She walked her dog, the same places, the same time at night and also first thing in the morning.
Those who knew her spoke, but the youngsters all had their heads down reading whatever pish was on their phones.
Garibaldi was a boxer and he wasn’t the brightest, but he made her laugh.
“Hi Ella, how’s it going?”
She stopped outside the butchers.
“Jim, how the hell are you? Busy enough?”
“Nope! Fucking supermarkets take away more of my business every fucking day.”
She laughed, “Maybe it’s your language that’s scaring folks away.”
“I’ve never thought of that. That’s it, no more fucking swearing for me.”
“And how many times have I heard that?”
“Every fucking morning that I speak to you.”
He leaned down to pat Garibaldi who was wiggling his arse as well as his tail. “Paul, bring me out a knuckle for the dug.”
“How’s the boy doing?”
“Actually, he’s doing well. He’s not as stupid as those other wee wankers that I gave a chance. He isn’t squeamish and I think, with a bit of practise he’ll have some really good knife skills.”
“Hello Ella. Garibaldi! Here’s your bone.”
“Aww Jesus! Don’t let him see it, he’ll drool from now to I get him home.”
“…Sorry.”
“It’s fine but I think you should ask him for a kiss.”
The boy looked at the dog who had started to drool, “Naw, your alright Ella. I’ll get back to my work.”
She giggled as he left her standing there with Jim.
“You watch yourself when you’re walking hame.”
“I’m fine. Garibaldi does come across as stupid but no-one would come near me with him with me.”
“Naw, he’d droon them!!”
Jim gave him a rub of the head.
“See you tomorrow Ella.”
“Put my usual order by for me. Is it still the same price?”
“For as long as I can keep it that way.”
“Thanks. See you tomorrow.”
Ella and Garibaldi walked into the next street and she went into the paper shop.
“Hello there Jean, my usual Herald please.”
Jean was already around the counter, on her hunkers and cuddling the dog.
“Whit a handsome boy!”
Garibaldi wagged his bum again.
“Do you want a mouse, do you??”
“Jean, chocolate’s not good for him.”
“Fuck sake Ella, they are white and I buy them at a hundred for a pound so I really don’t think there will be much chocolate in them.”
Ella smiled, “You spoil him.”
“You are my favourite customers!”
“At this time we are your only customers!”
Ella paid for her paper and nodded thanks.
She had only one more stop to make, to top up her leckie card and then it was home for breakfast.
…
Ella opened her eyes. Three years was a long time, or maybe in her case, a very short time.
The padlock and chain that she had stolen had been a Godsend, she was able to lock the gate to the shop-front doorway. She leaned into her backpack and took out the survival blanket that the very kind ambulance man had given her. She wrapped it tight around her and then took out a black bin liner and covered herself over. It had worked so far. If anyone looked, they only saw a bag of rubbish.
Only six hours to go to the Church would give her some breakfast.
She wondered if the family that took Garibaldi were being good to him.
She missed him.
…She hoped that he didn’t miss her.
literally stories 
Hugh
I recently saw a Petunia Snowflake type on the news saying (to the effect) poor people shouldn’t have pets due to higher food cost and high vet bills. Typical. Society can certainly afford an extravagant amount of poor people. “Fortunately” society will take care of a Dog before a street person or a stray Cat.
This is touching made especially keen by the outstanding finishing sentence. And what it says about the loss of shops underscores you can be anything you want as long as that means working for Walmart. Great work here.
Leila
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Hi Leila,
Thanks so much.
It takes me about an hour to walk into work and this was what turned up one night when I was wondering where I’d sleep if I was ever misfortunate enough to find myself in that predicament.
A lady I used to work with always said that we were all four paycheck’s away from being in a very similar boat.
Thanks again, I really do appreciate your kind words!
Hugh
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To me this is a story of how society slides down it’s scale of neglect and becomes a sad observer of others who need help. It is a shame the family looking after Garibaldi couldn’t look after Ella.
What I couldn’t understand was why should Ella be so afraid walking home. A reflection, perhaps, on the vitriolic attitude too prevalent around us.
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Hi James,
It’s always a pleasure to see you around the site!
