Scooter, Part Two

Last month, in Scooter, Part One, I mentioned how Brian’s dog in Bryony came to be named after our dog. Scooter’s importance in Bryony is based on Brian’s attachment to the dog; the details of Scooter’s personality are not presented. Our Scooter, however, was full of personality. For instance he

* liked to sit under my computer table and fly out in a white fury at anyone who dared bother me.
* perched on my lap when I napped in the recliner with the same reaction to interruptions.
* joined us everyday for family prayer by sitting in our midst and remaining very quiet.
* was the most enthusiastic member of the Friday night youth group we held at our house. Each Friday (how does a dog know when it is Friday?) he would repeatedly bark to be let out, only to run off the building where we hosted the youth group.
* had to jump with all four paws and a bark whenever any of the kids argued.
* ran the youth group’s twice-annual bike hike, eight miles total. He’s have trouble walking the next day, but Scooter wasn’t about to be left behind.
* Scooter’s howling would disrupt the youth group’s Vesper’s service, if he wasn’t allowed to come outside and participate.
* lways tried to sneak into the bedroom (where he wasn’t allowed), if he thought my husband was out of the room.
* jumped into the air and licked my chin when I’d say, “Scooter, do you want to go for a walk?”
* knew that the best seat in the house at dinner was under Daniel’s chair. Daniel is an extremely picky eater, so much of his dinner would literally go to the dog.

Dumb animals? NAH!

Denise M. Baran-Unland

Scooter, Part One

One of the oldest scenes in Bryony is when Melissa's younger brother, Brian, acquires a small tan and white dog. Three years ago, when I began writing Bryony as a novella birthday present for my son Timothy, then only seventeen, I impulsively named the dog, Scooter.

Scooter was the name of our terrier mix who, at the time, was battling kidney disease. Since I assumed Timothy was the only person who would read Bryony, I added the name to make him smile.

Less than eight weeks later, Scooter was dead. When I ripped the novella apart to create the novel, I had mixed feelings about keeping that name for Brian's dog--and so did my children.

Brian's Scooter was smaller than our Scooter, so, in my mind, I did not confuse the two dogs. Yet, in the end, I decided to keep the name, because it now also belonged to the little dog in the story and because I wanted to immortalize the dog that brought us years of joy.