Hector

I guess we are all distinctly unique people and our behaviour depends on our priorities. For some, it’s a career. Even then, the ambition might vary. There are those who aspire to the highest level of management as they choose to climb the corporate ladder in pursuit of their goal. There are those who pursue the highest levels because it pays more, and there are others who find the level at which they are at their happiest regardless of how much more they can achieve. For others, it can be a hobby that can be all time-consuming. Even following a sports team can take over, and for many around the world, following the fortunes of their favourite football team is a passion so strong that regardless of the cost they have to be there for every game.

For Kenneth Glass, however, there was one major passion above all else. His family. His career was important, very important, but despite his success in his chosen field, nothing came close to his all-consuming passion, providing for and the protection of his wife and daughter. Kenneth worked long hours. His job kept him away from home, sometimes for days at a time. He was obliged to work shifts resulting in working unsociable hours. As he became more successful, the family’s fortunes prospered.

Living with a failure

His wife June, who was devoted to Kenneth, welcomed his acquisition of a Springer spaniel called Hector. Now Hector was in fact a failure, a working dog that failed to make the grade but turned out to be a wonderful family pet. He quickly adapted to the requirements of all the family. For Kenneth’s wife, June, it was exercise, regular walks that complimented her fitness regime. Hector was also wonderful company for June particularly as Kenneth spent so much time working. For daughter Sophia, he was company as she grew up, blossoming from an awkward child to a stunningly attractive teenager. Sophia would spend hours talking to Hector, confiding her secrets, expressing her fears and complaining about the injustices that plagued her life.

Along with all family pets, Hector listened patiently to her litany of complaints and, with the wisdom of a sage, tipped his head to one side, looked at her intently and said nothing!

Finally, for Kenneth himself, he was able to sit in his favourite armchair and gently stroke Hector’s ears as he wound down after another stressful shift.

As the years passed and Sophia matured, it brought the inevitable army of potential suitors. Kenneth, like many fathers, viewed this seemingly endless queue of spotty, mumbling, long-haired, mono-syllabic bunch of the scruffiest members of society with some alarm but was mollified by the fact that none of them lasted very long. They all appeared to be almost a clone of their predecessor. The mandatory long greasy hair, the wispy goatee beard, the Levi jeans and the look of someone who appeared to be only half awake. They all spoke in riddles, and most conversations began with the inevitable “Hey man.”

In fact, most of them disappeared so quickly that he didn’t even need to remember their names. He did try in the beginning but lost track after Rodrick, Charles, Benjamin and Samuel.  It appeared that his concerns were unfounded as Sofia, despite revealing in the attention of her crowd of admirers, made her disdain quite obvious. Therefore each eager young man didn’t last long, but in Kenneth’s eyes, each rejected one was instantly replaced by a replica of the previous one. One constant in Kenneth’s mind was how Hector reacted to the appearance of the endless stream of young men. This in itself was a matter of concern to Kenneth, but the reaction of the family pet was always the same. He furiously wagged his stump of a tail and showed nothing but pleasure as each visitor made an effort to gain the approbation of the lovely Sofia.

Tristan

This all changed with the appearance of Tristan, another in the long list of young men intent on wooing Sofia.

This time Hector immediately sat bolt upright, the stump still furiously wagged, but the whole body language was so different. Kenneth slowly rose from his chair and addressed the young man.

“Let me make the introductions.”

“Your name as I understand it is Tristan, and you and I are going to have a very serious talk.”

Kenneth crooked his finger and indicated that Tristan approach him.

“Sir?”

“The dog’s name, by the way, is Hector, and many years ago, he trained as a drug detection dog.”

“My name is Detective Chief Superintendent Kenneth Glass…………”

I am indebted to Michael Wright for the story of Hector.