With the way things are going, I hate to think about how many folks were cuddling up to their pets to keep them both warm.
I love how the government states that they can’t give people any more money when their salaries have increased around twenty grand in under five years.
It is a sad state of affairs when some of us can’t even afford to work!
All the very best my fine friend!
Hugh
PS – I was delighted to see a submission in from you – Not got around to it yet but will very soon.
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Hugh,
Poignant. The dialog created the imagery and delivered the message, not an easy thing to do and not often done.
Ed
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Hi Ed,
Thanks so much.
I always get a kick out of a comment.
I really do appreciate your kind words.
All the very best my fine friend.
Hugh
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One of those stories that’s able to have a big impact in a few words. I think it’s from the realistic dialogue and the innocent Garibaldi. The closing where Ella hopes her dog doesn’t miss her is particularly effective. Nicely done.
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Hi Dave,
Thanks as always, your continual interest in my work makes me so happy.
We never take on many stories that have cruelty to animals so doing this the opposite way around was interesting. (More a happy coincidence that it worked if the truth be told!)
Hope all is well with you and yours!
Hugh
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Many of us are nearer to the edge than we think. Striking piece.
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Hi there,
Thanks so much.
I totally agree. It’s fine to cut your cloth to fit if you have a big enough piece of cloth!
Not many of us have.
All the very best.
Hugh
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Oh my goodness that was a punch in the kidneys! Great use of language and a powerful & poignant last line. One that’ll stick.
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Hi Steven,
Many thanks for your sore kidneys!
It’s always great if you can come up with a last line that is appreciated.
All the very best my fine friend.
Hugh
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The sudden switch forward to three years later was a well-contrived shock. Brilliant dialogue.
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Cheers Mick!
It is worrying how much life can change in quite a short space of time.
Not often does it change for the better.
Hope you are happy and inspired!
Hugh
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Thoughtful & moving story –the spirited characters care about each other in spite of society and commerce pressuring them not to. Heartbreaking that there are so many Ellas whose only shelter is a strategically arranged garbage bag. Thank you!
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Thanks so much.
I find it sad that most of the shops that are open from 6.00am around here are those 24 hour supermarkets that destroyed the bakers, butchers, newspaper shops and grocers. The greedy bastards did that very well!
All the very best.
Hugh
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Yes. When we get a dental bill, a garage door repair (a couple of days ago – yikes), and pay for Kitzhaber’s (cat) thyroid meds, we wonder about minimum wage workers,
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Hi Doug,
Our old cat could tell when our bank-balance was low as that was when she needed her medication!
…So it was soup for four days and watery soup until we were paid!
Hope all is well with you my fine friend and thanks as always.
Hugh
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Excellent, blistering dialogue – that you are a master of. I think you might well be one of my favourite swearers. The refrain and the sadness at the end was a jolt – in a completely good way of course – it works so well.
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Hi Paul,
I have a link between swearing and alcohol – I try not to but then I go into my work for five minutes, I need to!!
Thanks so much for the kind words!
Hugh
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Hi Hugh
This is a heartbreaking and charming tale with a great heart and spirit to it and an amount of fellow feeling for humanity that is both inspiring and rare.
The end is so sad I can barely stand to think about it, and I mean that literally.
The dialogue in this story is great! Somehow you have a way of creating entire worlds through little more than dialogue, a rare skill. The reader can feel what’s going on all around the characters just by what they’re saying to each other. That’s amazing, not to mention hard to do! You provide the setting without even writing it out, AND the dialogue also feels entirely natural, NOT like it’s there just to fill the reader in. Excellent! Bukowski would be proud of the streamlined effect in your writing, and the spirit of it, as well.
The THEME, or idea, of this story is totally there but it’s also totally embodied in the characters and the situation, which makes it that much more powerful.
This story has the feel of a classic in the sense that it has a universal application while also remaining extremely loyal to its own specific terms, and universe.
It reminds me of OLIVER TWIST, the street novel by Dickens, and I mean that in a very good way as Dickens is one of my favorite authors. His combination of social realism and sympathetic characters helped change the world; things are bad but they’d probably be even worse without Dickens, and when the world wakes up again, he will be there for them.
