The Lives of Brian by Brian Sherman

Author:Brian Sherman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Melbourne University Publishing

WHEN HOME IN Sydney, I make the most of my time with the children and Gene. Perhaps I overcompensate to offset the absences that remove me so often from the texture and minutiae of their daily lives. When I am with the family, I am theirs. I turn off the relentless rumination about this or that business opportunity, shelve the mental abacus, and give myself over to the activity at hand. Even time in front of the TV together after dinner or a game of Monopoly with them is precious.

So are the normal activities of family life. We ride our bikes and go swimming with them often. Ondine in particular is a natural water baby. Beach or pool, it doesn’t matter—she is fully in her element. I take her for her first scuba-diving lesson with Emile and together we experience the freedom of the deep.We see neon tropical fish, elegant rays, and crustaceans and coral of dazzling shapes and hues, sharing a moment of awe at the strangeness and beauty of undersea life.

Likewise, the children and I enjoy spending time together walking and training Taurus. He is a good-natured companion. When the doorbell rings, he meets all comers with enthusiastic tail-wagging and slobbering—so much for his potential as a guard dog. He particularly loves the parkside beach near our home, running and splashing freely in the water. Though only a middling swimmer, he uses his considerable strength to propel himself far offshore, maniacally chasing birds’ shadows. More than once we panic that he will be taken by a shark or fail to make it back.

Taurus proves an adept trainee at obedience school. The professional dog trainer deputises Emile to continue his instruction at home, and Emile takes to the task with energy and commitment. On one occasion, Taurus misses out narrowly on winning a competition. He is ahead of his rivals and set to claim gold when he spots Gene, Ondine and me behind a hillock, where we have hidden to avoid distracting him. He excitedly rises from the lying position, straining to bound our way. The penalty is instant disqualification.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.