CHAPTER 3

Since starting his job at the animal shelter, Grover had met all kinds of dogs. Sometimes new dogs would join him for only a few hours in the office, until they settled in. Other times the new arrivals would stay for a few days. Grover had learnt new things from every single visitor, and he had a feeling that he was going to learn a lot from Benji, too.

Grover lay awake, thinking about Benji. His heart was so heavy. Who would abandon a sweet little dog like Benji? Grover thought.

Annie stepped quietly into the office. ‘Is Benji still sleeping?’ she whispered to Grover.

Grover looked up, but he didn’t dare move in case he woke Benji.

‘Shall we take this little guy home with us tonight, Grover?’ Annie asked. ‘The shelter can be scary when you can’t see, and Benji gets worried when he’s on his own. I’m going to need you to take care of him tonight.’

Annie bent down to gently scratch behind Grover’s ears. It felt AMAZING. Grover would agree to anything Annie asked if she was scratching his ears. It was his weak spot!

Annie leant down further and gave Benji a little pat too. His eyes opened slowly.

‘Grover, is that you?’ Benji asked, his voice sounding a little shaky.

‘I’m right here,’ Grover replied, ‘but that’s my human Annie patting you. She’s a lovely lady, so you don’t need to be afraid.’

Grover watched Annie’s hand disappear beneath the layer of cloud-like fuzz on top on Benji’s head. Benji must be really quite tiny under all that fluff!

‘Annie said you can come and stay at our house tonight, Benji. Is that okay?’ Grover asked.

‘So I’d be with you the whole time? I don’t have to stay here on my own?’ Benji said, suddenly jumping to his feet.

The thought of staying with Grover must have cheered him up!

‘Yep, I’ll be there the whole time. Great, let’s go!’ Grover said. He jumped off the bed and ran over to the door.

‘Aren’t you forgetting something, Grover?’ Annie asked, looking back to where Benji was standing.

Oh geez, Grover thought, two minutes in and I’ve already forgotten my job!

‘Sorry, Benji, I forgot to help you.’ Grover ran back over to the bed.

‘What’s that? Your pots are brand new?’ Benji asked.

Pots are brand new? Grover thought, laughing to himself. ‘No, I said I FORGOT TO HELP YOU,’ he barked.

Tonight is going to be interesting, Grover thought.

Grover directed Benji through the doorway and out into the main reception, where they waited for Annie to clip on their leads.

As they stepped outside, Grover watched Benji carefully. He’s in my care now. I can’t let Annie down, he thought.

When they got to the front step, Benji stopped and pointed his nose to the sky.

He took a deep breath.

‘Do you smell that, Grover?’ Benji said. ‘Someone is cutting their lawn. I do love rolling in freshly cut grass. Don’t you?’

Grover put his nose in the air, but he couldn’t smell cut grass at all.

‘I don’t smell it, Benji,’ he said. ‘I can smell the cars, and the cat down the road, and the chicken shop at the end of the street, but I don’t smell cut grass …’

‘Try harder,’ Benji replied. ‘You need to close your eyes and take it all in.’

Grover tried again, closing his eyes just like Benji had told him to. Suddenly, Grover could smell cut grass! And there was another smell, something delicious. What was it?

‘PIZZA!’ Benji exclaimed.‘Are you getting a whiff of that, Grover?’

‘I am!’ Grover cheered. ‘I really am!’ Grover couldn’t believe all the things he could smell. ‘How did you learn to do that?’ he asked.

‘When your life changes, you have to learn new things,’ Benji said with a smile. ‘I may not be able to see, but I sure can smell!’