Шейла Нортон - Charlie The Kitten Who Saved A Life

‘No. It was … well, it was partly Caroline’s fault, I suppose, but I don’t blame her, she’s still only a kitten really and she made a bad mistake. I suppose I did forget how to trust humans, for a while, but now I’m back home, of course I do trust my family.’

‘So stop fighting against them, Charlie! They’re only making you wear the collar, and keeping you indoors, until you get better. And looking at you, quite frankly you do need a period of convalescence. I hate to think what you’ve been through.’

‘Just you wait till I tell you all about it,’ I said. Then I sighed. ‘But I suppose you’re right, I’ll just have to give in and put up with this till they say it can come off.’

‘That’s my boy. Be sensible. Now, finish your breakfast and then I’ll give your face a wash, shall I, as it doesn’t look as if you can do it yourself.’

‘Thanks, Ollie. It’s so good to be back with you. Afterwards we can lie in that sunny corner of the lounge together while I tell you my story.’

‘Charlie, I’d love to, but if it’s a long story it’s going to have to wait till another day. I’ve got to go and visit Nicky today.’

‘Nicky?’ I lifted my head from my food bowl to look at him as well as I could round the edge of the collar.

‘Yes. I’m really worried about her. Not quite as worried as I was about you, of course, but now that I know you’re back, and safe, I want to try and help her. If only I could work out how.’

It was so typical of Oliver. He’s spent half his life helping the humans in the village. No wonder they all think he’s a special kind of cat.

‘What’s happened to her?’ I asked him. As you know, I’m very fond of Nicky myself, so I didn’t like to think of her being in some kind of trouble.

‘She’s just so unhappy these days. And it’s all her stupid male’s fault.’

‘Daniel? Why? What’s he done?’ I had a sudden memory of Nicky and Laura chatting on the sofa of our holiday home. ‘Oh, is it something to do with him going to the pub? Nicky mentioned that when she came to Mudditon. I suppose as you live at the pub, you must see him in there?’

‘Yes, I see him every single night! And he doesn’t just have one quick drink of beer and then go home. He’s there for ages. I pop in to see Nicky most days, and quite often she’s crying, Charlie, because he’s leaving her on her own all the time with their human kitten and she’s told me she thinks he doesn’t want to be with her anymore. It’d be different if she were a cat, wouldn’t it. Our females expect to be left with the kittens while their males go off hunting and … um, well …’

‘… and philandering. I know all about it, Ollie. You don’t need to be coy with me. I’m grown up now, I keep telling you, and I might be neutered, like you, but I’ve been living with some guys who spent most of their lives talking about either stealing food or mating with females.’

‘Really?’ He looked a bit shocked.

‘Yes. Let me tell you—’

‘I do want to hear all about it, Charlie, but at the minute I can’t think straight for worrying about Nicky. I seem to be the only one who can cheer her up.’

‘Oh, all right then.’ I felt a bit let down. What about cheering me up? I had a bad leg and a bad eye and wasn’t allowed out, after all. ‘Go off and cheer her up. Don’t worry about me.’

‘Don’t be like that. I’ll come back, all right? I promise. Meanwhile you promise me you’ll be a sensible kitt … sorry, cat … and stop complaining about wearing that collar and staying indoors. I want you to get better.’

So we both kept our promises. I settled down, accepted that my life was going to be severely restricted until the vet allowed me back my freedom, and tried to be patient. And Oliver duly came back to see me again the next day.

‘So what’s the news with Nicky?’ I asked, but he just shook his head sadly and said there was no change.

‘I keep hanging around Daniel every evening in the pub, meowing at him, trying to persuade him he ought to go home, but he’s so stupid when he starts drinking beer, he just thinks I’m being friendly. I’m going to have a word with Tabby. He’s helped me in the past when I’ve wanted some support with a difficult human. He sometimes needs a bit of persuasion, though!’

‘Good luck with that, then,’ I said, knowing what my father’s like. And as I expected, the next couple of times Oliver came back to see me, it was to report that he’d had no luck finding him.

‘Probably taken himself off somewhere for a few days,’ I said. ‘He’ll be back eventually.’

‘I know. I’m not worried about him – Tabby can look after himself. I was just hoping he could help me think of a way to do something about Daniel.’

I sat up, suddenly excited. So excited, I forgot about my collar for a minute and nearly knocked Ollie over with it.

‘Never mind about him,’ I meowed, ‘ I’ll help you.’

‘You?’ Oliver looked startled. ‘But you’re only—’

‘Don’t you dare say I’m only a little kitten. If you’d only let me tell you what I’ve been through recently …’

‘I’m sorry, Charlie. I realise you’re dying to tell me your story, and I haven’t been very good company, have I? You know how I worry about my favourite humans.’

‘Yes, I do. But I’m trying to tell you, I’ve become a very brave and very resourceful cat since I went away. And, well, you’ve done such a lot to help me , when I was growing up, I think it’s time you let me help you, for once, instead of trying to rely on my unreliable father.’

Oliver purred at me thoughtfully.

‘That’s all very well, and I appreciate the offer. But for one thing you’re not allowed out. And even if you were, you wouldn’t be much use in a crisis while you’ve got that thing stuck on your neck.’

‘So wait a few more days, can’t you, for mewing out loud? What’s the rush? If he’s in the pub every single evening …?’

‘I suppose you’re right.’ He got up and flicked his tail anxiously. ‘I just hate seeing Nicky so upset.’ Then he glanced back at me and added, ‘And to be honest, I’m having a hard job thinking of you as a grown-up cat. You’re still not looking all that well, either. Are you sure you’d be up for whatever it is we have to do?’

For the love of catnip! Over the course of the summer, I’d been lost in a strange town, rescued two human kittens from an accident on the beach, been violently attacked by feral cats, persuaded their leader not only to submit to me but to adopt me into their gang, learned to survive by scavenging and sleeping rough, and saved an old lady from vicious seagulls. And Oliver was asking if I thought I could manage a little bit of persuasion of a friendly human?

‘I think I can cope,’ I said, trying to toss my head at him but once again getting unbalanced by the stupid collar.

‘Well, I guess I need to start accepting that you’re not such a little kitten anymore,’ he said. ‘OK. I don’t suppose it’ll be long now till they take you back to the vet, so let’s say that as soon as they let you outside again, you come and meow for me at the pub after dark. Daniel’s bound to be there. You’ll have to follow me and do what I tell you.’

‘Fine,’ I said, feeling a bit patronised, as you can imagine. ‘But when you hear what I’ve been up to—’

‘Yes, I know, I know – I’ll hear all about it, Charlie, don’t worry, just as soon as we’ve sorted out this problem, all right?’

And with that, he meowed for Laura to let him out again, and with a wave of his tail, he was gone.