Level Three. Seeing it Through.

By Michelle Lloyd.

“Don’t leave things half finished. See it through.” This was a favourite saying of Little Herbert’s dad and he was known to have said it often. As sayings went, it was not a bad one and Little Herbert could understand why it was said. Knowing why and actually putting it into practice were two different things. Little Herbert had a bit of difficulty with the latter.

It was a habit of Little Herbert to start things off, love it for a little while and then see something else that interested him more…so off he would go and leave things unfinished.

Little Herbert’s dad had tried and tried to get him to finish things off but lately it was clear that this behaviour was not something that he could correct. Little Herbert was the one out of his friends most known for not doing as he had promised.

“I’ll call you later!” Would translate to his friends as – I’ll try and call you later if I don’t and probably will get distracted by something else.

“Let me have a go at that game.” From Little Herbert would mean – Can I try that for two minutes and then move on to something new.

“Leave that to me. I’ll do it.” It was the worst because when that came from Little Herbert, both New One and RV, his two friends knew that if they did leave it to him then it would simply not get done.

It was something that did upset his friends, a bit, but they knew it was a part of what Little Herbert did. They forgave him. Moved on. He would do it again. It was something New One and RV knew well enough.

One day the three friends were playing at their after school meet up and New One let Lana, his beautiful pet dog, in to be with them all for a while. New One started to tell them that they were going to be going out for the evening and Lana was going to be left home alone for the first time. It was worrying because she was not a puppy who took time alone well. Plant pots could go flying, carpets may get chewed and doors could get scratched because of the distress of it. New One wanted to go with his parents for an evening out but he was worried about what they would come back to at the end of it all.

It was at that moment that Little Herbert had an idea. He told New One not to worry because his Dad and him would take Lana for the evening. RV’s look of dismay matched New One’s expression of worry. The friends both knew that Little Herbert meant well, so often, but he didn’t have a good history of coming through with his promises. On seeing the expressions on his friends’ faces he tried to lessen their worry by declaring that on this occasion…he would not leave his promise unfinished and Little Herbert would see it through.

Arrangements were made and so it was that a rather too happy Little Herbert and an extremely disgruntled Little Herbert’s dad found themselves dog sitting the excited Lana dog.

It went well to start with…only two torn pillows and a knocked over table was good going for Lana. Little Herbert felt confident in his abilities, he had done as he said and kept the first part of his promise to his friend New One. It was about half an hour to the time when New One’s parents had told them they would be round to get Lana and it was at that precise time Lana started to get anxious for their return.

Scratch, scratch she went at the door. Paws patted round and round Little Herbert as he watched her looking for his friend New One. He started to get sad for Lana and so he suggested to his dad they should take her out for a walk.

Little Herbert’s dad had not thought that a good idea, he explained that taking a dog out needed a lot of care and attention. Two things Little Herbert could be known to lose on occasion but Little Herbert had liked his new found ability to see his promise through and off he went again with his speech about seeing Lana’s walk through to the end.

Out the two went for a walk with Lana, the feet pounded the pavement and the paws did the same. Sniff, sniff, sniff went Lana after almost every car and her eyes looked hopeful as she scanned passers by for any clue as to where New One was. Little Herbert found it cute that she loved his friend so much, she had been a stray dog who had adopted New One and his family almost as much as they had adopted her.

It was as they were rounding a corner that Little Herbert’s attention wandered. His dad who had fallen a little behind did not see his son’s mind veer off to the sign stuck on the tree about a missing animal. As Little Herbert read the details and got engrossed with the missing animal information, Lana had pulled off from him and had made her way over to the rather busy road.

It was pure good behaviour on her part at remembering the road safety training that kept Lana from setting paw on to the road and allowed Little Herbert’s dad the chance to call out to him about the looming danger.

Acting quickly, the pair managed to get a hold of Lana and their anxiety about what could have happened. Little Herbert’s dad insisted that he learn from the experience and grasp the severity of what could occur, if he did not finish one task off properly before he moved on to the next objective.

Little Herbert had learnt from the incident and it was his fright that had brought home the most realisation. Everybody soon noticed the change in him for the better and it was relief that became Little Herbert’s biggest reward.