" Oi says to her. "Where are your mates my dog?" She barks.

"There is a new one waiting for you in the lounge" says Sally my house keep. Oi takes the fresh cup of java from her hand and head to the lounge. Taking a seat in his favorite chair he introduces myself "Hi how are you, they call me Oi." 

"Hello I'm Garth, I would like to train under you I hear you are the best!"

"Thanks, that's what they say" Oi says almost embarrassed.

"Right I'll see you here in the morning around 9am, we meet in the main quad out front"

"Great see you tomorrow" Garth replies. He picks up his jacket and leaves.

Ok sits in his chair and think about how many years it's been, see he's been a dog trainer for many years and now is sharing his knowledge with others. As he slips into a day dream Molly puts her here head on his knee. He pats her on the head. After a time he starts to wonder where the others are. So he shouts "Oi! Oi! Oi!" a minute passes and then with a rushing stampede from all over the plot the others storm in, his dogs. "There you are my friends" Oi throws them each a treat from his treats pouch, not forgetting Molly of course.

The next morning, Oi wakes laughing, he had been dreaming about his dogs and in the dream Molly was licking his face and she wouldn't stop. He lays in bed smiling thinking about it for a few minutes and then jumps out of bed with a start. Molly lifts her head and barks. "Molly guess what it's Monday and we have a new student." says Oi looking lovingly at her. She jumps off the bed and walks to the door as if this is old news, Oi only smiles and follows her to the kitchen. He sits at the kitchen table and lifts his steaming cup of java without thinking, Oi is still thinking about his dream as he stares off into the distance through the old kitchen door. He hardly notices Sally, by the stove as she prepares his breakfast.

Suddenly Oi hears Sarah talking as she greets him good morning, he shakes himself out of his day dream and wonders to himself "How does Sarah do it?" again she has snuck in without notice and out of the blue, he wasn't expecting to see her again so soon. He looks at her and slowly smiles "Good morning friend!, will you be joining us for breakfast?"  He looks at Sally over by the old stove, Sally hasn't yet noticed what is going on behind her. "No friend, but thank you I must run, just popped in to say morning is all" Sarah says as she turns and disappears as suddenly as she had appeared. Oi spots Molly at her favorite place and says "Did you see that my dog?" Molly barks and so the new day begins.

It's nearing 9am and Oi, Molly and some of the other dogs wander into the main quad, some of his top students are already waiting he greets then and sees Garth there. "Meet Jumbo!" Garth says obviously proud of his little Pug, Oi bends down and pats Jumbo on the head "Welcome" he says smiling at the Pug, Jumbo whines "Oi" Oi whispers and suddenly the Pug sits and looks at Oi expectantly. "Wow, so the rumors are really true, that's amazing" Garth says almost to himself, Oi stands, shakes Garth's hand and walks of silently. Garth is awed by what he had just witnessed of course he had heard the rumors but to actually witness it first hand is something else altogether. He has never been able to get Jumbo to sit like that.

After the lesson is over Garth asks Oi "So, what do your parents call you?" Oi turns his head to the side and looks down at the far end of his garden, after a moment he turns back to Garth looks into his eyes for a moment and then he says "Good day, Garth take care" he turns to the house and walks off, Molly on his heal. Garth thought to himself "Gosh, I, um…" he leaves with Jumbo running around his feet barking. He felt as if Oi was looking right into his soul.

Oi knows the rumors about himself, he doesn't mind though, he thinks about Garth for a moment and says to Molly "He's going to be my top student don't you think my dog?" she barks twice and looks at Sally as Sally walks into the lounge with his evening mug. "I'm going to retire for the evening" she says to Oi looking into his kind eyes with that same penetrating look, as if sharing a secret only they know they both smile andMolly barks, Sally turns leaving the room.

Molly barks almost a howl…, he can't see her…, he's running "Molly, where are you, Molly!" Oi wakes with a start still sitting in his chair, frantically he looks around and with a sigh of relief when he looks down and sees her. Molly whimpers and paws Oi's foot. "That dream again" he says to Molly she only looks at him, he gives her a treat and a pat on the head.

Five months pass as if in a week. "Oi!" The dogs all sit at once like a choreographed dance, with Jumbo at his heal, Garth says "Good dogs". He then looks at Oi with that same penetrating look and they both shake hands and Oi silently turns to the gate and starts to walk silently away with Molly close on his heel, Garth watches as they fade into the distance…