Alfie And George

Chapter Ten

‘Tiger, it’s not funny,’ I said the following morning, swishing my tail in annoyance as she carried on regardless. I’d managed to get out, although the minute I did, I worried about George. I worried about all my humans, especially the little ones, but this was different; somehow I felt even more responsible for him.

I told him I had to go, which he didn’t seem to understand, but I promised him he’d be fine. He’d quivered as he made me promise I’d be back soon. It was upsetting but I reassured him as much as I could. Poor kid. But Claire and Summer were home, so at least I hadn’t left him on his own. I couldn’t have done that.

‘But it is quite funny,’ Tiger said, swishing her tail back at me, when I recounted how I’d had to show George how to use the litter tray. Claire had tried putting him in it yesterday evening but each time he’d been terrified and scrabbled straight back out. Then little Summer tried to play with the tray, which sent Claire crazy, and so she had to explain to Summer to keep out at all costs while trying to encourage George to use it. Humans! They really had very little idea sometimes.

So when no one was around I explained to George what it was used for, why he had to use it for now, and how it wouldn’t hurt him. Embarrassingly, I then had to pretend to do my toileting in it by way of a practical demonstration. Although he had been caught short in the kitchen this morning, he had almost got the hang of it already, thanks to me.

‘Just the idea of you in the litter tray,’ Tiger finished, still laughing.

‘Tiger, listen, yesterday all I had to do was indulge my broken heart and now I’m responsible for a kitten. I can only go out when someone lets me out and ditto back in, which is no good for a doorstep cat is it?’

She tilted her head in sympathy. ‘When can George go out?’

‘Claire said a few weeks. He has to have some stuff done at the vet first. I didn’t listen past the word vet.’ I shuddered.

‘Sounds as if you’re fond of him already.’

‘Well, you can’t help it. Oh, Tiger, you should see him — he’s a bit like a mini you actually. So cute, and I know he’s going to be very handsome when he grows up. And clever! I mean he picked up the litter tray so quickly, and he’s got these lovely eyes and such sweet whiskers, I can’t wait for you to meet him …’

‘Oh, Alfie, you sound like a proud parent. You’ll be getting the photos out next.’

‘Don’t be silly, cats can’t take photos,’ I snapped, but I saw what she meant. I had been put under George’s spell. I sounded like Claire when she talked about Summer, or Matt when he talked about his two. It seemed I had definitely taken to parenthood, and although I still wasn’t happy in myself, I had to admit that George kept me so busy I barely had time to pine for my beloved Snowball.

‘By the way, Alfie, another picture went up yesterday. That makes four cat pictures on lampposts.’

Again, I felt something niggling at me. I felt like I knew what this was but I couldn’t quite remember. ‘Are the cats from Edgar Road?’ I asked.

‘No, none of them, or if they are we’ve never seen them,’ Tiger said. It seemed unlikely that they were from Edgar Road: though not all the cats on our road were friends, and some kept themselves to themselves, we would still recognise most of them.

‘I wonder what it is.’

‘Well, the others think it’s some kind of cat beauty contest. You know, the owners putting the pictures up of their cats as a way of boasting.’

I narrowed my eyes at Tiger suspiciously. ‘Tiger, you do know that that makes absolutely no sense don’t you?’

‘Well, I’m not sure.’

‘If it was then don’t you think my picture would be up there?’

‘Oh, Alfie, you are one vain cat.’

‘OK, fine. But they would have put up a picture of the new kitten, George, at the very least. He’s the best-looking cat around. Next to me.’

‘I get your point. Perhaps your owners will put your pictures up soon, and then we’ll know. And if it’s not some weird competition among humans, then what is it?’

‘Look, I have enough on my plate with my new charge but I’ll figure it out, I promise.’

I reluctantly left Tiger to go and play in the park and then I popped into Polly and Matt’s house to say hello. I couldn’t neglect my families totally for my kitten. In any case, I was sure that Summer, who seemed to think George — or Deorge, as she called him — was her new toy, would be taking care of him, or terrorising him, but hopefully the former.

