Bruno raised his big, brown eyes and took his instructions. "Be good now, Bruno. Stay here. I won't be gone long."
'Sure, Jerry," Bruno thought, shivering in spite of his heavy winter coat. 'Stay! That's what they all say. Same old story. What is it with these Toronto storekeepers? Aren't I good enough for them?'
But Jerry wasn't listening. He had already disappeared inside the marketplace.
In an effort to gain some slight shelter from the bitter, biting January wind Bruno clumsily shifted his great hulk back on the sidewalk closer to the overflowing trash can and as far away from the mainstream pedestrian traffic as he could get without being a target for the cars whizzing past on Front Street. He made himself as comfortable as possible given his cruel circumstances.
To take his mind off his freezing feet, he pretended an interest in the pedestrians rudely rushing past him as they moved in and out of the St. Lawrence Market where Jerry had gone to pick up something for their dinner.
Bruno was feeling depressed and dejected. He couldn't remember a time in his life when he hadn't lived with his best buddy, Jerry. He was always there for Jerry; always, no matter what. And, Bruno had to admit, Jerry was usually there for him too but lately, ever since that night Barbara came to their apartment, Bruno was feeling more like an obligation than a friend to Jerry.
'I don't mind staying home in the apartment all day while Jerry goes to work,' Bruno admitted to himself, tucking his chin into his chest in an effort to get warm. 'No, I've grown used to that. But being alone all day as well as all evening is asking too much of any self-respecting dog as far as I'm concerned. I hate being taken for granted; there for Jerry always but is Jerry always there for me? No way!'
'Before Barbara, Jerry was almost always home with me in the evenings. We used to have great times together, watching T.V., throwing a ball around. And we shared all kinds of serious conversations; intellectual even. But not anymore! Now, he's hardly ever home and when he is, all I hear is Barbara, Barbara, Barbara! So boring! I can't take it anymore!'
Suddenly Bruno's quiet contemplation of his problems was rudely interrupted.
"Well, hello, you big sweetheart! Aren't you just beautiful!"
Bruno looked up and stared into the crinkly eyes of a shabbily dressed, bent, old lady who was giving him shivers by running her wrinkled, cold, gloveless hand back and forth across his back.
'Oh, here we go again,' Bruno moaned. 'I'm sitting here minding my own business trying to keep out of trouble and just like always, people start talking to me. If they all like me so much, why won't they let me inside the market so I can warm up a little?'
"What a good, good, good boy you are!" the old woman exclaimed.
'What a pain in the neck you are, lady!' Bruno responded but like most people she didn't hear him. 'People only hear what they want to hear,' Bruno philosophized.
"I wish you could come home and live with me," the old lady continued. "Ever since Charlie died I am so lonely. So lonely!"
Thinking about Jerry's recent insensitive treatment toward him Bruno decided to reconsider his thoughts. He stood up and stretched a little, rubbing his forlorn face against her bony body in a useless effort to steal some warmth from her timeworn coat.
'Maybe the old lady isn't such a pain,' he decided. 'She's really old; maybe too old to go out to work every day. She'd probably be a much better companion to me than Jerry has been lately.
Let's face it, the old broad and I have a lot in common. We share the bond of the dreaded lonely syndrome experienced most often by small town types who inhabit cold cosmopolitan centres for no better reason than to keep food in the dishes; like Jerry for instance who, if he had listened to me, would have stayed in Tamworth and furthermore, if we had stayed in Tamworth the way I had wanted we wouldn't have this Barbara problem in the first place.'
He was just beginning to apply serious consideration to her unexpected invitation when, with a final pat on his head, she said, "Good-bye, my beauty," and she was gone.
'Love 'em and leave 'em,' Bruno thought. 'The story of my life!'
He settled back down on the sidewalk, looking first to see if there was any sign of Jerry's return. No such luck! He closed his eyes thinking he might be able to escape the winter world in a warm dream.
He was just beginning to nod off when a little kid shrieked in his ear, "Mommy, Mommy, can I have him? Can we take him home?"
Suddenly Bruno was surrounded by noisy intruders, all praising, patting, purring over him. Bruno decided to ignore them. They were all talking at once and he couldn't understand a word they were saying. Anyway, people always used the same old drivel, 'good boy! nice dog!' Bruno was convinced that the only person able to verbalize anything longer than a two word sentence was Jerry. Where was Jerry anyway? He sure was taking his sweet time.
The uninvited family visited with Bruno just long enough to make him forego any idea of catching a few winks. He was standing, waiting impatiently, when suddenly he felt the weight of the world on his back.
"Hey, man! Sorry, man!" the young, long-haired, denim clad man apologized. "Guess I didn't see you there, boy!"
'Great!" Bruno thought in disgust. 'Everybody's favourite drunk! He's got the whole City of Toronto to fall down in and he has to land on me! Get off my back!'
With difficulty the young man obliged him. Bruno looked at the guy swaying like a palm tree in a hurricane in front of his face. He was about to say, 'You got a problem?' but suddenly he bit his tongue and his ears perked up along with his mood when he realized, 'Hey, this guy may be stinko but he's actually talking to me. He's asking my advice? I can't believe it! I am finally getting the respect I deserve. Okay!'
"So what do you think, boy? What chance I got, I ask you. Been hitting the streets for days now ever since the old lady threw me out. She's got this boyfriend now and won't give me the time of day! What do you think, boy? Should I go back home and stand up for my rights?"
'Stand up for your rights?' Bruno thought about it. Novel concept. 'Why, yeah, man, I think you should. Sounds to me like your old lady is treating you worse than Jerry's been treating me since Barbara came on the scene.'
"I hear you, boy, and you are absolutely right. I'm gonna do just that! Thanks, pal. Stay cool!"
Bruno's head raised with his self-esteem. His eyes grew thoughtful as he watched the wobbly, weaving, denim drunk disappear into the city crowds. Then turning his head back towards the market's entrance he finally saw Jerry approaching.
Bruno quickly made up his mind. He would dig a hole in the backyard and bury his depression. He drew his tail out from between his legs and stood tall on the pavement. 'I'm going to stand up for my rights,' he decided. 'A dog's gotta do what a dog's gotta do.'
Jerry was untying the lead from the telephone pole but before he had a chance to open his mouth, Bruno asserted himself and said, 'Jerry, it's time we sat down together for a serious talk!'
Jerry looked into Bruno's determined eyes and answered, "Right! Let's go home, Bruno!"
