Anne and Saskia - part 1

Anne is standing in front of her house with her schoolbag on her back. What is keeping Saskia so long? she thinks.
Then there is a ringing sound.
"Hi, Anne, here I am!" "Hi, Saskia, you are late today."
"Yeh, I couldn’t get out of my bed."
"Sleepy-head", Anne teases her.
"Come on, let’s go."
They drive off.

Anne is a girl of 11 years old. She is blind, but she can still see a little bit. For example people, but she cannot see who they are.
Every day she rides to school and back with her best friend Saskia on the tandem.
They play together quite often. In the classroom they sit next to each other and sometimes they secretly prompt each other the good answers.
Real friends, that’s what they are.

"What would you like for your birthday, An?" her mother asks at the table.
"A dog", Anne says.
"Um, a dog. I will see what I can do for you. But you know that your father…" "My father what?"
"Would you like another sandwich?"
"I asked you something." "What… what did you say?"
"Nothing."

Strange, Anne thinks later on. Really strange.
She is probably using these vague phrases because she might really get a dog. But what does she mean with: you know that your father…
Probably nothing special. Mothers always tend to act a bit strange just before your birthday.
She really hopes that she will get a dog.
Such a lovely animal.
So nice to play and walk with.
It seems to her a wonderful thing to have a dog.
And then it wouldn’t really have to be hers alone.
O no, if the dog would belong to her parents too she would only be too glad.
Besides, if her parents would become the dog’s masters, it would probably be better educated.