Nunzi

By LostLenny

When newlyweds Jill and Lester Nilsson adopt a puppy from the city dog pound, they have no idea what a special dog he will turn out to be. They name him Nunzi, after a bar in the town where they went to college together.

They soon learn that Nunzi is a border collie and are quickly impressed by how smart and devoted he is. Whats more, he seems determined to have adventures. He becomes involved with local children on Nufus Street, where they live, and plays stickball with them, holding the position of center fielder. Nunzi protects his friends from bullies, who then threaten to thrown him down a street drain. And he gets to know a cat who soon becomes part of the family. But when Nunzi and his family move to the small town of Cape Vincent, he discovers his true calling as a herding dog.

This novel tells the story of an adventurous border collie and the family he loves as he grows from a puppy into an adult dog and learns what life has in store for him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496943507

LostLenny

Leonard Nicholas was born in New York City in 1947 and went to public school on Long Island. After graduating high school, he attended Oswego State University in upstate New York and earned a teaching degree in Industrial Arts. The author is now retired from education and spends his time ( when not writing) with his family, riding his BMW motorcycle, or driving his 1931 Model A Ford.

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AuthorHouse™

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© 2014 LostLennyUndo. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse    10/28/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-4351-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-4350-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014917369

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Foreword

Chapter 1    The Puppy

Chapter 2    So, That’s What He Is!

Chapter 3    Hooked

Chapter 4    A Romp Through The Grocery Store

Chapter 5    The Boomerang

Chapter 6    The Walk To Port Laydon

Chapter 7    The Dog’s Compulsion To Hide His Scent

Chapter 8    The Woodpile

Chapter 9    Fishing

Chapter 10    The Flea Market

Chapter 11

Chapter 12    The Intruder

Chapter 13    The Border Collie Trial

Chapter 14    The Center Fielder

Chapter 15    Nunzi Is Gone!

Chapter 16    Snacks, People, And Chewing Tobacco

Chapter 17    The Tent

Chapter 18    Camping

Chapter 19    Nunzi, What The Hell Are You Doing Here?!

Chapter 20    Home

Chapter 21    Wildflowers

Chapter 22

Chapter 23    Another Dog

Chapter 24    The Sirens In The Woods

Chapter 25    Home Sweet Home

Chapter 26

Chapter 27    Nunzi Finally Realizes What He Is!

Chapter 28    Nunzi’s Need To Do Something

Chapter 29    The Kitten

Chapter 30    Hewitt Union

Chapter 31    The Seth Thomas Mantel Clock

Chapter 32    The Cow And The Calf

Chapter 33    Snowmen, Snowballs, And The Mailman

Chapter 34    Trapped

Chapter 35    The Romp Around Wilkesville

Chapter 36    Missing Again!

Chapter 37

Chapter 38    A New Home

Chapter 39    The New House

Chapter 40    Tomato Juice And The Skunk

Chapter 41

Foreword

F ew times in my life of more than sixty years has one being made such an impact on me that I continue to remember our time together with such joy.

Chapter 1

THE PUPPY

L ester awakens in his small apartment on Nufus Street in Wilkesville. Beside him, his wife is still sleeping and does not notice his getting out of bed. But why should she? Lester thinks. It is Saturday. He slips out of bed, puts on his bathrobe, and goes into the tiny bathroom. The small room, tucked neatly under the roof, leaves only a slanted wall for him to negotiate. At sixty-five dollars a month, the rent is well worth it, Lester muses.

Once finished in the bathroom, Lester quickly returns to the bedroom and gets dressed. The quiet clinking noises that he makes begin to wake his new wife, Jill. She begins to blink her eyes and slowly stir beneath the bedding. In a few minutes, she pushes the blankets off her body and sits up in the twin-size bed. In a few minutes, she is up too and joins her husband in the small kitchenette. There, she sees Lester eating a large bowl of cornflakes. On the side of the bowl are the words Property of Oswego College. Lester looks up and sees his wife looking at him.

Good morning, Lester.

Jill.

Lester, we really have to get another bed. That one’s too small.

Yeah, but the price was right.

You mean, you swiped it out of your fraternity house.

I had to—couldn’t afford one.

Well, maybe someday? she says. Then she asks, What do you want to do today?

Lester spoons more cornflakes into his mouth and slowly masticates the wet flakes until they are an amorphous pile of mush. Once he swallows, Lester answers. You want to go to Syracuse?

Sure. What for?

Oh, I don’t know, just something to do, Lester answers.

Okay.

