Sharing Snowy

by Marilyn Helmer

  “You really do,” Mom answered. She ran her hand over Ali’s thick dark curls.

  Ali’s heart sank. She would not be able to play with Snowy this afternoon after all.

  Chapter Six

  KEEPING SNOWY

  Ali didn’t put any butter on the salmon sandwich. She didn’t put any mayonnaise on the sandwich either. That might not be good for Snowy.

  She grabbed two bowls from the cupboard. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She shouted good-bye to Mom and raced back to the clubhouse.

  Ali scraped the salmon into one of the bowls. She saved the bread and one small bit of salmon for herself.

  As soon as Snowy smelled the salmon, she began to meow. Her pink nose twitched. She meowed and meowed.

  Ali put the bowl down, and Snowy began to gobble. “Poor Snowy,” Ali said. “You were so hungry.”

  She filled the other bowl with water and set it beside Snowy.

  Ali munched her plain bread sandwich. She saved the bit of salmon for last. But before Ali got to it, Snowy’s bowl was empty.

  Snowy put her front paws on Ali’s arm. “Meow,” she said.

  Ali held out the bit of salmon. Snowy licked it off her fingers. Her rough tongue tickled. Ali giggled. “I love you, Snowy,” she said. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world. She now had a cat of her very own.

  Ali heard Mom calling, “Ali, it’s time to leave.” She scrambled to her feet.

  “I have to go now, Snowy,” Ali said. “But I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

  This time Ali was able to keep her promise. As soon as she got back from the hairdresser, she hurried to the clubhouse.

  Snowy was right behind the door. Ali felt guilty. Had Snowy been waiting by the door the whole time she was gone?

  As Ali came in, she sniffed. She smelled salmon. She smelled something else too. Phe-ew! She noticed a small mound in the corner. Uh-oh.

  Ali almost gagged as she cleaned up the poop. Snowy rubbed against her arm. Ali hugged her. “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s not your fault. You need a litterbox.”

  Ali went to the garage. She looked until she found an old plastic dishpan. Nobody was using it. It would make a perfect litterbox. But what could she use for litter?

  Sam put special litter stuff into Panda’s and Lucy’s litterboxes. It looked like clumpy sand. But I don’t have any of that, Ali thought. Then she noticed Ben’s sandbox in the yard. Ordinary sand would work. Ali scooped some dry sand into the dish pan. Perfect.

  Back at the clubhouse, Ali showed Snowy her new litterbox. Ali felt very proud of herself. Snowy had food. Snowy had fresh water. Snowy had a litterbox. What else did she need?

  A bed, Ali thought. She ran back to the house. She raced up to her room. On the floor was her doll’s wicker bed.

  Ali dumped out the doll who was sleeping in it. She got her old baby blanket from her bottom drawer. It was worn thin, but it was soft and clean. It would make a cozy bed for Snowy.

  For the rest of the afternoon, Ali played with Snowy. Snowy liked playing with string. She liked chasing Ali’s tennis ball. She liked curling up on Ali’s lap while Ali read to her.

  Once in a while though, Snowy went and stood by the door. “Meow,” she said. Was she saying, “Let me out”? Ali hoped not.

  Chapter Seven

  SECRETS

  At dinner, Ali saved some chicken for Snowy. When no one was looking, she wrapped it in a napkin and shoved it into her pocket. She didn’t like being sneaky. But what else could she do? She had to look after Snowy.

  Late that night, Ali woke up. She thought about Snowy. Maybe Snowy was lonely. Maybe she was afraid of the dark.

  Ali hugged Tedward Bear. He always made her feel better when she was lonely or afraid. Snowy wouldn’t be lonely or afraid if she had Tedward Bear for company. Ali had never slept without Tedward Bear. But maybe Snowy needed him more than she did.

  Ali scrambled out of bed. She grabbed her slippers. She grabbed her flashlight. She grabbed the chicken she had saved from dinner. And she grabbed Tedward Bear. She sneaked downstairs. She sneaked out the back door. She almost sneaked right back in again!

  The yard was scary at night. Moon shadows crept across the lawn. Ali gulped. Her flashlight barely lit the path to the clubhouse. Her heart thumped. By the time she reached the door, her legs were shaking.

  Ali shone her flashlight around. In the wicker bed, two eyes glowed like fireflies.