Karl Marx was a massive fan of Dickens and he referenced him all the time in letters and in other writings. Marx was a Constant Reader of Dickens.
Your combination of social conscience and real/istic characters is one of a kind, especially now.
GREAT JOB.
Dale
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Hi Dale,
Your opening paragraph to your amazing comments had me thinking on what mix I was going for in this story.
I could bullshit you and state that was totally my intention!! However, I don’t think I’m as organised as that!!
A comment that Mick made about him forgetting this one made something twig in me – I had (sort of) used this type of format before. I honestly had forgotten and it took me a few times to find the story. ‘An Easy Choice To Make’ was one of my earlier stories and that was where I first used the ‘walk through town’ idea, I panicked a bit and thought I had more or less copied it, but thankfully, (I think!!!) it was only the structure that was the same. The examples were different and the outcome was completely different although it was also heartbreaking.
I do worry about repeating myself and it has taken a long time to come up with something I reckon I haven’t used before. I have four ideas and I am slowly getting my head around them. Once I have, that is when I’ll sit down and type them. They’ll be rough but as long as they are there, it’s easy to polish…Getting the ideas is now the problem!!
To be honest I did intentionally have Ella as a lovely lady end up in shit circumstance as I see that happening so many times. I think the old saying of the Devil looking after his own is so appropriate in these unfair times.
Thanks again my fine friend, your comments humble me!!!
Hugh
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Hugh
Sorry I’m getting on so late into the conversation. But, yes. all of us are experiencing late-stage capitalism, which is more electronic than real, is distant and lonely. Growing up, the local deli owners were friends who knew your family’s names and drove you to the doctor to get ‘stitched up’ when needed, and your receipt was a penciled sum on the bag. Today, your hamburger meat is delivered by drone or an Amazon truck.
I notice many of my neighbors ‘walk’ their dogs in strollers to avoid contact with other dogs, the ground, & us. Many are ‘craft’ dogs of various mixes, but boxers never qualify. Garibaldi never gets to be half a poodle
At least the squirrels and the possums in the backyard still live sensible lives. I hang with them when they let me. It’s always a food thing. Canned cat food & peanuts in return for their company. Everything is processed. — Gerry
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Hi Gerry,
I love your use of the word, ‘processed’ that can mean so much and all negative!!
I also remember the times when you weren’t frightened to chap your neighbours door for help, using the phone or just for a yap. I’ve harped on about mobile phones and how the sales pitch is ‘keeping everyone connected’ when all they do is take away contact and basic humanity!!
I think the main problem within this story is the perpetrators are never revealed, mentioned or taken to task. Sadly that happens time and time again when we are left with very little and the councillors, politicians, royalty and presidents, who are ‘supposed’ to represent and look out for us take as much as they can as many times as they can!!!
There are many good people in this world. Unfortunately they, like Ella, will be left to rot and never be able to make a difference.
Those that can only make a positive difference to their bank balances!!
Thanks Gerry, hope you are happy, healthy and inspired.
Hugh
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I’m so pleased this got a rerun Hugh otherwise I might never have read it.
People like Ella are usually the kindest, most caring and selfless victims of our society – that last line said it all, and completely broke my heart.
Thanks again for another story so simply told yet deep as a well – will linger for a very long time
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Hi Karen,
It’s always a delight to see you around the site!
Your comments are quite correct. The wrong type of people seem to have the wealth and the power…The kind and genuine are maybe put on this earth to suffer!!
Hope all is well with you and yours.
Hugh
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Hi Hugh
I was enjoying Ella taking Garibaldi around for his pets and treats. I walk my dogs nearly everyday and we have our little rituals, and meetings, too. Mostly to avoid other dogs.
I didn’t immediately realize Ella may be homeless, so the ending was really powerful! And sad…
There is a lot to consider with this situation.
You did a lot with your prose style. It reminded me of Raymond Carver. How he could get a story going with just a few words. And the details roll into something great!
Impressive!
Christopher
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Hi Christopher,
Thanks so much for the kind words, they were much appreciated!
I find the fewer words I use, there are less chances of mistakes!!
All the very best my fine friend.
Hugh
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