Jared didn't think too much of the sudden opportunity to go for a ride in the old pick-up truck his dad kept for hauling and other chores.In fact, he welcomed the chance to break the monotony of another boring day as a sheepdog with nothing to do but scratch at fleas, bark at an occasional squirrel, and hope that, eventually, he might get back into his human body.
His dad had appeared in the backyard shortly after Kevin and the despicable impostor had left for school. Jared remembered, albeit dimly, that Dad had been a bit upset with him the previous evening for taking his time to do his business during their evening walk. Jared had been more than a little uncomfortable about having to answer the call of nature in front of his father, and the pouring rain hadn't helped matters. His doggie instincts kept getting the better of him, too, and he had to sniff every sign post and hydrant on their two-block walk through the neighborhood.
He hoped Dad would be in a better mood this morning, and he was.
He unleashed Jared and then invited him to hop into the back of the pickup truck. Once Jared had scrambled into the truck, his dad slammed the tailgate closed, walked to the front of the truck, got behind the wheel, and pulled the truck onto the highway. Jared leaned over the side of the truck, letting his mouth hang open and his tongue fall free as his dad sped along the highway out of the city and into the surrounding countryside. Even with his black-and-white vision, the cows with the black-and-white hides stood out in the pastures along the highway.
The novelty of the ride wore off when he began to recognize some of the terrain. With a jolt of shock, he realized they were on the way to Uncle Frank's farm. Uncle Frank was actually the brother of Jared's father's father, and hence Jared's great-uncle. The entire family went out to the farm twice a year, once for a picnic on Memorial Day and again during the holiday season.
Jared grew uneasy as he wondered why Dad was visiting Uncle Frank now, and why he, as Shaggy, had been invited along for the ride. In his nervousness, he began to pace from one side of the truck to the other. The ride got bumpy when Dad pulled the truck off the highway onto the gravel road that went on for the next five miles until they reached the outskirts of the huge farm, which had been in the Webster family for generations. He remembered something Uncle Frank had mentioned about President George Washington once having visited the farm for lunch back in the late 1700s.
After a few more minutes of a bumpy ride, the truck pulled to a stop near the complex of barns and other structures near the main two-story farmhouse. As Dad exited the cab of the truck, Uncle Frank emerged from the barn. Dad put down the truck's tailgate. "Get out, Shaggy," he said.
Jared whimpered and stayed put.
Uncle Frank arrived. "So, this is Shaggy," he said.
Dad nodded and repeated his command for Jared to exit the truck.
Jared barked defiantly.
"Looks like he's a stubborn one," Uncle Frank said.
"Not usually," Dad said and reached into his pocket. Almost the instant his hand emerged, Jared smelled the irresistible odor of a bacon treat. "C'mon, boy. Jump down and you can have it."
Jared tried to resist, but the lure of the bacon proved too much. He leaped from the truck and landed in a grassy area that felt good beneath his paws. His dad closed the tailgate with a resounding slam that echoed in Jared's ears.
"I think he will like it here," Uncle Frank said. "Can you come in for coffee, Bill?"
Jared's dad shook his head. "I should head home," he said as he watched the sheepdog crunch on its doggie treat. "I don't mind telling you, my youngest son is going to be up in arms about this decision."
Uncle Frank chuckled. "Well, you can bring him out any time to visit."
"That's what I plan on telling him," Dad said.
Jared, as the treat disappeared down his throat, began to focus his thoughts again. Dad was getting ready to leave him here! He was being abandoned by his own family!
Even as Jared watched, dumbstruck, Dad climbed back into the truck. He had the gall to wave at Jared. "Take it easy, boy," he said. "You're going to love it here."
Jared barked in disagreement. "Dad! Wait! You can't do this! It's me!"
His barks continued even as the truck disappeared down the gravel road. At that point, Jared realized that Uncle Frank and some of his farmhands had stopped their work to marvel at a sheepdog's outburst.
"It's like he knows what's going on," Uncle Frank commented.
Some of the hands laughed, but the sheepdog stared at the road long after the truck disappeared.