* * *

The old Chevy II moves south down Route 81 toward Syracuse. The Nilssons are relaxed. The prospect of shopping in the large city delights Jill, although Lester balks at the thought. He prefers to do something more manly. I wonder if there’re any junkyards around, Lester muses.

Entering Syracuse, Lester turns off Route 81. In the distance, Jill sees a complex of large department stores. She turns toward Lester. Let’s go to those stores over there, she says, pointing her finger at a spot down the street.

Lester looks down the road and sees large, flat buildings. One has a sign reading, Clothing Sale! Lester winces at the thought of going there. However, he relents and drives to the stores. When he stops, Jill bolts from the car, hurries to the beckoning sign, and enters the store. Reluctantly, Lester follows.

Inside, Lester is in a seemingly foreign world of women’s fashions and other feminine goods. The young man wants to leave. But seeing as Jill has given him a small shopping cart to push, Lester is compelled to follow her through a maze of strange aisles and displays that make him feel increasingly more uncomfortable.

After two hours of this seeming torture, Lester pushes the shopping cart near to Jill and speaks. I’ve had enough. I’m going out to the car!

Okay. I’m about done, anyway.

* * *

Lester is sitting in the car, impatiently waiting for Jill to come out. He is bored, so he gets out of the vehicle and looks around the parking lot. He sees more department stores. The thought of going into them makes him shudder. Down a nearby side road, he sees a large sign that reads, City Dog Pound. Then, he sees Jill pushing the shopping cart back to the car.

She unloads the cart, placing her purchases into the back of the station wagon. Jill looks at another large department store. You want to go to another store?

The question bothers Lester. He does not want to go to another women’s store. He tries to change the subject by saying, Let’s go someplace else.

Where?

The city dog pound, he answers.

You want a dog?

I don’t know. Let’s take a look.

Jill reluctantly agrees. Lester starts up the car and then drives over to the city dog pound. Once there, they hear the barking of many dogs from inside the low, flat concrete building. Lester parks the car. He and his wife get out and go into the building.

They find themselves in a large room with many cages. Each cage houses a dog. When the animals hear the Nilssons enter, they begin to bark even more loudly. Lester and Jill look at the animals.

Although most are mixtures of different breeds, some appear to be pedigrees. There are collies, German shepherds, dachshunds, and others. All the animals have been abandoned and appear to be begging to be taken away, to have a new home.

As the Nilssons stare inside the cages, they experience feelings of compassion and sorrow. Jill’s attitude toward the animals changes. She begins to feel sorry for them, her motherly instincts beginning to sway her. Then, she sees a small puppy. He has his front paws against the front of his cage as he barks loudly at the Nilssons. Jill puts a finger into the cage, and the animal licks it passionately. Lester puts his finger into the cage too, and the dog licks his finger as well.

Can we hold him? Jill asks.

Sure, let me get the attendant.

In a few minutes, Lester and another man approach the cage. The attendant opens the door, and the puppy bursts out of the cage and jumps into the man’s arms. The attendant offers the dog to Lester, but Jill grabs the animal before Lester can hold it.

Oh, he’s so cute!

Jill, you think we should get him?

Let’s go for it! she answers. Jill looks at the attendant and asks, How much?

Seven dollars, he answers. You pay where you came in.

The Nilssons and the attendant take the dog to the front desk. Once they pay, they are given a receipt and other papers. The animal is now the property of the Nilssons.

They return to the Chevy II. The dog is between them in a cardboard box that the attendant gave them. However, the dog appears nervous and frightened. He begins to bark.

Jill, you better hold him.

She reaches into the box, takes the animal out, and places him on her lap. The dog quickly quiets down. Then, Jill looks at her husband and asks, What do you want to call him?

The question leads the young man to think of possible names—Fido, Mutley, Tiger, and a number of other names that seem unsuitable. Finally, Lester asks, What do you want to call him?

Oh, I don’t know, she says. Did the attendant give him a name?

Not that I know of.

Jill lapses into a pensive silence before speaking again. How ’bout we name him after a place we used to go when we were in college?

Like Walker Hall?

No! she snaps back. How about a bar?

Like Buckland’s or Shaki Patch? asks Lester.

No, they don’t sound right, Jill says. She becomes pensive.

Lester is thinking of another possible name for their new dog too, although none of the ones he considers sound good. He continues driving the car until he sees a sign in the distance for 81 North. He turns the Chevy II off the smaller street and enters the high-speed expressway. Once the car is moving north again, the subject of the new dog’s name is resurrected.

Lester, how ’bout ‘Professor’?

No, I don’t like that name. I like naming him after a bar.

Like Nunzi’s?

Yeah, that’s it! Lester blurts out. That’s a great name! Let’s call him Nunzi!

