Миранда Джеймс - Six Cats A Slayin'

“Really?” he asked. “Where did he get the money?”

“He said it was from his allowance. It seemed important to him that he helps pay for them.”

McGillivray frowned. “That’s good, and it shows he does have a responsible side after all. But his allowance isn’t large. It can’t be enough.”

“It’s enough for me,” I said, trying to keep my tone level. “I’d say Tommy is quite a responsible boy. I have no reason to doubt what he told me. He found a starving cat, took care of her and fed her, and then he found himself with five kittens. He was doing what he could to look after them, despite apparent parental opposition. When he felt he could no longer keep them safe and warm, desperation drove him to me. I guess everyone in the neighborhood knows about me and my cat.”

Mentioning Diesel made me realize that he wasn’t with me. He must have gone upstairs with Stewart to fetch another box or two from the attic. I wondered how he would react to the doctor.

“Yes, everyone has seen that big cat of yours,” McGillivray said, his irritation growing, it seemed. “What do you mean, parental opposition ? What did Tommy tell you?”

“I’ll show you.” I got up and went to the drawer where I had placed Tommy’s notes to me. I found the first one and brought it to McGillivray. He took it and stared at it. As I watched him, I could see what looked like remorse in his expression.

He put the note on the table and ran a hand across his face. “I never said I wanted to drown those kittens,” he said, sounding for the first time unsure of himself. “As far as I can remember, what I did say was that farmers used to drown kittens they didn’t want to bother with. I’m not even sure why I said it, but I didn’t say it to Tommy. He must have heard me talking to my wife. I’d had a rough day at the hospital. I’d lost a patient on the operating table earlier that day. When I came home and found those kittens in the shed, I just didn’t think about what I said. I honestly didn’t realize those kittens meant so much to him.”

He looked at me, obviously shaken. “Mr. Harris, I love that little boy like he is my own flesh and blood. I wouldn’t want to hurt him.” He paused. “When I’m upset, I say things that come out of frustration and exhaustion. I put in twenty-hour days sometimes. I was angry with myself because I couldn’t save my patient. I took it out on my son and those helpless kittens. I can’t forgive myself for doing that to him.” By the time he finished his short speech, tears streamed down his face.

I didn’t quite know what to do or say. Unless he was a consummate actor or a sociopath, I had to believe that he loved Tommy and was heart-stricken that he had hurt the child so badly. After a short time, he managed to regain control of his emotions. He pulled a handkerchief from a pocket and wiped his reddened eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “My wife and I, Tommy’s mother, lost a baby two years ago, and the thought of losing Tommy terrifies me. I can’t believe I made him afraid of me. Made him hate me.”

“Children listen to us,” I said gently, “and our words can do harm even when we don’t truly intend to hurt them. I have a son myself, an adult now, and we went through a period a couple of years ago when we hardly ever talked to each other. It was my fault, and it started with things I said. I never meant to hurt him, but like you, I was so wrapped up in my own emotions, I was careless.”

“Thank you for telling me that,” McGillivray said. “I feel like scum right this minute, but you obviously repaired your relationship with your son. I only hope to God I can do the same.”

“Tommy is a very loving boy with a big heart,” I said. “I bet he will forgive you.” I smiled. “Especially if you tell him he can bring those kittens home.”

McGillivray nodded. “He is such a sweet kid. He never asks for much, not toys, not video games. Books sometimes, but he seems content with what he has most of the time. Of course he can have those kittens, and we’ll keep them all if that’s what he wants. I just want my son back.”

I was struggling to hold on to my emotions. Talking to McGillivray brought back my own feelings over my estrangement with Sean, and all the guilt had resurfaced. If sharing my experience with this man helped him heal his relationship with his son, I would count it as a blessing.

“Just go home now and talk to him,” I said. “I’m sure he will understand. I have a box that you can put the kittens in if you want to take them now.”

He shook his head. “If you don’t mind keeping them another hour, I’d like to talk to him first. Then we’ll come and get them and take them home together.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” I said. “I’ll have a box ready with their toys and food that you can take with you.”

McGillivray stood and extended his hand. I grasped it, and we shook. “Thank you,” he said. “Merry Christmas, and God bless you.”

I showed him out, and Stewart and Diesel came down the stairs as I shut the door behind McGillivray.

“That wasn’t Joss with the tree, was it?” Stewart glanced toward the spot in the hall where the tree would stand. “No, I guess not.”

“That was Dr. McGillivray, Tommy’s father. We had a talk about Tommy and the kittens. It was basically a misunderstanding. He’s going home to talk to Tommy, and they’ll be back in a little while to take the kittens home. He said Tommy could keep all of them, if he wanted to.”

“That’s wonderful,” Stewart said. “We’ll miss those kittens, won’t we, Diesel?”

The cat meowed loudly. I had no clue whether he understood what Stewart meant. I knew he would miss the kittens, but we would all adapt. I wouldn’t miss that cage in the living room, however. I wondered if Dr. McGillivray would like to take it home, too. Haskell had engineered it so that it was mobile.

Joss appeared about twenty minutes later, and he and Stewart wrestled the tree, a beautiful six-foot Leyland cypress, into place. Stewart had located a Christmas tree farm not too far from Athena that grew these beautiful trees. I thought his choice was excellent. Joss, a lanky, taciturn man around fifty, refused payment for his services, averring that he owed Stewart a favor or two and was glad he could help.

I felt full of goodwill and Christmas cheer when I climbed the stairs a little later. All I needed now was a shower, clean clothes, and my family around me, ready to decorate the tree.

THIRTY-SIX

I woke on Christmas morning even more full of goodwill. Watching my family interact with one another last evening while we decorated the tree together, seeing the real love and affection among them all, gave me the joy I had always associated with the season. I had gone through a period of a few years after my wife died when I feared the holidays, because all I could think about during that time was my loss. Trapped in grief, I couldn’t find the joy in anything, not even in my children.

Time helped heal those wounds, and gradually I came to enjoy the holidays again. Having my family and friends around me made that possible. Whereas before there were only my children and me, I now had my children’s spouses, their own children, my beautiful Helen Louise, and dear friends Melba, Stewart, and Haskell. My cup did indeed run over.

Another blessing this Christmas morning was the memory of a smiling, happy Tommy Russum, hand in hand with his father when they came to collect the kittens. Dr. McGillivray once again thanked me as he watched Tommy interact with the kittens. He carried the box with the toys and the food, and Tommy carried the kittens carefully in their box out to the doctor’s car. McGillivray declined the cage. Tommy wanted to keep the kittens in his room, and his parents were not going to contest that.