I felt amazingly free as I leapt through the cat flap and padded into Polly and Matt’s kitchen, where to my surprise they were both sitting at the table. I knew Henry would be at school and Martha at pre-school, but Matt would normally be at work at this time and I’d have Polly to myself. She had been doing something called ‘interior design’ for the last two years and had just finished her course. Apparently she was very good at it, which you could tell because their house was incredibly beautiful, and it was all down to her. She had also helped Claire make our house much better, although she had had to try and combine the Jonathan’s minimalist taste with Claire’s love of scatter cushions, which apparently wasn’t easy. More recently, she had helped big Tomasz redesign his restaurant. Although she didn’t work too much, she had picked up some freelance work now and then, as the children weren’t at home so much.

I went up to Polly first but she looked at me and blinked as if she hadn’t really seen me.

‘Hi, Alfie,’ she said eventually, bending down to stroke me, although it was clearly half-hearted. Matt didn’t even acknowledge me. I immediately knew something was wrong, I could feel it in my fur. I felt my heart drop even further — it would be in my paws at this rate.

‘Look, love, it’s not the end of the world. I know that you loved your job but you’re so talented and you’ll find another one,’ Polly said, giving Matt’s hand a squeeze. I rubbed Matt’s legs in reassurance but he didn’t seem to notice. He’d lost his job? How? This seemed to have come from nowhere.

‘Maybe. I mean, I will, yes, but you know what the economy’s like right now, it’s going to take time. And we have two kids, a mortgage … How the hell are we going to manage?’

‘Well,’ Polly started.‘I know it’s not ideal but I did get that offer from DF Design. I know I turned it down, but—’

‘I thought you didn’t want the job?’ Matt looked surprised.

‘I wanted to work for them but the job was full time and I was hoping for part time so I could work around the kids. When I told them I couldn’t do it, not with the kids, they said to call them if I changed my mind. I didn’t want to work full time, but it’s on a contract basis so maybe, just until you sort yourself out, I could try it? It’s not as much money as you were earning but at least we’d have something coming in.’ She didn’t exactly look thrilled, but then this was a shock.

‘I can’t believe this has happened, no warning, the whole company gone under. None of us even saw it coming’. Matt clenched his fists. He was normally so laid back but he was definitely angry, and hurting, and I immediately felt upset for them both.

‘I know, love. I’m sorry. But if I can go and work for DF then at least that’ll be something.’

‘So I have to be a househusband?’ He sounded crosser than I’d ever heard him. I snuck under the table. I wanted to hear the end of this conversation but I also didn’t, if you know what I mean.

‘God, Matt, it’s not the 1950s! Men do look after their children and the house now. And you know full well that if we had a choice then no, you wouldn’t need to — I like being with the kids. At least we have an option — a lifesaver even,’ Polly snapped.

‘But I’ve always worked. I just don’t know if I know how not to work. What am I meant to do, make you a packed lunch and wave you off every day?’ Matt was shouting and Matt never shouted.

‘No, you make terrible sandwiches.’ She tried to laugh. ‘Look, Matt, we don’t have many options. I’ll take this job — it’s a rolling contract so it seems like the perfect solution until you find another role.’

‘Right, so I look after the kids and the home? Play house?’ Matt asked again. It seemed to be his sticking point.

‘They’re your kids and it’s your home so yes. It’s not the end of the world, Matt.’ Now Polly sounded angry. ‘Do you realise how patronising you sound? I’ve been doing this job for five years now and you seem to think it’s beneath you.’

‘Sorry, Pol, I don’t think that, it’s just that I’ve always worked.’ He kept repeating himself but I could tell he was still in shock.

‘I know.’ Her voice softened. ‘But now I have to. Listen, love, you’ll have plenty of time to look for a job and go to interviews when the kids are at school, and at least this way the bills will be paid. It won’t be so bad, you’ll see.’

‘I know, I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m still in shock.’ Ah, I was right. He put his head in his hands. Polly leaned over and put an arm around him.

‘I know, love, but thank goodness for DF Design. Someone is looking after us at least.’ Polly smiled sadly and I slunk off. I was looking after them too, although I couldn’t take credit for the job offer.