  Ali tiptoed over and put Tedward Bear in the bed beside Snowy. She put the chicken into Snowy’s dish.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ali whispered. “Sleep tight.” She kissed Snowy on her pink nose. She kissed Tedward Bear on his brown button nose.

  Back outside, Ali stared into the dark. Was that something rustling in the bushes? Ali broke into a run. Bushes whacked at her. She stumbled and almost fell twice.

  She opened the back door quietly and crept upstairs to bed. Even after she was safely under the covers, her heart still pounded. Her bedroom was as dark as a cave. She wished with all her might that she had Tedward Bear for company.

  Snowy needs him more than I do, Ali told herself sternly. Still, it was a long time before she finally fell asleep.

  When she woke the next morning, Ali made plans. She would spend the whole day with Snowy.

  Ali thought of things they could do in the clubhouse. There weren’t that many. If they could play in the yard, they could climb the maple tree. They could play hide-and-seek. They could have a picnic lunch. But she couldn’t let Snowy out. Mom might see her. Snowy might get lost. Ali decided that they would have to play inside.

  After breakfast, Mom said, “As soon as I get Ben changed, we’ll go to the park.”

  “The park?” Ali groaned. “Do we have to go to the park?” she asked. “Can’t we stay home?”

  Mom looked surprised. “But you love going to the park,” she said. She looked at Ali closely. “Are you not feeling well, sweetie?”

  Maybe I can say I’m sick, Ali thought. But then Mom will make me stay in bed. Probably all day. “I feel okay,” she said reluctantly.

  While Mom got Ben ready, Ali raced to the clubhouse. She yanked the door open. Tedward Bear was lying on the floor. Snowy was not in her bed. Where could she be?

  Chapter Eight

  LOOKING AFTER SNOWY

  “Meow.”

  Ali looked up. Her breath whooshed out in relief. Snowy looked down at her from the shelf above the window.

  “What were you doing up there?” Ali asked as she reached for Snowy. Then her face went serious. “I have to go to the park this morning, Snowy. But I’ll play with you all afternoon. Promise.”

  Snowy struggled out of Ali’s arms. Ali bit her lip. Was Snowy cross with her? Then she saw Snowy’s empty food dish. Snowy wasn’t cross. She was hungry. And Ali hadn’t brought any food for her.

  Ali heard Mom calling. She sounded impatient.

  “I have to go,” she said. “But I’ll be back soon. And I’ll bring you food. And fresh water. Promise!”

  As Ali moved toward the door, Snowy darted ahead of her. Ali had to close the door in Snowy’s face. Sad little mews followed her along the path.

  Ali thought of the promises she’d made to Snowy that she hadn’t been able to keep. Her spirits sank. She did not enjoy the morning at the park.

  When they stopped at the goldfish pond, Ben clapped his hands. “’ish! ’ish!” he shouted. Snowy would like the goldfish too, Ali thought.

  Mom played ball with Ben. “Come play, Ali,” she called.

  Ali shook her head. Snowy would like playing ball too.

  Thoughts tumbled through Ali’s head. Her best wish had come true. She now had a cat of her very own. And she loved Snowy so much. So why did she feel sad? Ali wondered about that all the way home.

  For lunch, Ali asked for a tuna sandwich. Mom looked in the cupboard. “Sorry, Ali, we’re out of tuna,” she said.

  “Salmon?” Ali asked.

  “I’m afraid
we’re out of that too,” said Mom.

  Ali looked in the fridge. She spotted a small bowl of leftover spaghetti and meatballs. Perfect. She and Snowy could share. Ali reached for the bowl. “Can I have this?” she asked.

  “Yes,” said Mom, “do you want me to heat it up for you?”

  Ali shook her head. Snowy might not like hot food. “Can I eat at the clubhouse?” she asked.

  Ben picked that moment to spill his milk on the floor. Mom grabbed a rag and began to mop. “Yes, okay,” she said.

  When Ali opened the clubhouse door, Snowy was waiting for her. Ali sniffed. In spite of the screened window being open, the room smelled stinky. But there were no messes on the floor. Snowy had used her litterbox.

  “Good girl,” said Ali. Snowy stood on her hind legs. She meowed and waved a paw in the air.

  “I know,” Ali said. “You’re hungry. We’ll eat lunch right now. Then I’ll change your litterbox.”

