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Alby knew exactly how to get to the shop. When he and Jim had first been matched, a trainer had brought him to Jim’s house to help him learn about Jim’s surroundings.

They’d had several weeks of special training. First they’d gone to the newsagent where Jim put on his lotto, then the plaza where he and Ellen went shopping; even to the butcher’s. They’d visited all their favourite cafes and restaurants and, of course, Patto’s, the shop they visited each morning for the milk and paper. Not just once, either. They’d had to do each route again and again, until they got it right and the trainer was satisfied they could do it unaided.

Now, as they reached the front gate, Jim paused to get his bearings, and Alby immediately stopped. Jim was just about to instruct the dog to move forward, when he heard a cheerful, ‘Good morning, Jim. Oh, and you too, Alby. Couldn’t forget you now, could I?’

Jim recognised the voice of Alice Bremner, his next-door neighbour. Must be out in the garden, he thought. Which was a pity. He might never get away from her.

‘Good morning, Alice,’ said Jim. ‘Getting an early start in the garden, eh?’

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‘Oh yes,’ said Alice. ‘I’m watering my roses. The Morvale Show is on this weekend and I have them entered in the flower competition. I’ve won the Best Roses section for the past two years, you know.’

‘Good for you,’ said Jim. ‘They smell magnificent.’

‘If you think they smell good, you should see— oh, I’m sorry, Jim, I wasn’t thinking. Talk about foot in mouth!’

Jim smiled. ‘That’s okay, Alice. Really.’

Jim was used to such comments, and the way people acted around him. For some reason, people were intrigued by guide dogs. Whether it was the way they looked, or the way they worked. People always admired them, always wanted to be near them.

As for Jim, he was just the invisible person attached to the dog. One of the hardest things to come to terms with since he’d lost his sight was that people seemed to feel uncomfortable in the presence of a blind person. It was as if he had become a different person.

Jim knew it was difficult talking to someone who could no longer see you. If people couldn’t look you in the eye, they weren’t sure where to look. Often, if someone wanted to ask about his blindness, or the accident that caused it, they asked Ellen. It was as if, along with losing his sight, Jim had somehow lost his brain and his ability to speak.

But he didn’t blame anyone. How could he? People didn’t understand. It was as simple as that. It was something he had to get used to. Something he had to learn to deal with in his own way. And, thankfully, he had.

‘You don’t have to walk on eggshells around me, Alice,’ Jim reassured her. ‘Besides, if those roses look half as good as they smell, I think you’ll definitely be a winner.’

‘I hope you’re right,’ said Alice.

‘Well, I’d better be going,’ said Jim. ‘You know what Ellen is like. If I take too long she’s likely to send out a search party.’

They both laughed.

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As Alby stood patiently beside his master, he looked around for the cat. He was disappointed when he didn’t spy it. Not on the fence. Not hovering around Alice, his human. Nowhere. And that was strange. Because usually he hung around like a bad smell, especially on their daily trip to the shop.

Even though it was annoying the way the cat zig-zagged all over the place, doing its best to distract him, he’d kind of got used to it after a while. Alby liked the fact that the cat was full of surprises. You never knew quite what it was going to do next.

‘Alby, forward,’ Jim instructed, and Alby obeyed, glancing around for the cat one last time before moving off.

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