Arthur spied the dog lying on the garden bench and rushed over. The leash Natalie’s tossed carelessly lay in his line of sight, and Buster gave his owner a mournful, pleading look.
He and his sister hadnt spoken much for almost two years. Eleanor still couldnt fathom how a tiny misunderstanding had ballooned into such a fierce feud.
Eleanor and Edward Rumford were born a year apart and had been inseparable since they could walk. They always stuck up for each other, sharing the blame for any mischief equally and never leaving the others back uncovered.
Their home village, Littlebrook, in the rolling Kent countryside, grew and prospered year after year. They were lucky to have the local council leader, Peter Whitfieldhimself a native of Littlebrook and a sharpwitted economist.
After finishing his agriculture degree, Peter returned to the village, threw himself into community work, and within a decade was elected head of the Littlebrook council.
His private life blossomed, too. Eleanor, fresh from nursing college, took a job as an assistant at the village health centre. Peter couldnt ignore such a pretty nurse, and Eleanor returned his interest. They married, and the whole village turned the wedding into a streetwide fête. Edward was genuinely glad for his sisters happiness, though his own marriage to Nora was far from pictureperfect.
While Eleanor was still a little naïve, Nora would sometimes huff at her, dismissing her as useless or pretentious. After marriage, envy replaced the huffing. Nora began demanding more a new house, a bigger car, a fancier coat
Edward often muttered, Everyone else has everything; we have nothing! He did his best, but no amount of effort could satisfy Noras evergrowing wish list.
Nora herself was far from content; motherhood never came her way. Meanwhile, Eleanor settled down nicely, gave birth to a son and then a daughter, built a spacious home, and her husband earned a respectable rank in the local council.
Family gatherings started to end in shouting matches. Whenever Edward visited the Eleanor household, Nora would immediately start nagging him.
The final blow came on Edwards birthday. Eleanor presented him with a Labrador puppy shed bought in the nearby towna pet hed longed for for ages. Peter, not to be outdone, handed him a brandnew motorbike.
Everything ran smoothly until a drunken Nora lost her temper and unleashed a torrent of venom on Eleanor:
Oi, Ellie! The dogwhats that, a joke? If weve got no kid, at least we can get a dog, right?!
Ellie tried to calm the storm:
Nora, settle down. Youll be mortified later.
Her words fell flat. A massive argument erupted, the guests split into two camps, and Peter whispered to his wife that they should leave. After a hurried goodbye, they slipped out.
Two years slipped by. One evening Edward began to avoid his sister; their contact dwindled to a few brief, rare meetups. Tension between him and Nora grew in parallel.
In the evenings Edward would often wander down to the Thames with Buster. The pair looked blissful: Edward tossed a stick, Buster chased it, then plopped at his feet and listened attentively to Edwards quiet tales.
Eleanor heard about it from neighbours but did nothing Edward remained stubborn.
After that illfated brawl, Noras hatred for Eleanor (and even for the dog shed once given) deepened. Whenever Edward was away, she chased Buster out of the house, sometimes even giving him a sharp smack.
Nosy neighbours added fuel to the fire:
Did you hear, Nora? Your husbands out again, strolling by the river with that dog
Yesterday he ran into Ellie, the kids were laughing and shouting!
Jealousy devoured Nora. One day Edward asked, Nora, arent you hurting Buster?
Do I need your dog? she snapped, storming out of the room.
Buster began to hide from Nora more often, trembling whenever she appeared.
Everything came to a head when Edward, one bright morning, burst out in fury:
Ive had enough of this endless jealousy!
Left alone, fumes rising, Nora dragged Buster onto the garden bench, tied a leash around his neck and began whipping him. The poor pooch whimpered in pain. After her rage spent, she tossed the leash aside, packed a bag and walked out for good.
That evening Edward came home, only to find the gate empty and the house in disarray. He discovered Buster under the bench, his hand clenched around the dogs bite. He quickly freed him and bolted to the village clinic.
Eleanor was just about to leave when she saw her brother cradling the bleeding Buster:
Ellie, help me Edward gasped.
They rushed the dog to the vet. Eleanor examined him meticulously:
Who did this?
Nora Edward lowered his gaze.
Eleanor gave a silent nod, stitched the wounds, cleaned Busters eyes and handed him water.
Later, in the hallway, Edward whispered repentantly:
Forgive me, Ellie
Come off it, she said with a tired smile. And Nora?
No, Ellie. Thats over.
Eleanor called Peter:
Pete, youve got to come, please.
Hearing his wifes exhausted voice, Peter was already heading out.
Half an hour later he stood in the hallway, spotting the siblings huddled together, Buster whimpering softly. He chuckled:
Alright, you two heroes.
They took Edward home and gave him a quick lesson on dog care.
When Eleanor told their mother what had happened, the old lady simply sighed:
They shouldve split ages ago.
She grabbed her coat and trotted off to her sons house to help tidy up.
In the gym, Edward sat, petting Buster. Their mother arrived, stroked both of them:
You both still alive?
Alive, Edward replied.
A warm aroma of roast meat and fresh vegetables drifted from the kitchen. Buster nudged his nose against Edwards hand, wagged his tail, and Edward smiled, standing up.
Life, as ever, carried on.