Bonfire Night - A Dog's Story

The family gathered around a bonfire in what was, normally, Jack’s play area. The 2 yr old golden retriever watched from the back window. Yellows, blues, greens, reds, and oranges danced, magically from the base, shooting up into the air and then disappearing into the night sky. Johnny and his sister, Sarah, stood in front of the boss’s wife – faces aglow with delight. 

An appetizing aroma filled the room when the boss entered with a freshly baked potato pie. He placed it in the center of the dining table. Whilst laying out the cutlery, he caught Jack staring, licking his lips at the large round dish. ‘You’d better get down from there, boy. We’re expecting guests later and you know what that means.’ The guests arrived in fits and starts as the night went on. All trudged through the room and smiled at Jack, sympathetically.

A little later, the crowd formed a semi-circle. The sounds of laughter and joy seeped through the cracks in the window frame. Up until then, the boss had made a point of checking on Jack. He looked on in amazement as Johnny handed out sparklers. He tried, desperately, to attract his attention. Me, me, I want one of them sparkling things! Johnny, Johnny, bring me one! He barked on the top of his voice, but just couldn't grab young Johnny’s attention.  

The smell of potatoes roasting on the open fire and black peas cooking in a pot was just, too much. Jack longed to be out there with them, however, for reasons unknown, he had to stay indoors. He howled, barked and wagged his tail to no avail. Not one person looked towards the window. They were all pre-occupied in their own little worlds. He felt lonely and excluded. But wait... Johnny came to the window: ‘You’d better get down from there, boy... It’s going to start in a minute.’  

First up was the Catherine Wheel. Pinned to the garden fence, it swirled at the speed of light... Whoosh, swoosh... Sparks of orange, white, blue, and red exploded from the hub of the firework. Then...Wow! to Jack’s surprise and delight, the Catherine Wheel unpinned itself from the fence, somersaulted a few times, and ended up in the neighbor's garden.Swish, swoosh, boom! A rocket, launched from an old milk bottle shot miles into the air before exploding into a colorful fountain of flames and sparks. 

Just as Jack enjoyed the spectacle, the boss ran into the room. ‘Down...boy!’ Jack jumped from the window ledge. The boss closed the curtains. What the...? ‘Now then, you be a good boy and lie down.’ He said, patting the arm-chair. Jack jumped onto the chair and stared at the boss with his best sad eyes. It wasn't enough. ‘It’s for your own good.’ He kissed the crown of the sulking dog’s head before leaving.  

As the sound of fireworks and faint glimpse of color entered the room through the thin curtains, Jack turned his attention to the delicious smelling potato pie. Sure the boss wouldn't notice if he took just a tiny piece of crust, he jumped onto a dining chair and began to nibble. Oh my, this is good! This is very good! Bits of potato pie flew off the table and onto the floor as he devoured it. Before long, all that was left was the ceramic dish. 

Full and contented, Jack returned to the arm-chair. Suffering from flatulence, he’d just managed to drift off to sleep when the fireworks display came to an end. The family and guests retired to the room in anticipation of a potato pie supper. Jack was, rudely, awakened by the screams of the boss’s wife.