Vinny surveyed the car park of the Rampant Horse, by his side Scrapps whined.
Vinny reached down and patted his head reassuringly.
"I know mate, you still miss him. I do too."
Man and his new best friend walked into the pub with low blood sugar and high hopes.
Dave spotting Vinny raised his empty glass in the universal symbol of get me one in mate. Vinny muttered. Scrapps looked over at Old Pete's table and whined. Vinny reached down and unclipped Scrapps lead. The dog immediately went and sat under the empty table where Old Pete used to sit.
Vinny looked at Ken the barman.
"It breaks my fucking heart."
"Mine too." said Ken.
Vinny took a couple of cold ones over to his usual table.
"Here you are tight wad."
"Thank ye kindly old chum."
"Look at him over there, poor Scrapps. He'll never get a dropped crisp from Old Pete again."
"You're doing well with him Vin. He'll soon be having crisps you've dropped."
"You mean I'm the new Old Pete?"
"To everything there is a season turn turn turn."
"Huh?"
"A time to plant, a time to sew."
"Fuck off Dave. You're getting old too, you must be if you know that song."
Dave raised his glass in mock salute and took a hearty quaff of the foamy liquid.
There came an audible parp and a smell like death from across the pub.
"Scrapps?" Asked Dave.
"Yep. I don't know what they put in that pedigree chum but it stinks of death."
"To think all these years we blamed Old Pete for it and he never once corrected us."
"That's true loyalty Dave."
© Darren Sant 2023