Рейчел Уэллс - A Friend Called Alfie

‘He sleeps very soundly,’ I said. It was the first thing I’d said to her and it was horribly inadequate.

‘He snores loudly,’ she replied with a grin.

‘Where do we start, Snowball?’ I asked.

‘At the beginning?’ she replied.

‘Tell me, because Claire was vague, why you’re here. Your family moved away?’ I wanted to nuzzle her but it felt too soon for that sort of contact.

‘The kids moved away ages ago, and somehow they both ended up in America. So, they all missed each other and Tim and Karen decided to move, but they couldn’t really take me, because where they were moving to would be too hot. They said at my age it would probably be best for me to stay here.’

‘That must have been devastating for you?’

‘I kind of got used to losing people, Alfie. First you, then Daisy moved away to be a model, then Christopher left home … I miss everyone, of course, and when I found out Tim and Karen were moving I was utterly heartbroken. But then they spoke to Claire and told me I’d be coming back to Edgar Road, and although I was still sad, I thought about you and how no matter what the situation was with us, we’d be friends again. I felt a bit better, because I didn’t have to start over from scratch. But then when I saw you this afternoon, it was so strange. And I don’t think George liked me. Oh, Alfie, it’s all so confusing.’

‘Let me fill you in on what’s been going on here since you’ve been gone,’ I said, trying to find a starting point for this new situation between us both.

We talked for what felt like hours. I told her about how heartbroken I was when she left, and how my family thought the answer lay in giving me George as a kitten. I then told her about how we got to know each other and how in doing so, Tiger became even closer to me. I told her about our adventures and finally I got onto losing Tiger, and the new cat who was living in her old house. I filled her in on so much, it was quite tiring for me, talking so much.

In turn, she told me about how after she moved from Edgar Road, she had a very different life. They lived in a house with a garden on a street which was smaller than Edgar Road, and there weren’t many cats around and so, unlike me, Snowball had been living quite a quiet and solitary existence since leaving here. Well that was at an end now she was back here.

‘You do realise that life on Edgar Road is still not remotely peaceful or quiet,’ I said.

‘I do, and if I remember rightly, life with you is never dull,’ Snowball said and I saw another glimpse of the girl I left behind.

‘You know when life is calm and quiet, I always start to panic that it’s going to change drastically. It always happens; this time everything was alright then Pickles arrived in our lives. Shortly after Harold went to hospital, George got a job, then Sylvie found out she was pregnant and now here you are. I mean dull? I don’t even know the meaning of the word dull.’

‘Oh, Alfie, there is so much we need to catch up on,’ Snowball said. ‘Where do we go from here?’

‘Do you think we can start to rebuild our friendship now? See, what happens?’ I asked.

‘I think that’s the best way. We need to think about George. I mean he seemed pretty angry.’

‘He’s confused. He thinks you’re going to replace Tiger, and we have to prove to him that that’s not the case. No matter what happens between the two of us, we have to make George feel good about the situation first off, because he and Harold are so close. And he’s my son, my number one priority.’

‘OK, so, Alfie, I’ve been here five minutes and you’re already going to have to come up with one of your crazy plans.’

‘Hey.’ I bumped her gently, old feelings began to come flooding back again. ‘My plans are not crazy.’

We turned and grinned at each other and I knew that although I had lived a life without her in it, I still adored her. It wasn’t the same as I felt with Tiger, but I needed to figure out how to go from here. Snowball and I agreed that George was the first priority here, the rest would have to wait.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Iknew George was stubborn but boy was he stubborn.

‘You can’t decide you’re not visiting Harold anymore because of Snowball, he’s your best friend,’ I said. That was my first part of the plan, trying to encourage George to get to know Snowball via Harold. That way they could become friends, without me being there. That was the idea, anyway.

‘Harold doesn’t need me, he’s got her,’ he said. It wasn’t going well.

‘You know that’s not true, we talked about jealousy, George, and it doesn’t work. And not only that but it’s not fair on Harold. He loves you and he’s done nothing wrong.’ I should have pointed out that none of us had done anything wrong actually but I was taking baby steps.

‘I’m sure you’re there all the time anyway, no one needs me, anymore,’ George whined.

‘I need you,’ Pickles said, but George wasn’t remotely placated by his comment.

‘George, Snowball only moved in just over a week ago and we’ve only spoken briefly and that was because I wanted to tell her about you. Everyone needs you, me most of all, but also Harold.’ It was exasperating.

‘Hmmph,’ he said.

‘George, you have to see that Snowball didn’t come here on purpose, she had no choice. She’s lost her family, she’s alone, and she’s not here to replace Tiger.’

‘I don’t want her here, you loved her before you loved Tiger mum, and I don’t like that.’

‘George, if Tiger was still here, then we’d be having this conversation and I would tell you that I would never leave Tiger for Snowball, but she’s not here, and I’m alone in that way. I’m not saying that Snowball will be my girlfriend again, but she is here now and whatever happens I have to find a way to make you OK with that. Because you’re my priority.’

‘Hmmph.’

‘Right, I am going to visit Harold and Snowball, are you coming?’

‘No. I have to see Hana.’

‘Can I come?’ Pickles asked, hopefully.

‘No,’ both George and I said at the same time. I felt guilty.

‘Pickles, Claire is going to be cross if you go out and I really do need to but I promise I won’t be long and if you stay here and are good, then I’ll play with you when I get back.’

‘Promise?’ He looked at me with his big eyes.

‘Promise,’ I said, wearily.

It was beyond frustrating. I went alone to see Snowball who was settling in well, despite the fact she missed her family terribly. But Harold had taken to her, he seemed to adore her already, although of course it was very early days.

‘So where’s George?’ Harold asked, as he fussed me. He then put down some food for us. I bet George would be missing eating his biscuits dunked in tea with Harold. I would remind him of that.

‘Meow,’ I replied. I would tell George later how Harold was missing him, I would go on and on until George relented and went to see him.

Snowball and I sat in the back garden.

‘I can’t wait to see the others. Do you think Harold will mind if I go out for a bit?’ I knew that Marcus was coming round, because Harold told me, so I thought that we’d be alright to go out. As Snowball had lived on Edgar Road before, it felt unnecessary to keep her in like they did with new cats sometimes. Also she had me to escort her, so I took the opportunity to take Snowball to see our friends. It would be a reunion of sorts.

‘Hi, guys,’ I said, ‘look who’s back.’

‘Oh my goodness,’ Nellie said, nuzzling Snowball. Elvis and Rocky crowded round. ‘Thank goodness you’re back, what a turn up for the books. I’ve been moaning that I don’t have any female company as well.’