Gazza’s Gas and Grease — The Valleys

It had been a late night by the time Jaak and Dieter finally got to bed. The boys had stayed down by Lizzie well into the evening — Altai tactfully retreating to the cabin to give them space to do whatever boys do when adults are not around.

The pizzas had been a huge success — all the topping bowls licked thoroughly clean by Dieter, which, according to him, made the washing up easier. Lizzie’s boiler was once again drained into the bathtub, and Jaak made the “best bubble bath ever” — also according to Dieter.

Jaak grinned impishly, and Dieter thumped his tail in enthusiastic agreement.

With breakfast cleared away, they headed down the valley into town. Dieter once again called dibs by licking the front tyre, then sat by the rolled-down window, barking happily at anyone and anything they passed. If anyone in the valleys was still unaware that a Hundel was in town, it would not take long for them to work it out. Altai dropped the boys at Gazza’s Gas and Grease before he started his rounds of the food stores.

Dieter was thoroughly overexcited to be somewhere new. He jumped out of the pickup and began barking and sniffing at everything.

That is exactly what had happened. Tag was nowhere to be seen.

When he saw the familiar blue pickup pull up, he had started to come out to meet his friend. But the moment he heard and saw a hunde with his head hanging out of the window, barking wildly, he turned tail and shot off toward the junker stack — disappearing between the piles of stacked vehicles.

Dieter immediately cowed and slunk back to Jaak — ears back, tail down, like a naughty puppy.

Jaak ruffled his friend’s orange mop.

Jaak, with Dieter following behind, set off towards the junker stack.

Jaak looked along the line of stacked junker cars and pickups until he found what he was looking for — the old 70’s pickup with the beat-up sedan, hood missing, stacked on top.

No answer.

Jaak squeezed between the first row of cars and the second behind — there was just enough room to wiggle through. In an even narrower space, he could just see the end of a nose and two trembly ears peeking out of the gap between the pickup tray and the car stacked on top.

Assured, Tag toothpaste-squeezed himself out of the tiny gap above the pickup’s tray and into the narrow space between the stacked cars. However, he stayed firmly behind Jaak as they wiggled back out into the yard. As Jaak emerged, he motioned with his paw to Dieter and mouthed at him — “dude siddown”. Dieter obliged and promptly sat back on his haunches with his arms out in front and cocked his head to one side for good measure.

Dieter’s nose was trembling, trying to get Tag’s scent. Jaak moved a little closer and knelt down on one knee and gave Dieter’s chest a rub. Then Jaak gently steered Tag around to meet Dieter.

Very slowly and carefully Tag put out his paw and gave Dieter a little rub on his chest. Dieter then promptly lay down on his back, turning his head with his tongue lolling to one side. Jaak then scritched behind Dieter’s ears and gave him another good chest and belly rub. Dieter’s right leg jiggled up and down in an appreciative spasm when Jaak found the right spot.

Dieter then resumed his sitting position and snuffled quietly at Tag.

Dieter then snuffled under Tag’s chin and gave him just the smallest lick on his cheek.

Tag giggled.

With that Dieter touched his front paw on Tag’s shoulder.

Dieter then took off like a rocket — stopping a short distance away and facing Tag on the other side of the yard by the big shed. He crouched down with his arms out in front of him, gently panting, his tail wagging slowly — but ready to tear away in either direction at a moment’s notice.

A frenetic game of chase erupted. The three boys darted in and out between the junker stacks, back to the tyre pile, around the tractor, under the blue dump truck, and back again. Being ‘it’ changed paws several times between them until they heard the honk honk of Altai’s pickup. They all regrouped in a crazy tumble on the grass.

The three boys, laughing and poking each other, then headed over to Altai’s pickup, where he was waiting for them.

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