  But Snowy did not like spaghetti. She did not like meatballs either.

  “Snowy, you have to eat something,” Ali pleaded. She mashed up a meatball and held it out on the end of her finger. Snowy turned up her little pink nose. She looked at Ali and meowed and meowed.

  Ali knew that she had to find something for Snowy to eat. But where? And what?

  Chapter Nine

  LOST CAT!

  Ali hurried back to the house. She heard splashing and giggling sounds from upstairs. Mom was giving Ben his bath.

  “Mom, can I have a snack?” Ali shouted.

  “No junk food,” Mom called back. “Find something nutritious.”

  Ali looked in the fridge. There was nothing that Snowy would eat. She looked in a cupboard. Cereal, tea, coffee, crackers. Snowy would not like any of that either. She opened the next cupboard. Jars of baby food caught her eye. Some were chicken. Some were beef. Some were vegetables.

  Perfect. Snowy would like chicken. Ali reached for a jar. Then she hesitated. But Mom had said that she could have a snack. A nutritious snack. Baby food was very nutritious. Ali grabbed the jar and raced back to the clubhouse.

  “Snowy,” she hooted, “look what I brought you!” She opened the jar. Snowy’s pink nose twitched. She meowed and meowed.

  Ali emptied half the jar into Snowy’s dish. Snowy gobbled the food. She licked the bowl and looked for more.

  “We have to save the rest,” Ali said. She put the top back on the jar. There was just enough left for tomorrow. Ali wondered what she could feed Snowy after that. Taking the jar of baby food today was okay. Well, sort of. But she couldn’t keep taking more. That would be like stealing.

  Ali noticed that Snowy’s water dish was almost empty. That wasn’t a problem. She washed it at the outside tap and filled it with fresh water. Snowy’s litterbox needed to be cleaned. That was a problem. How long could Ali keep taking sand from Ben’s sandbox before someone noticed?

  Snowy leaped up onto the windowsill of the open screened window. She rubbed against the screen, sniffing the fresh air. She looked at Ali and meowed. Ali felt sad all over again. But she could not let Snowy go out.

  The next day was Thursday, the day Ali and Grandma were going birthday shopping. They were even going out to dinner afterward.

  Before Ali left, she gave Snowy the rest of the baby food. She gave her clean water and cleaned the poop out of her litterbox. “I have to go shopping with Grandma today,” Ali explained. “But tomorrow I’ll spend the whole day with you. Promise.” Ali crossed her fingers, hoping this was a promise she could keep.

  When Grandma arrived, Ali was waiting.

  “Let’s go to the mall,” Grandma suggested as she backed out of the driveway. “Have you thought about what you might like for your birthday?”

  An idea flashed through Ali’s head. Maybe she could ask Grandma to buy her cat food for her birthday. But then she would have to tell Grandma about Snowy, and she couldn’t do that. “I’m not sure, Grandma,” she said.

  “No matter,” said Grandma. “We’ll look around until we find something special.”

  After a lot of looking, they finally found something special. It was a green sweatshirt. Green was Ali’s favorite color. On the front were three cats. They were white, like Snowy. Ali loved the sweatshirt. She would wear it whenever she played with Snowy.

  Grandma stopped in front of the grocery store. “I have to pick up a couple of things,” she said. “Then we’ll go out for dinner.”

  As they walked into the grocery store, a large notice board caught Ali’s eye. She stopped so suddenly she almost tripped over her feet. LOST CAT read one of the notices.

  Below it was a picture of a cat. The cat in the picture was Snowy.

  Chapter Ten

  ALI DECIDES

  Ali stared at the notice. There were some words she couldn’t read. “Grandma, what does that say?” she asked.

  Grandma looked where Ali was pointing. “‘Loved pet,’” she read. “‘Owner desperate. Please call Ruby Banks at 905-316-2204.’”

  Ali followed Grandma around the store in a daze. She thought of Snowy, alone in the clubhouse. Was she missing Ali? Or was she missing her desperate owner? Loved pet. The words stung Ali’s heart. Snowy was her loved pet now. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair.

  On the way to the car, Grandma said, “You’re lost in thought, Ali.” Then she smiled. “You love Chinese food. Let’s go to Shanghai Gardens for dinner.”

