Scrap 89

SCRAP 89
Jamie has persuaded his dad to take him on his next trip. He will be 10 years old in less than a week and has been nagging for his parents to let him have a dog. Scotty has told him it’s okay with him but to ask his mum first. Dawn has told him many times she will not have an animal in the house. Despite his pleas that he will do everything for the dog, including brushing him and taking him for walks every day she refuses to relent, reminding them that there are already enough mouths to feed. Scotty tries to take the boy’s mind off his obsession by promising he can keep all the ‘beer money’ they pick up tonight. The only effect this has is to set Jamie wondering if it will be enough to buy a dog. He could hide it in the boys’ room as he is sure they would not tell on him and Robbie has been on about getting one as well.
There are 17 drops to make in the London produce markets and some of the stallholders are generous enough to give the delivery drivers a tip for unloading their goods. By the end of the night Jamie has more than two pounds in change rattling around in his pocket, which he keeps patting to make sure it’s still there. Scotty smiles to himself as he remembers how excited he was when he got his first puppy. The little brown mongrel had been his best friend throughout primary school so he understood how his boy felt but dared not defy Dawn, especially with another baby on the way. Perhaps Jamie would decide to buy something else with his hard-earned.
As a special treat, Scotty pulls the lorry into the motorway services and takes the boy into the transport café to buy breakfast. He seems to forget about his obsession as he chomps his way through the plate full of fried food, but as he is wiping his plate with the last of the bread he spots a sad-looking man in the corner who seems to be talking to himself. As he looks closer he can see a small head poking out from the man’s coat. He is talking to a little dog. Jamie nudges his father’s arm and gestures toward the unhappy scene. ‘I wonder what’s wrong with him?’ Scotty looks round and the man catches his eye. He comes over to their table and sits down opposite Jamie.
‘What a cute little dog,’ says Jamie, ‘is he friendly?’ The man assures him that the dog is as soft as can be and opens his coat a little to let the boy see. The little dog looks up with his bright brown eyes and the boy reaches out to stroke his head. The man puts a finger to his mouth, ‘shh, don’t let on I’ve got a dog in here or they’ll chuck us out.’ Scotty says that Jamie has been on at him to get a dog but his mother won’t let him. ‘That’s a shame,’ says the man, ‘I’m looking for a new home for this one. My little girl is allergic so the wife says if I don’t find the dog a new home today I’ll have to get it put to sleep.’
His tale of woe has the desired effect on the vulnerable Jamie. ‘We could take him, couldn’t we dad? Please dad, please say we can. He’s only little and I can sneak him in the house without mum even noticing.’ Scotty realises he is in a hopeless situation. ‘We can’t afford to give you anything for him,’ he says, hoping this will be the end to the matter, but the man assures him he is only wanting to know the dog is going to a loving home and they can have it for nothing. He will even throw in a bag of dog food and the collar and lead.
Before he realises what has happened, Scotty is handing the dog up into the cab to a delighted Jamie and the man is speeding from the lorry park leaving a cloud of smoke in his wake.
‘What have you got there?’ a beady-eyed Dawn spots her son sneaking in through the front door trying to avoid being seen. ‘Nothing,’ he lies, scampering up the stairs to his bedroom where his brothers are just waking up. Robbie is first to see the dog and shouts in delight before being shushed by his older brother. ‘Mum will make us get rid if she finds out,’ warns Jamie, ‘so nobody say a word, right?’ The others agree once Jamie has agreed to share his beer money with them. What harm can a little pug dog be anyway?