Vincenzo unpacked his blue striped pyjamas and placed them under his pillow. He put Pomadina's things in one corner and proceeded to fill a small dish of water from a porcelain pitcher. He was about to leave the cabin with Pomadina, when three roommates bundled themselves through the door.
'Hiya,' the man said, lifting a Tyrolean hat in the air. 'Lars est my name. And this is Roland und Yetz. We are all set then.'
Vincenzo swapped the dog over to one side to free his right hand which he extended to Lars. 'I am very pleased to meet your family. I am Vincenzo of Calabria.' For about two minutes they held a tight grip, the man obviously ecstatic about his trip, continued to rattle Vincenzo's five fingers.
'I have my dog here,' he said. 'I found it strange, no one to take him in the baggage room. I hope you don't mind little bushkush here. She's my only companion to Australia.'
'You leave the dog in here?' said Lars. 'But it's no room for animals, sir! We better do something about it, na?'
'Hey, what you call my Pomadina, an animal?'
'I go see the steward. Come boys, this is not good.' Lars left the confined quarters in a hurry, lifting his two boys up and out through the narrow passageway of the door. Vincenzo sat on the end of the bed, and let Pomadina sniff around the man's luggage. She squatted over a limp attaché case, letting a small stream trickle down the side of the new leather. Vincenzo was too upset to notice. He opened a small valise and read some of the contents from a large envelope. 'Says here, Pomadina, you are to be kept in a cage with food and drink in the bloody baggage hold.'About to step out of the cabin once more, Vincenzo was confronted by a rather tall man in a black uniform, who began explaining that he could not keep a dog in such confined quarters. And that a - Mr Lars Rausis and his two boys - were very upset to think that he would keep the dog in the room.
'I make no trouble,' said Vincenzo, 'but this bloody boat company has me scratching my head. And you can see if I scratch too hard, I will loosen already my only few hairs.'
'I'm sorry, sir,' said the steward. 'Please pass me your dog and I will fix everything. You can visit him on the lower deck in B2. There is nice straw there. A very comfortable room where we are housing, oh, let's see - one parrot, two cats, a chihuahua and soon a very nice little Pomadina owned by one Mr Vincenzo Polamo.'
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