Рейчел Уэллс: Alfie The Doorstep Cat

‘You know, Alfie watched him punch a wall the other day. I bet he thought he would have done it to me next.’

‘He would have done if you hadn’t kicked him out.’

‘I know that now. When he was kicking a poor defenceless cat I suddenly woke up and finally found the strength I never thought I had. I pulled him away, I was so angry that I shoved him and hit him myself, but then he started to do the whole “sorry” thing. Unbelievable! This time, I wouldn’t have it. I told him if he didn’t get out in five minutes I’d call the police.’

‘What did he do?’

‘He cried, just like when he punched the wall, but I stood firm. I was too scared to pick Alfie up, which is why I called you. There was blood everywhere and he wasn’t moving. Joe was still standing there, not going anywhere, so I told him to get out again, and then he got nasty. So with the phone in my hand I dialled 999 and told him: one more step and I’d press the call button.’

‘And that was when he finally left?’

‘Yes, but not before calling me all the filthy names under the sun.’

‘He was horrible.’

‘But why didn’t I see it?’

‘I don’t know, if I’m honest. I thought he controlled you. But then when you want something badly enough, you only see what you want to see. Claire, you have to learn from this; there are, unfortunately, lots of men like Joe out there.’

‘I am so sorry and stupid and I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to Alfie.’

‘That sort of attitude, calling yourself stupid, got you into the mess in the first place.’ I could hear that Tasha was being very real with Claire, which I liked, and Claire was crying, which I didn’t like, but as I drifted off back to the blackness, there was very little I could do about anything any more.

My plan had worked, I had got rid of Joe at last. I just hoped the cost wasn’t too high.

I don’t know how many days had passed in this strange place. I was in an animal hospital, where the vet had done various things to me. He said I had to stay there, as I was barely conscious. I vaguely heard talk of an operation and I had been given injections that made the blackness come. I could hear voices, but not always make out what they were saying. I was being given pain medication that took the pain away, but left me feeling drowsy. I wasn’t scared any more because I didn’t have the energy for such emotions. I felt as if I was mainly sleeping. But not normal sleep, with fish-filled dreams, but sleep where nothing happened and nothing was going to happen.

One day I woke up and opened my eyes. I flicked my whiskers, which were still there. Although I couldn’t quite move, I felt my brain was a bit more normal again.

‘Alfie,’ a woman said. I looked at her. She wore a green coat and had her hair tied back. She seemed kind, though. ‘I’m Nicole, one of the nurses who have been looking after you. It’s good to see your eyes finally. The vet will be along to see you in a minute.’

And then I knew I was getting better. The vet prodded and poked me and I hissed at him but he laughed at that. Nicole stroked me and then said I was well enough for Claire to come and visit me now.

I nearly cried with happiness when Claire arrived with Tasha to see me. It was a bit of a struggle to keep my eyes open but I did, just long enough to see her looking much better as she had done after her weekend away; more like her pre-Joe self.

‘Oh, Alfie, they told me you’re going to be all right,’ she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks, but tears of happiness, I presumed.

‘Thank goodness, you’re looking more like your cute self again. This has been the longest week of my life,’ Claire said, ‘but if you carry on like you’re doing, then in another week, you could be home with me again.’

‘And don’t worry, there is no Joe any more,’ Tasha said.

‘No, he’s long gone and no one else will ever come between us. You saved me, Alfie, I know you did.’

‘Don’t you think it’s weird?’ Tasha said.

‘What?’ Claire asked.

‘That it happened the way it did?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well it’s almost as if he planned it. Joe punches a wall and scares you both, then a day or so later, you come in from work and find him kicking your cat.’

‘Because he’s a brute and I still hate to think about it,’ Claire snapped.

‘But no, I mean, he claimed that Alfie attacked him, right? Well what if he did? What if he provoked Joe to make sure that he would never hurt you?’

‘I know Alfie’s clever, but he’s not that clever. Tash, are you crazy? He’s a cat.’

I smiled to myself as I drifted back to sleep.

Claire visited a lot over the next few days and I regained my strength. I could stand up again, as nothing had been broken, thankfully, although I still felt pain and the vet said I might not be as agile as I once was. But I didn’t care, because I could still walk, and although I had internal injuries, I had apparently been a very lucky cat. I didn’t feel it at the time, or afterwards, but maybe I had been.

A few days before I was due to go home, Claire arrived again, but not with Tasha this time. I was awake but very drowsy, having just had some medication, and I couldn’t easily open my eyes. But the voice I heard was unmistakable.

‘Alfie!’ he cried. ‘God, what happened to you?’ My Jonathan! I tried, but failed, to open my eyes.

‘So, you’re saying Alfie’s your cat?’ Claire sounded annoyed.

‘I told you he was my cat! I’ve been bloody looking everywhere for him.’

‘I saw your posters but I didn’t think it could be the same cat, because he’s mine,’ Claire stated.

‘What, despite the posters saying that I was missing a little grey cat called Alfie?’ Jonathan’s voice was angry as it had been when I first met him.

‘Well, yes, I can see how you might think that now.’ Claire sounded slightly contrite.

‘So, despite the fact that he looks exactly the same and has the same name, you still thought it was a different cat?’ I was glad Jonathan clearly hadn’t been changed by my absence.

‘Well, I mean, he’s my cat.’

‘So you say, but how many cats called Alfie that look like him do you think there are in one street in London?’ I could hear the impatience in his voice.

‘I just didn’t … I’m sorry, he must be living with both of us.’

‘I guess it explains why he disappears so much.’

‘I always wondered about that,’ Claire said.

‘I can’t believe I’ve been putting those posters up for over a week and you didn’t even think to call me.’

‘I only saw it the other day, and then, as I keep saying, I didn’t think it could be the same cat. So tonight, when I actually saw you putting up more posters I finally clicked, didn’t I?’ Claire didn’t sound as much a pushover as usual. She was standing up to Jonathan, which amused me.

‘I’ve been worried sick.’

‘Of course, I understand and I’m sorry. I mean it. But I did think he was my cat!’ I tried to miaow to remind them that I was there, but no sound came out.

‘And what about the kid?’ My ears pricked up. Did they mean Aleksy? I was beginning to feel loved. Jonathan had missed me and had been looking for me and maybe the families at number 22 were too?

‘Look, I honestly only saw your poster. I didn’t see the other one, with the drawing of a cat on it, until you showed me.’ Claire sounded flustered now. ‘And even if I had, I’m not sure the picture of the cat looked anything like my Alfie,’ she tried a weak laugh.