I've finally got a few minutes to upload my story. 
Very early one July morning, just as the sun was peeping over the horizon, its warmth heralding another scorching hot day, Lennie jumped lightly up on to the top of the garden wall, and quickly checking that he was alone, dropped down into the garden below. Keeping to the side of the wall still in deep shade, he made his way round to the house. In the heat of the previous day several downstairs windows had been left ajar. In a flash he was inside the house. There was no-one there, he’d watched the workmen leave the previous day. He started to relax a little. He was so tired of living on the streets, being pushed from one place to another, all he wanted now was a chance to sleep undisturbed for a few hours. Then he would have to go in search of food, but for now, sleep was vital. He spotted a pile of decorators’ dust sheets in the living room. gratefully lay down on them and fell instantly into a deep sleep.
His dreams were jumbled: people shouting at him, calling him names, telling him to clear off and not come back, an occasional kindness of some food, but mostly he scoured the dustbins behind restaurants. How he longed for a home he could call his own.
Several hours later his slumber was disturbed by voices, the sound of a key in the door, high voices, children, excited, running round. He stayed where he was, silent and watchful. The children ran into the living room and stopped dead in their tracks. The little girl screamed, the boy shouted “Mum, Dad, come here quickly”.
Mum and Dad appeared in the doorway. Still Lennie watched them unblinkingly, every muscle and sinew taunt, ready to flee when the abuse came, as it surely would.
Dad, tall, wiry, with a kind face, took a step forwards. Still Lennie watched, ready to run.
“What have we here, then?” He took another small step towards Lennie, and crouched down so their eyes were almost on the same level. “Hello, who are you?”
Lennie remained motionless.
The little girl, now over the shock, crouched down next to her Dad.
“Oh, Daddy, he’s so sweet, can we keep him? You promised we could have a pet when we moved into our new house, go on, Daddy say ‘yes’”. She turned round, “Mummy, pleeeaaassssse …”
Mummy’s and Daddy’s eyes met in unspoken question and answer.
“Ok”, said Daddy. “But he will need a name”.
The little boy, grinning from ear to ear, said he looked a bit like a lion, a very small and cute lion.
Mummy, laughed. “Yes he does.. How about calling him Lennie - Lennie the Lion?”
“Yes, yes, yes” for once both children agreed!
Lennie was wondering if he was still dreaming. How did they know his name! But, then he’d been told a long time ago by the kind elderly lady who had loved him as a kitten that he was her little lion cub, and she would call him Lennie. But she had disappeared suddenly - people took her in a big noisy vehicle with blue flashing lights, and he never saw her again.
“I bet he’s hungry”, said Mummy. “We’d better get him some food before the removal van arrives”
“He can have the chicken out of my sandwich” offered the little boy. “Mine, too, mine too” said the little girl.
Lennie’s tummy gurgled at the thought, and sure enough, within a couple of minutes he was tucking into a plate of delicious chicken, and realising that, at last, his travels were over. He had found his forever home on this sunny July morning.
Very early one July morning, just as the sun was peeping over the horizon, its warmth heralding another scorching hot day, Lennie jumped lightly up on to the top of the garden wall, and quickly checking that he was alone, dropped down into the garden below. Keeping to the side of the wall still in deep shade, he made his way round to the house. In the heat of the previous day several downstairs windows had been left ajar. In a flash he was inside the house. There was no-one there, he’d watched the workmen leave the previous day. He started to relax a little. He was so tired of living on the streets, being pushed from one place to another, all he wanted now was a chance to sleep undisturbed for a few hours. Then he would have to go in search of food, but for now, sleep was vital. He spotted a pile of decorators’ dust sheets in the living room. gratefully lay down on them and fell instantly into a deep sleep.
His dreams were jumbled: people shouting at him, calling him names, telling him to clear off and not come back, an occasional kindness of some food, but mostly he scoured the dustbins behind restaurants. How he longed for a home he could call his own.
Several hours later his slumber was disturbed by voices, the sound of a key in the door, high voices, children, excited, running round. He stayed where he was, silent and watchful. The children ran into the living room and stopped dead in their tracks. The little girl screamed, the boy shouted “Mum, Dad, come here quickly”.
Mum and Dad appeared in the doorway. Still Lennie watched them unblinkingly, every muscle and sinew taunt, ready to flee when the abuse came, as it surely would.
Dad, tall, wiry, with a kind face, took a step forwards. Still Lennie watched, ready to run.
“What have we here, then?” He took another small step towards Lennie, and crouched down so their eyes were almost on the same level. “Hello, who are you?”
Lennie remained motionless.
The little girl, now over the shock, crouched down next to her Dad.
“Oh, Daddy, he’s so sweet, can we keep him? You promised we could have a pet when we moved into our new house, go on, Daddy say ‘yes’”. She turned round, “Mummy, pleeeaaassssse …”
Mummy’s and Daddy’s eyes met in unspoken question and answer.
“Ok”, said Daddy. “But he will need a name”.
The little boy, grinning from ear to ear, said he looked a bit like a lion, a very small and cute lion.
Mummy, laughed. “Yes he does.. How about calling him Lennie - Lennie the Lion?”
“Yes, yes, yes” for once both children agreed!
Lennie was wondering if he was still dreaming. How did they know his name! But, then he’d been told a long time ago by the kind elderly lady who had loved him as a kitten that he was her little lion cub, and she would call him Lennie. But she had disappeared suddenly - people took her in a big noisy vehicle with blue flashing lights, and he never saw her again.
“I bet he’s hungry”, said Mummy. “We’d better get him some food before the removal van arrives”
“He can have the chicken out of my sandwich” offered the little boy. “Mine, too, mine too” said the little girl.
Lennie’s tummy gurgled at the thought, and sure enough, within a couple of minutes he was tucking into a plate of delicious chicken, and realising that, at last, his travels were over. He had found his forever home on this sunny July morning.
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