Шейла Нортон - Charlie The Kitten Who Saved A Life

‘Obviously I’m pleased his business has taken off so well,’ Nicky told Laura, and I quickly realised she was talking about her own male, Daniel. I knew, from hearing them talk so often before, that Daniel had given up his old job in London to start a car repair business. ‘And of course I understand that he has to work hard now that he’s his own boss. But …’

‘But it’s not the hours he’s working that you’re objecting to, is it,’ Laura said quietly.

‘No. For God’s sake, Laura, I’m not being unreasonable, am I? I mean, fair enough if he wants a quick drink sometimes after working so hard all day – I don’t blame him for that – but it doesn’t stop there. He’s in the pub most of the evening, more often than not. It makes me feel like he doesn’t even want to come home to me.’

‘I can imagine.’ Laura reached out and took hold of Nicky’s paw. ‘And he must hardly see Benjamin at all.’

‘Some weeks he doesn’t see him at all. Benny’s asleep long before Dan staggers home. And of course, he’s often working weekends too. Oh, I don’t want to sound like a nagging wife. I know some couples manage without seeing much of each other because of their jobs. But one of the reasons we both changed to working in the village was so that we didn’t have to spend all those long hours commuting, and never being at home.’

‘And now you must wonder whether you’re really any better off.’ Laura sighed. ‘Well, at least you’re happy with what you’re doing, Nick. The childminding work fits in so well with looking after Benjamin. I’m hoping to find something similar myself, when Jessica’s a bit older.’

‘You’ll have no trouble, with your nursing qualifications. And you’re right, I know we women need to find satisfaction with our own lives instead of relying on our men to make us happy. But …’

‘You and Dan were so happy. And it’s not as if you’ve been married long! He has to be made to see sense.’ Laura grinned suddenly and nudged Nicky. ‘If he’s not careful you’ll take off with Kevin the Creep. Then he’ll be sorry!’

‘Oh, please!’ Nicky burst out laughing. ‘Don’t remind me about Kevin!’

And both of them doubled up with laughter. Nicky was shaking so much I had to jump off her lap. I had no idea who Kevin the Creep was. Where did he creep, and why? Perhaps he had poorly legs. Or perhaps he was a snake, for all I knew. But at least he was responsible for cheering up my two human friends – for now!

Once Julian had gone off back to work again, the atmosphere in the cottage changed. Laura and Nicky were still being happy and chatty together, but Caroline’s mood was even worse.

‘Now I’m the only one with nobody to talk to,’ she complained. ‘Even Jessica has got Benjamin to keep her company! Why can’t I have a friend to stay?’

‘Oh, Caroline, be reasonable,’ Laura said. ‘There isn’t room. It’s squashed enough here, as it is.’

‘Well, after Nicky goes home, then? Please, Laura? If Grace came down we could go out together and I wouldn’t be in your way anymore.’

Laura looked shocked. ‘You’re not in my way , Caroline. I’ve never said that.’

‘You don’t have to say it,’ Caroline grumbled in response. ‘It’s obvious.’

‘That’s not true.’

‘Isn’t it? Nobody cares that I’m totally bored here in this crappy place.’

‘Caroline!’

‘Well, you think that too, really, don’t you? You’ve only cheered up because Nicky’s here. It’s totally unfair. I feel more lonely now than I did when I was ill!’

There was a horrible silence. Laura was blinking at Caroline, her paw over her mouth. Nicky, who had left the room while the argument was going on, came back in and put her arm round Laura as Caroline stomped off up the stairs.

‘She didn’t mean it,’ Nicky said quietly.

‘Yes I did !’ Caroline flung back from the top of the stairs. ‘You don’t understand!’

‘We’re trying to, Caroline,’ Nicky called back. Then, to Laura, she added, ‘Why not ask Julian what he thinks of the idea?’

‘Seriously? You think I should have two moody girls down here while he’s at work in London?’

‘Actually I suspect Caroline’s right about one thing – she’d be a lot happier and less trouble if she had company.’

Laura sighed. ‘I suppose so. Perhaps we have been unfair to her. It shook me to the core just now to hear her saying she was lonely. The poor child spent all that time in hospital, and lying at home on her own when she was ill. Have I lost my compassion, Nicky?’

‘Of course you haven’t. You’ve got used to her feeling well, now, and she’s been trying your patience lately. Plus you’ve got your hands full with Jessica.’

‘I sometimes think Caroline might be jealous of her, you know.’

‘She wouldn’t be human if she wasn’t, a little bit. Especially where Julian’s concerned.’

‘Yes. After all, it was just him and Caroline, for such a long time. And he was very overprotective about her when she was ill. Understandably.’

‘Understandable, yes, but it meant she didn’t get to see other children. And now she has made friends, she needs to spend time with them. It’s only natural.’

‘I know. You’re right. Well, I’ll see what Julian says when we talk tonight.’

I trotted upstairs to jump on Caroline’s bed with her. I expected to find her lying flat on her tummy with her face on the pillow, as she normally did after an argument. But to my surprise her bedroom door was closed, and through the door I could hear her talking. I pushed on the door with my head but it wouldn’t open, so I sat up and scratched at it with my front paws. The talking stopped. Then she said, more quietly, ‘Wait a minute, I can hear someone outside’, and came to open the door. She looked down at me and smiled, picking me up and carrying me into the room, closing the door behind her again.

‘It’s only Charlie,’ she said, and I saw that she was talking into a phone. Laura’s phone! I meowed with surprise. ‘Ssh, Charlie, lie down quietly. It’s OK, Grace, I’ve shut the door again. They can’t hear me. So will you come? It’ll be so cool. We can go swimming and stuff, and we can sleep in my bed together, it’ll be such a laugh! I’m dying down here on my own.’

I couldn’t hear the other end of the conversation, but Caroline was saying, ‘Right,’ and ‘Yeah, I know,’ while she listened, and then she said, ‘Yeah, Laura’s the same, she just doesn’t understand. And everything’s about Jessica all the time. It’s like I don’t matter since she arrived. OK then, ask your mum. And I’ll try to talk to my dad tonight.’

After she turned off the phone, she sat on her bed for a while, hugging her knees and humming to herself. She picked me up and rubbed her face against my fur.

‘Oh, Charlie,’ she whispered in my ear, making it twitch and tremble with her warm breath, ‘I so hope Grace is allowed to come. We’ll have an amazing time together and all the other girls will be well jealous. Surely I deserve this, before they make me say goodbye to all my friends forever and go to that stupid private school.’

And all I could do was purr back at her in agreement. I just wanted her to be happy, you see. How was I to know it was all going to go horribly wrong? Or that I’d end up being responsible for putting everything right again?

As it happened, there was another development that evening, which changed everything. I was in the lounge with Laura and Nicky when Julian made his usual phone call. Within minutes of listening to him on her phone, Laura’s expression changed and she looked like she was going to burst out mewing.