Alfie The Doorstep Cat

Chapter Nineteen

The next morning I breakfasted with Claire, and then, while she was getting ready for work, I went to see Jonathan.

My morning routine was hectic but I wanted them both to see me before they went to work, so I ate quickly and didn’t even have time to clean my whiskers before popping to my next house. It was important to me to give enough attention to both Claire and Jonathan. I wanted them both to think of me as ‘their’ cat. Jonathan was just about to walk out of the door as I walked in.

‘Oh, I wondered where you were. Thanks for the present, but you really shouldn’t have. I mean, really. I’m sure there are many of us who would be happy to have you rid the street of all mice, but I’d rather they didn’t end up on my door mat.’ Although he chastised me, I still decided that deep down – perhaps very deep down – he appreciated my gifts. After all, he hadn’t thrown me out again, had he? I am a cat and I couldn’t bring presents like humans did; Margaret liked to give flowers to her friends, so I was doing the best I could, and perhaps Jonathan understood that better than he let on. I looked at him, licked my lips and miaowed.

‘I’ve left you a bowl with leftovers in from last night. I have to get to work but I’ll see you when I get home. Hopefully.’ He reached down and tickled me under my chin, which I loved. I let out my loudest purr and he smiled in satisfaction. When he’d left I ignored the food, then gave myself another proper clean and set off to go and see the number 22 flats, reminding myself not to get stuck inside today. After all, there would be delicious food waiting for me on my return here, which I didn’t want to go to waste.

I was in luck. It was still early, but Franceska was in the front garden with the boys. The man was there with them too. They looked as if they were about to go out.

‘Alfie,’ Aleksy shrieked, and ran over to me. I rolled onto my back so he could tickle my tummy.

‘Oh, he likes the cat,’ the man, Thomasz, said.

‘Yes, he like Alfie very much.’

‘I have to go to work now, kochanie. I’ll try to get back before tonight’s shift.’

‘I love you. I wish it not such a long day for you.’

‘I know but that’s restaurants for you. Long hours and lots of food.’ He laughed as he patted his tummy.

‘I’m just miss home, Thomasz.’

‘I know, but it gets better.’

‘You promise?’ she asked.

‘Yes kochanie. But for now I need to go earn money.’

‘English. Is darling.’

‘It don’t sound right, you are my kochanie, no darling.’ He laughed, kissed his wife and then both children before he left. Franceska looked tired as she sat on the step and watched the boys playing. I sat next to her.

‘At least is sunny. Before I move to England I think it rains always.’ I snuggled into her. We sat in companionable silence for a short while. Aleksy was making Thomasz laugh about something and it was such a lovely scene. I felt there was a sadness here too. It seemed that in very different ways, the homes I’d chosen – Claire’s, Jonathan’s, Polly’s, and here – all had this one thing in common; loneliness. And I think that was why I had been so drawn to them. I knew that these people needed my love and kindness; my support and affection. With each passing day my confidence in this increased.

I looked at Polly and Matt’s door and realised that the answer was right in front of me. Franceska needed a friend, as did Polly. After all, Claire had been so much happier when she met Tasha. Goodness, it was so simple. I just had to figure out how to do it.

Franceska stood up and rallied the children.

‘Come, boys, we go get our shoes and then we go to park.’

They went into the flat. I wondered what I could do, knowing I had to act quickly. I scratched at Polly’s door and miaowed very loudly. I yelped, and then I yowled. I’d lose my voice if I didn’t get her attention soon.

After a while, she opened the door and looked at me in surprise.

‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, her eyes full of concern. I kept yowling. She bent down. ‘Are you hurt?’ I carried on, willing Franceska to hurry up. Polly clearly didn’t know what to do with me and I felt a little bit guilty for distressing her, but it was for a good cause. ‘Oh God, I can’t bear it. I don’t know what to do. Please, cat, please be quiet.’ Polly looked so desperate I almost stopped, but I had to keep going.

Just as I was about to run out of steam, the door opened and Franceska and the boys came out.

‘What is this noise?’ Franceska asked.

‘I don’t know what’s wrong with him,’ Polly replied. I fell silent. I had to have a bit of a lie down to recover my breath. Aleksy came over and tickled me and I snuggled gratefully into him.

‘He seems OK now?’ Franceska said, looking uncertain.

‘But he was making such an awful noise. You’d have thought he was being tortured.’ I wanted to say ‘thank you’. I was clearly as good as any actor on TV.

‘Is he your cat?’ Polly asked.

‘No, he visits us. I tried to call the number on him collar but it doesn’t work.’

‘I don’t want a cat. I mean, I’ve got enough to cope with.’ Polly suddenly burst into tears. Then a wail started up from inside. ‘Oh God, Henry’s asleep in his pram. Or he was.’ She went inside and came back trying to pull the oversized pram out of the house. Franceska went to help her. When they were both outside, Polly resumed her tears.

