Рейчел Уэллс - Alfie In The Snow

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s also the hardest for a lot of people. Among the trees, the happiness, the presents, the food and the excitement , it’s a good time to remember that it’s not all plain sailing for a lot of people – and cats. That was my Christmas message this year, and I told George that. As we said a silent prayer for Tiger, as we rubbed our full bellies, as we yowled together at how much we missed her, as we watched our children enjoy their gifts, it was a very mixed kind of Christmas for us this year. And we were the lucky ones. I drummed that into George until he told me he got it and please would I ‘just stop lecturing me’. Teenage George was back at times. Although perhaps I had laboured the point a bit.

It was all over for another year. As Jonathan said, it took months to prepare for Christmas and then it was all over in a flash. But although that was true, Claire pointed out that for that flash it was worth it. And this year certainly had been. Everyone pulling together like that, friendships forged, upsets mended, and even the busybody Goodwins involved, that was what life should be about. I was saving that lecture for the new year though.

The power came back on when we got home on Christmas night, and as the children almost fell asleep the minute we walked through the door, along with George, we tucked them all up and then Claire, Jonathan and I sat in the living room, enjoying the peace and the twinkle of the Christmas tree lights. I fell asleep at some point on the sofa and woke there in the early hours before I wearily made it up to my bed. It had been a bittersweet Christmas, but then life was going to be bittersweet for a long time to come, I knew.

It was now New Year’s Eve and we were having a party at our house to say goodbye to another year and hello to the new one. Claire had been planning this party for months and even Jonathan was keen. All the children were having a sleepover with us, and Polly and Matt and Franceska and Tomasz would be there. Connie was coming with Sylvie, Harold was going to walk down from his house with Marcus, and even the Barkers had said they would pop in for a sherry early on, though they wouldn’t stay up until midnight. The Goodwins were coming, but they said they had to keep watch because it was a known fact that lots of crime was committed on New Year’s Eve. Jonathan offered them a pair of binoculars and said they could station themselves by our curtains. They were happy to agree to this, but were bringing their own binoculars; they didn’t trust Jonathan’s would be good enough. In actual fact he was joking, he didn’t own any, but luckily they never discovered that. Jonathan had invited a couple of people from his work who didn’t have plans and Claire had asked some of the women from her book group and their partners. It was going to be quite a gathering. And a party was possibly just what I needed, to say goodbye to what had been a good but also a terrible year and welcome a new one, which I hoped would be better.

George appeared fully groomed and looking smart.

‘Hey son,’ I said, giving him a nuzzle.

‘Hi Dad, I’ve just been at Hana’s.’ There was no stopping those two, although as far as I could tell they were just friends. Now Sylvie and Connie were back as part of our family, George was in and out of the house more frequently when he saw one of them, and they didn’t mind. Connie had even suggested to her mum that they have a cat flap fitted into the side door, so that George could visit and keep Hana company. We were so excited about this prospect. And I thought that it would be lovely for both of us, especially George, to have another home to add to our collection. You could never have too many, after all. However, they were still not sure that Hana should go out, and neither was she, but George was working on it. It was his New Year’s resolution.

‘How was she?’

‘Yeah, good. She’s not coming tonight – she said she’s had so much excitement that she needs a quiet night in. I think I understand. Hana is a very quiet cat, who’s used to being calm. I think us Londoners are a bit of a revelation to her.’

‘Of course,’ I replied, seriously. It was possibly true, Hana was used to a calmer life than we were. I couldn’t remember what a quiet life was, to be frank.

‘It’s been a hard year, well the end has, hasn’t it?’ he said.

‘Yes, son, and you have been coping so well. I don’t know how you’ve done it but I am very proud of you.’ I meant every word.

‘I think it’s just that thing, really, knowing how Tiger mum would like me to live my life. I hear her talking to me all the time and I also know …’

‘What, son?’

‘I know she would want you to be happy. At the moment you’re not but you need to be. She would want you to make the most of every minute and not wallow. And you say that you carry those you love around with you in your heart and she’s in mine.’

‘Mine too.’ I felt so emotional. My kitten was so wise.

‘Well then, we will both be alright. But, Dad?’

‘Yes, son?’

‘I don’t want you to get another cat girlfriend, if you don’t mind. I think it’s best you stay single and just be my dad.’

‘OK son, that’s a deal.’ I was sure I didn’t want another girlfriend either. I’d been lucky enough to love twice in my life and that was quite enough.

‘Good, because I don’t want a new mum.’

‘You won’t ever have a new mum, you’ll always have Tiger mum, even if I did get a girlfriend, but I won’t. I’m too busy looking after you lot.’ I raised my whiskers.

Wasn’t that the truth?

The party was in full swing. Music blared out and it was lucky the neighbours were here so they couldn’t complain about the noise. I wandered around, taking it all in, enjoying myself the way I had promised George I would.

The Goodwins were stationed behind the curtains, with their top-of-the-range binoculars and alcohol-free drink. Nothing was happening but they had their eyes trained just in case. The Barkers were sipping sherry on the sofa, and chatting to Harold who had a beer and was waving his stick around, enthusiastically, as he spoke. He was happy and not angry at all any more. Polly and Matt were dancing with some of Claire’s friends – badly, I might add. Tomasz and Jonathan were chatting to Marcus; there was lots of laughing and back-slapping going on. Sylvie had insisted on helping Claire in the kitchen and they were filling plates with food and also topping up drinks, and Franceska was of course in the thick of that. They were laughing and joking as they did so, and everyone seemed at ease with each other once again.

I went to check on the children upstairs. Tommy was supervising games night with the younger ones, who were all too excited to go to sleep. Toby and Henry were playing Hungry Hippos, Martha and Summer were playing with some cards, but apparently neither of them knew the rules, which made Tommy exasperated but he kept sneaking his iPad out, in between barking instructions and breaking up squabbles. They were all happy though, as they snuck up some food, and some fizzy pop which Claire never normally let them have. They’d have sugar rushes for hours, I was sure. And George was with them, being fussed, getting in the way, being cute. Aleksy and Connie, who were supposed to be helping to supervise, were on the landing, holding hands and chatting. When Tommy asked them to help him they kept saying, ‘In a minute.’

‘Alfie, I am never having a girlfriend,’ Tommy said to me as he broke up a minor altercation when Summer was found to have stuffed some of the cards down her dress. ‘If it turns me into a soppy guy like my brother, I’d rather not.’

‘Meow.’ You’ll change your mind when it’s time, I thought. Although I couldn’t imagine Tommy ever being soppy.