And so their new dog now has a name, albeit an unusual one for a dog. Nunzi has a uniqueness to it that seems ideal for the animal. The Nilssons are content with their decision.

However, there is one small problem remaining, Lester muses. What type of dog is he? Is he just a mutt or something else?

Jill?

What?

What type a dog is Nunzi?

A mutt, I suppose, she answers. We’ll just have to wait and see what Nunzi grows into.

Chapter 2

SO, THAT’S WHAT HE IS!

I t is now late spring. The land has awakened from its winter slumber. The Nilssons have had Nunzi for almost two months. During that time, the dog has grown. His hair has become long, and he is beginning to show peculiar signs indicating that he is not a normal dog.

He is extremely devoted to the Nilssons, especially to Jill, who feeds him in the morning. Often, the dog is waiting for her by his food bowl. However, he will not start eating until she gives him permission to do so. Jill has taught him to raise his front right paw so that she can shake it.

Lester has taught the animal to fetch a stick, ball, or any other object that Nunzi can lift. So enamored with fetching, Nunzi often finds any convenient object for the Nilssons to throw.

Often, the dog is with Lester in the garage while he works on a machine. All Nilsson has to do when he wants an object is point to it on the floor, and the dog will get it for him.

Retrieving is a game for the animal, one that he never tires of. However, the Nilssons are beginning to wonder what type of dog does this sort of thing.

At first, they thought that he was just a common mutt. But as he grew and developed, they saw that his black hair became longer and patches of white developed on his feet, the tip of his tail, and around his nose. His features became very distinctive. Curious, Jill decides to go to the local library to look for a book on dogs.

Once in the building, Jill asks the librarian where the dog section is. The woman leads Jill past tall shelves of books until they come to the section on dogs, where Jill reaches for the first large book that she sees. Then, she turns the pages until she comes to the section on collies.

* * *

As she wanders through the pages, Jill is amazed by the variety of collies shown. Finally, she comes to the photograph of a dog that looks just like Nunzi.

The animal has the same black hair, the same sharp nose, and the same white markings on his feet, tail, and face. Jill looks at the bottom of the page and sees the name border collie. I bet that’s what Nunzi is! Jill thinks before reading more.

She discovers that border collies are herding animals developed through the centuries by Danes who had settled in the area between Wales and Scotland. The dogs that the Danes had brought with them interbred with wolves in the nearby forests. Some of their offspring were domesticated.

These animals revealed themselves to be extremely intelligent. Also, they showed a unique willingness to please their masters and a particular ability to herd animals. As Jill reads, she learns that border collies will herd anything: cattle, goats, sheep, and even children.

* * *

It is now suppertime. The Nilssons are enjoying their evening meal. Nunzi is by the table. He is quietly sitting by Lester with a front paw up, begging for some food from Lester’s plate. Nilsson is careful and waits for Jill to leave the room. In the past, she complained about feeding the dog from the dinner table.

When Jill leaves, Nunzi begins to pant and drool, staring at Lester more intently. However, the animal remains quiet, knowing that, eventually, he will be given a scrap of food.

Soon, Nunzi hears Jill coming back. He sits down by Lester’s feet and watches her, hoping that she will drop a tasty morsel of food on the floor for him to pick up. Still, he remains by Lester, where he stands a greater chance of getting a treat.

Chapter 3

HOOKED

I t is the weekend. The Nilssons have two days to relax from their jobs in a local furniture factory. Jill is by the stove, preparing two plates of scrambled eggs, toast, and home fries. Nunzi is lying on the floor close by, waiting for a morsel of food to drop on the floor. Lester is patiently sitting at the table, waiting for breakfast.

In a few minutes, the breakfasts are prepared and placed on the table. At first, the couple is quiet, emitting only faint sounds when they eat. Nunzi is by Lester, waiting for his master to sneak him a handout under the table. Nilsson is careful, lest Jill find out. Once their meal is finished, Jill clears the table. Lester remains sitting there and begins to speak.

Jill, what do you want to do today?

Oh, I don’t know, she says. What do you want to do?

You know, last week was the start of the fishing season. Let’s walk down to the end of our street to the Salmon River and see what they’re catching.

Okay.

* * *

The Nilssons, with Nunzi between them, are walking down a sidewalk alongside Nufus Street. Earlier, Lester attached a leash to Nunzi’s collar. The dog walks complaisantly between his owners, although he pulls against his leash at the slightest distraction. Lester has a firm grip on the restraint and keeps the animal between himself and his wife. Once they come to the end of their street, they stop at a larger, busier road until they see a gap in the traffic. Then, they cross the larger road, where businesses line the