Back at my house, I hit my head as I lunged at the cat flap. I was so preoccupied with Matt and Polly that I forgot about it being closed. I’d have a very sore head if I kept doing this. I jumped onto the kitchen windowsill and tried to tap the glass, miaowing very loudly. It wasn’t too long before Claire saw me. I jumped down and ran to the back door.

‘Oh, thank God,’ she said as she opened the door. I tilted my head.‘We’ve got a problem, Alfie. It’s George.’

Summer came running towards me. ‘Deorge, Deorge, Deorge,’ she kept shouting. I felt my heart beat faster, my fur standing on end. What had happened?

‘We can’t find him,’ said Claire.‘He can’t have gone out — he was here after you’d gone and I haven’t opened the door since, but I can’t find him anywhere.’

I made my way into the house, my tail bushy with fear. Claire had opened all the cupboards and emptied them, covering the whole kitchen floor with their contents. I carefully manoeuvred my way through the mess and tried to stay calm. He had to be here somewhere, but I felt scared for the little baby. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have left him. He’d only just moved here. I should have gone out, done what I had to do and then come straight home. What kind of parent was I? I began to feel slightly hysterical as I hunted for him. I could smell his scent but it was everywhere he’d been. I checked the ground floor before climbing the stairs and trying not to panic.

I miaowed loudly but heard nothing in reply. My heart pounded. I checked under Summer’s little bed, which was a cosy hiding place that would be perfect for a kitten, then I looked in all the other rooms, but I couldn’t find him anywhere.

I lay on Claire and Jonathan’s bed to take a break and think of a plan. I’d been hunting for quite a while with absolutely no luck. I was fretting as to where the lad could be. I stretched out and sniffed at the bedding, wracking my brain as to what I could do next. Bingo! I figured it out in my very clever cat way. Claire had obviously just changed the linen on her bed. It was invitingly fresh — just the sort of thing that a little kitten would like. I realised what must have happened and hurried to the linen cupboard. I could hear a gentle snoring — well, more of a snuffle — coming from inside, but the door was closed.

‘MIAOW,’ I shouted with all my might, which brought Claire running towards me. Honestly, humans. It was lucky George had me, I thought, as I nudged at the door.

‘Thank goodness!’ Claire exclaimed as she opened the door.‘Ahh, look at him, he’s so cute.’

‘Oh, bless,’ I thought, as we both stared at George curled up on a pile of freshly laundered towels, fast asleep.

‘I used to watch Summer sleeping for hours,’ Claire said, and as we both stood and stared, I knew exactly what she meant.

‘So what happened?’ I asked George as we sat side by side on Claire and Jonathan’s bed later that evening.

‘It smelled so good in there that I decided to lie down. Then it was so comfortable that I fell asleep and Claire must have closed the door,’ he said. It sounded simple. I’d been shut in cupboards before — it was easily done. I knew it wasn’t his fault, but I had learnt a lesson from my mistake and George needed to as well.

‘OK, I understand. But they were worried about you and so was I. You shouldn’t go into any open cupboards, you risk getting shut in and, well, you were lucky that I could smell you. Claire was too busy emptying all the kitchen cupboards to think of looking for you up here. You could have been in there for hours, days even, if I hadn’t found you.’

‘Days?’ His beautiful eyes were as wide as saucers.

‘Living with humans isn’t always easy, George. But don’t worry, I’m here to teach you.’

‘Thanks, Alfie — Dad.’ When he said that my heart melted.

Summer bounded into the room and dived onto the bed. She scooped George up and ran downstairs, babbling about a new game she wanted to play.

I smiled as I watched them go. Summer was like a human sister to me, and now that George was my kitten I had two little ones to take care of. I was overwhelmed with a need for them both to be happy, but right now I was glad that Summer was there to play with George. Apart from all the human business, running around and having to take care of little ones, plus the cats on the lamppost mystery, I also needed a bit of time to myself to think of Snowball, who I still missed with all my heart. Or the bit of it that George hadn’t stolen anyway.