‘Is OK. Sit down a minute.’ Franceska pulled her down to the front step. ‘Aleksy, push the pram a bit for baby.’ Aleksy did as he was asked, and suddenly the baby stopped crying.

‘Mamma, I made him shush,’ Aleksy said, gleefully, and even Polly managed to laugh.

‘I’m sorry,’ she repeated.

‘You no sleep?’ Franceska asked.

‘No. God, never. He – Henry – doesn’t sleep. Not through the night, only naps in the day, then he cries. And cries and cries.’

‘Is Polly, yes?’ Polly nodded. ‘Is OK, I know how it is; I have two. Aleksy he never sleep. Thomasz is better.’

‘Where are you from?’

‘Poland.’

‘We’re from Manchester.’ Franceska looked blank. ‘It’s in the north of England. My husband, Matt, got a job here and said it was too good not to take. It is a good job, but I miss home.’

‘Me too. My husband, same. He is chef and here in London he gets job in very good restaurant. Building better life for us, sure, but is scary and lonely.’

‘Yes, it’s very lonely. Matt, well, he works long hours even though we’ve only been here a week. I’ve taken Henry out to the park, and to see the health visitor – which is nothing like it was at home. I haven’t met anyone else.’

‘What is a health visitor?’

‘Oh, here, when you have a baby, it’s someone you visit if you have concerns. In Manchester they were lovely, but here they didn’t have time for me. She seemed so busy and when I told her about him not sleeping, she just said that some babies don’t sleep.’

‘They don’t, maybe. But it doesn’t sound helpful. Aleksy no sleep, but you know in the end, he was very hungry. He feed all the time. So I buy this night time milk for babies and he drink that and sleep a bit more.’

‘Henry’s always hungry but I didn’t want to give him formula until he was one. I wanted to feed exclusively.’

‘What is this?’

‘You know, breast only.’

‘Oh, me too, but I was going, how do you say it, round the corner.’

‘Round the bend. I know. That’s exactly how I feel.’

‘Someone tells me that the best thing you can do for your child is be capable to looking after them properly. And that means you sleep. So I feed Aleksy in the day and then I give him this at night.’

I was listening intently to their exchange. These two women were fragile in their own ways, Franceska, because she was in a strange country and didn’t know anyone, and Polly because she had also moved, and hadn’t been sleeping. I could feel that a friendship would begin to form here, and I felt as if I was responsible for it, if I did say so myself. Even if it meant I had to scare Polly half to death in order to do it. These women, both with boys, both lonely, and lost, were perfect for each other. I thought it was about time I reminded them of my presence, so I miaowed.

‘Oh Alfie, you still here,’ Franceska said. Polly reached out and stroked me half-heartedly. It was a very limp stroke. ‘He was in our flat the other day. I was worried, I heard that cats can kill babies.’ I blanched again; I really didn’t appreciate her telling people that she thought I was a killer.

‘Oh, I never hear that. I like the cats. This one very smart too.’

‘How can you tell?’

‘He kind of introduced us, yes? I say we all go to the shop now to buy some milk for baby and then maybe we walk to the park and Henry he will sleep, yes?’

‘Oh, that would be so nice. Thank you, really, I’d love some female company. And you’re right, we’ll try the formula. I almost feel I have nothing left to lose.’

‘Good. I need the company too. My boys are lovely but I need the grown up. Sorry my English is bad.’

‘Not at all, it’s great! Blimey, I can’t speak any other languages.’ And as they chatted on, I could sense a friendship had been sealed.

I watched them all get ready to go off. Thomasz had been reluctantly strapped into a pushchair, Aleksy walked next to it, Polly pushed her giant pram, and Henry was still not crying. Polly was so tall, thin and blonde and Franceska was what I would call sturdy. She wasn’t fat but whereas Polly looked as if she would fall over if I so much as brushed her legs, Franceska looked like she could withstand any storm. But she was very lovely with her dark, short gleaming hair, and brown eyes, which lit up when she smiled. She had one of the nicest smiles I had ever seen.

Before they left the garden, they stopped and said goodbye to me. Aleksy asked me to come back soon, and I purred, because I would come and see the lovely boy; I felt that he would be my friend.

They definitely looked like opposites as they started down the road together; one so fair, one so dark, one tall, one short, but I knew instinctively that they would fit together, and I did feel that, however unwittingly, I had helped with this. I didn’t mean to boast but I did feel that credit should be given to me.

I was intrigued by these women’s stories and I really hoped to spend more time with them, together. I liked the idea of us all hanging out on the front lawn, I would never be bored with that. And my friendship with Aleksy and Thomasz would grow because every little boy deserved a cat. It was a good day all round. Friendships had begun, and who knew where they would take us?