Our Dog Called Pizza and the Dragon
Towards the end of the late 1950s my friends and I called ourselves: “ The Barn Hill Gang” . There was Tommy, a kid who I often scuffle with, April who I was secretly in love with, Michal and I Ron. In those days we were always knocking around together, getting into all sorts of fights and adventures. Now, thirty years later I went back to visit my old friends the old places, and maybe relive some of the old adventures. I wasn't expecting to be involved again in a new adventure.
Only Tommy was still around; he was, of course, married and with several kids, all boys plus a dog called Pizza.
Of course I am not a part of Pizza’ s family; actually Pizza adopted me. I usually dislike small dogs, but Pizza, well, she was something else: A small black and white patch-work dog with medium to long fur who I immediately fell in love with.
How did she receive the name “ Pizza” ? As a matter of fact, her official name is Pizzi, which is slang for very small. But the kids soon changed it into Pizza.
On the day of my visit Tommy asked me, “ Ron, when was the last you went up Barn Hill?”
“ Oooh ages ago. I think the last time was just before I went abroad.”
“ Well, let's do it again. I also haven't been up there for quite some time.”
That same day, Tommy, Gideon (Tommy's third son) and I, along with Pizza straining at her leash started our trek up the hill and into a new adventure.
We reached the top of the Barn Hill; one side of the hill, was a housing estate, upon which were scattered wealthy mansions. On the other side was a huge open green area where Pizza was usually let free. As you can guess, once free, the hyper active small dog went tearing off, creating havoc amongst the pheasants and rabbits in nature's little “ Garden of Eden.” Whilst tearing around the countryside her fur gradually became more and more tangled up with burrs, seeds and mud. As you can imagine, it was no easy job cleaning her afterwards.
Going from the top of the hill we had to pass one more house before going into the fields. This last house was the only one that was not a mansion. It was a very old and dilapidated house. At one time way back, when we were kids, we used to think it was haunted. Both Tommy and I have very strong memories of this house, from another time, when we ourselves were kids, but that is another story altogether.
Pizza was now straining at the leash; she could see and smell the greener side of the hill. Tommy was just about to release her from her leash, when there was a noise like a crack of lightning. A flash of light, that seemed to come directly from the haunted house, had flashed above us. It caused us all to duck for cover. Even Pizza flattened herself down on the ground.
“ Wow Dad! What on earth was that?” Gideon exclaimed.
“ Wow! I don’ t know: probably a car engine backfired,” Tommy answered.
Agreeing with Tommy I added. “ Your dad's probably right.” I hesitated, not at all sure if that was the right answer.
We moved over into the field's side of the hill, and there, Tommy released Pizza off her leash. Off she runs like on a mission. Obviously she had already spotted something that only dogs would take interest in.
Towards the end of the late 1950s my friends and I called ourselves: “ The Barn Hill Gang” . There was Tommy, a kid who I often scuffle with, April who I was secretly in love with, Michal and I Ron. In those days we were always knocking around together, getting into all sorts of fights and adventures. Now, thirty years later I went back to visit my old friends the old places, and maybe relive some of the old adventures. I wasn't expecting to be involved again in a new adventure.
Only Tommy was still around; he was, of course, married and with several kids, all boys plus a dog called Pizza.
Of course I am not a part of Pizza’ s family; actually Pizza adopted me. I usually dislike small dogs, but Pizza, well, she was something else: A small black and white patch-work dog with medium to long fur who I immediately fell in love with.
How did she receive the name “ Pizza” ? As a matter of fact, her official name is Pizzi, which is slang for very small. But the kids soon changed it into Pizza.
On the day of my visit Tommy asked me, “ Ron, when was the last you went up Barn Hill?”
“ Oooh ages ago. I think the last time was just before I went abroad.”
“ Well, let's do it again. I also haven't been up there for quite some time.”
That same day, Tommy, Gideon (Tommy's third son) and I, along with Pizza straining at her leash started our trek up the hill and into a new adventure.
We reached the top of the Barn Hill; one side of the hill, was a housing estate, upon which were scattered wealthy mansions. On the other side was a huge open green area where Pizza was usually let free. As you can guess, once free, the hyper active small dog went tearing off, creating havoc amongst the pheasants and rabbits in nature's little “ Garden of Eden.” Whilst tearing around the countryside her fur gradually became more and more tangled up with burrs, seeds and mud. As you can imagine, it was no easy job cleaning her afterwards.
Going from the top of the hill we had to pass one more house before going into the fields. This last house was the only one that was not a mansion. It was a very old and dilapidated house. At one time way back, when we were kids, we used to think it was haunted. Both Tommy and I have very strong memories of this house, from another time, when we ourselves were kids, but that is another story altogether.
Pizza was now straining at the leash; she could see and smell the greener side of the hill. Tommy was just about to release her from her leash, when there was a noise like a crack of lightning. A flash of light, that seemed to come directly from the haunted house, had flashed above us. It caused us all to duck for cover. Even Pizza flattened herself down on the ground.
“ Wow Dad! What on earth was that?” Gideon exclaimed.
“ Wow! I don’ t know: probably a car engine backfired,” Tommy answered.
Agreeing with Tommy I added. “ Your dad's probably right.” I hesitated, not at all sure if that was the right answer.
We moved over into the field's side of the hill, and there, Tommy released Pizza off her leash. Off she runs like on a mission. Obviously she had already spotted something that only dogs would take interest in.