Рейчел Уэллс - Alfie The Doorstep Cat

‘The kid, or I guess it’s a kid, unless it’s a very incompetent adult who drew it, must be really upset.’

‘I know and I feel bad but I didn’t know quite what a flirt Alfie was!’ She laughed. ‘He must have been getting fed everywhere.’

‘Yes, I’m guessing that this little monkey of a cat was pretty well fed and looked after. That’s three houses that we know of. Goodness knows how many more there might be. Look, let’s go see the kid when we leave here. If they’re anything like me, they’ll be worried sick about Alfie.’

‘I really am sorry.’

‘If I ever see the bastard that did this to Alfie, I’ll kill him. Who could do that to a defenceless cat? What total, utter scum.’ Darkness clouded Jonathan’s face.

‘I know and I wish I’d called the police or something. I feel so responsible and terrible for letting it happen to him.’

‘I suppose it’s not your fault entirely,’ Jonathan said, not thawing all the way, but perhaps sounding slightly less angry.

‘It is. That’s the problem, it’s completely my fault.’

‘It can’t have been easy for you, having to see him get hurt,’ Jonathan conceded. Claire burst into tears. Managing to open one eye, I saw Jonathan pat her awkwardly on the shoulder and it suddenly struck me how good they looked together; albeit a bit blurry through my sleepy eyes.

‘I’m sorry, Jonathan.’

‘Don’t be. He’s going to be all right.’ I saw Claire nod her head.

‘Oh Alfie,’ Claire said, reaching in to stroke me through the bars of my cage. ‘It seems that you are one very loved cat.’

I knew then that my recovery would be swift, because I was loved and I loved each and every one of them too. And besides, I had a new, and hopefully far less dangerous, plan to occupy myself with now.

It was the day to go home and I was so excited. No more cage, not that it was that bad, but it was hardly The Ritz. And although they had encouraged me to exercise, I had been confined. Now I would go back to my life of wandering the length of Edgar Road, perhaps not quite jumping the fences as I used to, but having a go at the very least. I was so looking forward to seeing all my families and Tiger too, although I wasn’t sure if they were cross with me now they had all discovered each other. I hoped not.

Claire came to collect me and although I wasn’t happy about it, she and the vet bundled me into my cat basket. I screeched, not with pain, but because I find it very undignified being shoved into one of those.

‘He really ought to be kept in one place for a while. I would recommend that he exercise, but gently. He should be able to figure it out, but I want him kept in for at least one more week and then I’d like you to bring him in for a check-up,’ the vet instructed. I tried to scowl at her from the cat carrier; that didn’t sound like fun and it wasn’t what I had planned.

‘Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him.’

Jonathan stood at the desk, waiting for both Claire and me. I was delighted to see him.

‘I just need to pay the bill,’ Claire said, as the lady on the desk handed it to her.

‘Jesus,’ Jonathan said, whistling. ‘Bloody expensive.’

‘Well, as he’s your cat too, maybe you’d like to chip in,’ Claire said. Jonathan looked shocked, but then Claire laughed. ‘Only joking. I have insurance.’

‘You have insurance?’ Jonathan asked, incredulously, as if he’d never heard of it.

‘Yes, Alfie is my cat and so of course I have him insured.’

‘Never occurred to me,’ Jonathan said.

‘Well that doesn’t surprise me,’ Claire retorted. ‘I bet you forget to feed him if you go away as well, don’t you?’ Jonathan had the grace to look bashful, because he did.

‘Well, with four homes, I’m sure he never goes hungry.’

‘Not the point. Right, let’s get going, we’ve got a party to go to.’ I felt indignant myself then, they were having a party on my first day back?

Jonathan parked his car outside his house and he carried me in, with Claire following behind. They had bickered about me the entire journey home, until I was sure that it was only a matter of time before they realised they were meant for each other. Perhaps it wasn’t immediately obvious, because they were arguing and Claire had just got out of a volatile relationship, but actually, to me, they made perfect sense. Their arguing was different; softer, and not as aggressive. Not only that, but Claire gave as good as she got. She wasn’t timid around him. She was the Claire I knew she should be. Call it cat’s intuition, but I just knew in my heart that these two could love each other as much as I loved them.

I was growing happier by the minute. Especially with thoughts of prawns and my cashmere blanket, of Aleksy and our ball games, of seeing how Polly was, and Henry and the two Thomaszes, and of course, not forgetting my lovely Franceska. Oh, how I had missed them, I thought, as I smiled broadly and waited to be let out of the cat carrier.

Jonathan put me down in the hallway and opened the door. He picked me up and carried me to the kitchen. I was still upset that they were leaving me to go to a party but as the door opened, I miaowed in surprise.

‘Alfie,’ Aleksy shouted, and ran over. He stopped just in front of Jonathan. There was a colourful banner pinned to the wall, and around Jonathan’s kitchen table were Franceska, the two Thomaszes, Matt, Polly and Henry. I couldn’t believe it. These people didn’t know each other and here they were, all together.

‘You’ve been rumbled, Alfie,’ Matt laughed.

‘What is rumbled?’ Aleksy asked.

‘We found out he have four homes, well, not that he lives with us, but he visits us,’ Franceska laughed.

‘Yes, Alfie, we look for you and I draw picture but we no find you and we worry. But then they tell us you were hurt.’ Aleksy looked tearful.

‘Here, Aleksy, if you’re very gentle, you can hold him.’ Jonathan passed me to Aleksy who kissed me. Claire had joined us. It was so funny seeing all my families here together. I studied them while I nestled into Aleksy. Polly looked more gorgeous than ever and definitely much better as she bounced Henry on her lap. Thomasz and Matt looked the same. Franceska looked as in control as ever, and little Thomasz looked as if he had grown in my absence. But Claire looked wonderful. I had seen her at the vet’s but not really taken her in. She was beginning to blossom again; she seemed to have put on a little bit of weight – I noticed these things – and her cheeks were gaining colour. She was beautiful, I thought, as was Jonathan.

Jonathan took me from Aleksy and put me in the bed that was usually at Claire’s house. They put my food down next to me: salmon and prawns, the best meal ever.

They made a fuss of me and everyone gave me presents. It was like it was my birthday! Aleksy and Thomasz had drawn me pictures, which were of a cat and a car. The children had been told that I had been hit by a car whilst crossing the road, so that they weren’t distressed by what had really happened. I minded slightly, I had crossed half of London dodging traffic, for goodness sake, I think I knew my Green Cross Code.

‘You must be careful crossing the road,’ Aleksy said to me, and Jonathan winked.

‘There’s one last present,’ Jonathan said.

‘Long overdue,’ Claire added. She reached over to me and gently removed my collar. She took off the tag that tied me to Margaret. She held up a new one and everyone clapped. ‘Alfie, this has your name and all of our phone numbers etched on it. All four of your families, so you’ll never be lost again.’