Рейчел Уэллс - Alfie And George

He slumped down onto the kitchen chair. I quickly cleaned myself and hopped onto his lap. I looked at him, trying to tell him that he could do this. He was a strong man and this was only temporary. He would get the hang of the hoover, I was sure of it. He stroked me and I purred to give him some support. I wonder if he understood.

‘And so far there are no jobs around. I’ve applied for a couple but I know they’re not right and probably won’t want me. God, everything was so great, how on earth did it come crashing down on me? I really don’t understand, Alfie, and now it all feels as if it’s falling apart.’ He actually had tears in his eyes and I suddenly felt the seriousness of their situation.

I wanted to yowl again, the way I had when Snowball left. It was so sad and it was as if my worst fears were being confirmed yet again. All I wanted was happiness for my families but we were getting the opposite. Matt looked so miserable, not like the man I knew at all. It was funny how life could change so suddenly. He used to look smart, stand tall and laugh all the time, nothing fazed him, but now he seemed diminished. Now I knew why he and Polly had been arguing. But, I wanted to tell him, if he cleaned up the house and himself, he would feel better. I had learnt that from Claire. I had an idea. I jumped up onto the draining board and miaowed loudly, over and over. Finally Matt laughed.

‘OK, Alfie, I’ll load the dishwasher and clean up. You’re right, at least then Polly won’t shout at me again.’ I kept him company while he cleaned the kitchen. Although he didn’t exactly look as if he felt brilliant, as he said, at least Polly and the kids would have a clean house to come home to.

Matt also went to clean himself up before picking the children up from school. As I watched him shave and then put some jeans and a T-shirt on, he began to look like his old handsome self. He smiled at his reflection.

‘Thanks, Alfie, you’ve somehow managed to cheer me up a bit.’

I rubbed his legs to let him know that he was most welcome, and then I left to go home to my kitten.

Claire was at the sink when I appeared on the windowsill, making her jump. She laughed as I hopped down and waited by the back door, which she soon opened.

I bounded in and found Summer in her booster seat at the kitchen table, eating carrots — or rather, sucking them and then throwing them on the floor. I wondered where George was; he was nowhere to be seen.

‘Miaow?’ I asked Claire.

‘Oh yes, Alfie, look, we have to be so careful, but I didn’t like to move him.’ I looked at her questioningly and followed her to the utility room. The washing machine door was open with some clothes inside and on top of them, fast asleep, was George. I shuddered: what if they’d put the machine on? I miaowed my disapproval. It was dangerous! Didn’t Claire know that?

‘Don’t worry, Alfie, I always check before I put the machine on and I’ll check even more carefully from now on. I think he was trying to get away from Summer. But he does look so comfortable there. I even took a picture. I daren’t put it on Facebook in case someone calls the RSPCA, but I’ll show Jonathan.’ I again miaowed my disapproval.

‘He’s fine, Alfie, don’t worry.’ That’s as maybe, but I wasn’t happy and it wasn’t like Claire to be so laid back. This was no place for a kitten; what if he’d been washed and drowned? I know she said she was being careful but what if Jonathan decided that today was the day he’d do the washing for the first time? I stayed in front of the washing machine, guarding it and waiting for George to wake up. There was no way I was taking any chances.

Ow! I woke up with a start as something heavy landed on my head. I looked up and saw it was George.

‘Hi, Dad,’ he said.

‘You’re getting heavy,’ I complained. He jumped down. So much for guarding him, I’d fallen asleep! Although no one would have put the washing machine on with me lying in front of it.

‘I like my new bed,’ he said.

‘No, George, it’s not your new bed and you mustn’t go in there. If someone put the washing on you’d be in trouble.’ I know I sounded like a broken record, but that was parenthood for you. I was finding I had to say the same things over and over again.

‘Oh, but I can go to sleep looking at my reflection in the door.’

Oh boy, maybe Tiger was right — my kitten was as vain as me.

‘That’s as maybe, but it’s not safe. Now promise you won’t go in there unless you tell me first.’

‘There seem to be a lot of rules,’ George protested.‘I might not be able to remember them all.’

‘Well, that’s life. And anyway, they’re all for your own good. Now go and have a drink of water, you need to keep hydrated.’

‘Yet another rule,’ George muttered, as he went to have a drink, only just dodging a flying carrot on the way.

‘Yowl,’ he protested quietly.

‘Summer, stop throwing food,’ Claire said sternly. I looked at Claire in understanding. This parenting lark wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy at all.

There was a flurry of activity. Tash was finally moving into Edgar Road. She’d been living with us for well over a month now but Claire had found her a flat. It was ground floor, two bedrooms, small but with a back garden. Although her old house was far from sorted, Claire and Jonathan were helping her out. That was what friends did.

‘I just can’t see myself living there again, but I have to think of Elijah,’ Tasha had said one evening when talking about her old house.

‘Exactly,’ Jonathan had agreed. The three of them were sitting round the kitchen table, having supper and discussing Tasha’s future.‘And it makes sense to buy the idiot out of your house, rent it out and keep it as an investment.’

‘And if I rent the flat down the road, I’ll have enough to cover the rent and money left over. Although right now, when I’m still paying the mortgage and the house is empty, I’m not exactly quids in.’

‘We can help you, Tash,’ Claire had said.‘The main thing is to get a new home for Elijah and yourself, at least for a while anyway. You can see how it goes from there.’

‘You guys have been amazing.’ I had jumped up onto Tash’s lap then.‘And you, Alfie. Me and Alfie were best friends already but we’ve really bonded over heartbreak lately,’ she said with a sad smile. I rubbed my nose against her hand; we really had. But like me, Tash was slowly getting back to her old self. Not all the time, but there were glimpses, which was all we could hope for in these early days. She didn’t sleep as much as she did when she first moved in and she had stopped crying quite as often. And, most importantly, Elijah was so happy; he was as laid back as Summer was bossy.

Later that day, I was relaxing at home with George. Jonathan had gone to Tash’s old house to organise the removal, Tasha had taken Elijah to the flat to get used to it, and Claire was tidying the house. We were all going to go to Tash’s new flat later, but Claire said that Tash and Elijah needed some time to be alone. The good news was that George was allowed out properly now, as long as he was on the lead, which he didn’t seem to mind but that was because he didn’t know better. I was overprotective but I did think that Claire should let him go out with me now. I was sure he was ready, I just had to find a way of letting her know. And he would be with Tiger or myself at all times, I had already decided that would be the rule.

The doorbell rang and Claire opened the door. Polly stood on the doorstep with the children.