Chapter Four

There were lots of things I could never understand about the human world. Sometimes Bonnie and I would be out in the car and it got dark outside but as soon as we entered our home, Boss would touch something on the wall and immediately it was as bright as day, a different sort of light but still nice.

We used to lie on a piece of something, I believe it was called "a rug" and when it was very cold, Boss would turn a switch and suddenly there was warmth. Flickering lights that leapt up and down but gave such comforting heat. I could never understand how, before the bright lights were put off and we all settled for the night, Boss or Mrs. Boss would turn the switch again and all the warm would disappear.

I could never understand the box that had the moving pictures on it either. One day a dog appeared on there that I did not recognise and then another dog that looked just like Bonnie. Suddenly I saw Boss and Mrs. Boss and heard Mrs. Boss call “Pip” and this dog came running over to her on the moving pictures. Was that me? No, of course it could not have been me because there I was sitting in our cosy home and it was dark outside. I could not be sitting here and in the box at the same time. Nevertheless I got excited and ran over to the box and pressed my nose against it and wagged my tail. I really do not know why. I was glad to see these pictures and yet perplexed. I turned to look at Boss and Mrs. Boss and they were sitting in their usual chairs looking at the box and laughing and talking. I looked back to the box and there they were, out in the garden with the sun shining on them. How could this be possible? I knew I was clever for I had been told enough times but I could not puzzle this one out.

Later, when we were alone, I asked Bonnie if she could explain it to me. She said she had seen many such pictures and, indeed, I was to experience many as well during my life, but she told me that she had never been able to solve this mystery and it was no good wasting time and effort trying. She said that if it made the humans happy, what did it matter. I was content with that.

Over the years I got used to these moving pictures that were us but could not be us, but I never failed to get excited running up to the box and looking behind it and Boss and Mrs. Boss never failed to laugh when I did.
Sometimes Becky and Dean would come over and they would appear in two places at once as well, in the room and on the strange box. Despite what Bonnie said, I so wish I could have worked out how the humans did that.