Okay. Now comes the most embarrassing part of my story!

It’s late afternoon of 31 October. I have left Tefo at home, popping popcorn for our marathon horror-movie night. And I am taking my usual walk through the countryside. My ankle hardly hurts at all. That paramedic did a good job strapping it up.

I’m walking beside the gravel farm road, when I hear soft, whimpering sounds. Like a small baby – but surely no-one would abandon a baby at the side of the road?

It’s not a baby, though. There, crouched in the bushes, whimpering its little heart out, is a puppy. It has soft curly grey hair and the widest, most golden eyes ever. Those eyes look up at me – like the puppy is pleading with me for help. Like I am the only one in this whole, cruel universe who it trusts.

And yes, I confess, my heart turns to mush! First time ever that an animal has had this effect on me.

“Oh my poor little one!” I kneel down beside her – it’s a girl pup, I notice. “Poor little girlie? What happened? Did your naughty humans dump you and drive off?”

And what can I do? I can’t leave the poor little thing out there alone and hungry and abandoned with night coming in. I pick her up in my arms and she snuggles her little nose into my elbow. She has a lovely puppy smell – like baby powder. And yes, I carry her home.

I’m in the kitchen, giving her warm milk. And a piece of the steak Tefo was saving for lunch tomorrow.

Tefo calls from the lounge. “Mel? Is that you back? Come on, hurry. I am Legend is just starting. And I have two bowls of popcorn here.”

“In a minute,” I call back.

“Hey, Mel, you didn’t tell me there was a dog in this movie. This Will Smith character has a beautiful German Shepherd. Hey, I might enjoy this after all!”

And that’s when I walk into the lounge – with the little grey pup in my arms. Tefo stares. And stares. I can see: he’s trying to find the perfect thing to say to tease me.

“Don’t you say a word!” I warn him. “Don’t you dare!”

He doesn’t say a word. Instead he bursts out laughing. He’s laughing so much, he nearly falls off the sofa! I told you he has a wicked sense of humour.

On the TV screen, Will Smith and his German Shepherd are driving round a deserted city. A deserted, menacing city … What is hidden inside those dark buildings? And why is he panicking as darkness falls?

I sit down with little Stephanie still in my arms. She won’t let me put her down.

“Stephanie?” asks Tefo. “Why Stephanie?”

“I am naming her after my favourite author, Stephen King,” I explain.

But I don’t think Tefo hears. He is staring at the TV now. Leaning forward and forgetting to breathe. Gripped. Entranced. Mesmerised. On the screen, strange mutant creatures slink through the shadows of the dark city streets. And Will Smith and his dog are trapped far from home …

Tefo gasps as Will Smith loads his gun.

Ha! This is Tefo – the guy who thinks horror movies are silly nonsense! Ha!

Now I am the one trying to find the perfect thing to say to tease him. Now I am the one ready to burst out laughing.

Like I told you: that’s one thing Tefo and I share. A wicked sense of humour!

***

Tell us: What has changed Melissa’s attitude to animals? What has changed Tefo’s attitude to horror movies?