  Any other time, Ali would have jumped with joy. Shanghai Gardens was her favorite restaurant. She loved the bright colors. She loved the Chinese letters everywhere. Today it was all she could do to force her mouth into a smile. “Okay, Grandma,” she said.

  When their food arrived, Ali put a little rice and a lot of chicken chow mein onto her plate. She planned to save all the chicken pieces for Snowy.

  Ali picked at her vegetables. She was thinking about Snowy. The clubhouse seemed like the perfect place for Snowy to live. But was it? If Snowy was happy there, why was she always trying to get out? And what about food? And fresh litter?

  “Ali, you’ve hardly eaten a thing,” Grandma said gently. “Is something wrong?”

  Ali couldn’t hold it in any longer. She took a deep breath. Words flew from her mouth as she told Grandma the whole story of Snowy.

  Grandma put her hand on Ali’s arm. “What do you think you should do now?” she asked.

  A tear ran down Ali’s cheek. “I have to give Snowy back,” she said. “Right now.” Ali knew she had to do it before she changed her mind.

  “Good girl,” said Grandma. “I’ll get the waiter to box up our food. We can eat it later.”

  Ali watched the waiter box up everything, including the chicken pieces she had saved for Snowy. But now she wouldn’t need them. She felt as though her heart was breaking into pieces. Why was it so hard to do the right thing?

  Chapter Eleven

  SHARING SNOWY

  Grandma drove back to the grocery store so Ali could get down the owner’s name and phone number. Then they bought a tin of cat food. Just one. Ali bit back her tears. One tin was all she would need because Snowy was going home.

  Back at Ali’s house, they found a note from Mom. Dad, Ben and I have gone out for dinner. Be back soon, the note read.

  Ali led the way to the clubhouse.

  “Oh, my,” Grandma said when she saw Snowy. “She is a beauty. I can see why you named her Snowy.”

  “Would you hold her while I get her food?” Ali asked.

  Snowy was happy in Grandma’s arms until she heard the tin opening. Then she wiggled and squirmed. “Meow. Meow,” she said.

  Grandma put Snowy down. Snowy gulped her dinner. If I ate that quickly, Mom would scold, Ali thought. But she didn’t scold Snowy. Snowy had waited a long time for her dinner.

  Grandma looked at Ali. “Are you ready to take her back now?” she asked.

  No! No! No! Ali protested silently. But she nodded her head. She knew that she had to give Snowy back to Mrs. Banks.

 
Grandma took her cell phone from her purse and called the number Ali had written down. “Ruby Banks just lives over on Bonnymeadow Road,” she said when she had finished. She put her hand on Ali’s shoulder. “She’s so happy that we found Snowflake.”

  Snowflake? Snowy’s real name was Snowflake? No wonder she seemed to recognize her name. Ali picked up Snowy. She hugged her as tightly as she could without hurting her. “I guess you won’t ever be called Snowy again,” she said sadly.

  Snowy sat quietly on Ali’s lap all the way to Mrs. Bank’s house. She looked out the window. Ali wondered if Snowy knew she was going home.

  When they turned onto Bonnymeadow Road, they didn’t have to look for the house number. A lady was standing on the porch of the second house down. When she saw their car, she rushed to the curb.

  “Snowflake!” she cried when she saw Snowy in Ali’s arms.

  Ali got out of the car. Maybe Mrs. Banks would scold her for keeping Snowy. Maybe she would be cross that Ali had given Snowy a new name.

  Mrs. Banks didn’t look cross. She was too busy smiling as Snowy jumped into her arms.

  “We saw your Lost Cat notice in the supermarket,” Grandma said.

  “Where did you find her?” Mrs. Banks asked. “Snowflake got out accidentally. She’s not an outdoor cat.”

  Ali told Mrs. Banks the whole story. “I’m sorry I kept her,” she said in a small voice. “I just wanted to have a cat of my own. But I don’t think she likes living in the clubhouse.”

  Mrs. Banks didn’t scold. She didn’t get cross. “Thank you for taking care of her,” she said. “And most of all, thank you for bringing her back.”

  Ali bit back her tears. She reached over to give Snowy one last pat. “I’m going to miss you so much,” she said. Snowy rubbed against Ali’s hand.

  “I think Snowflake will miss you too,” said Mrs. Banks. “You could come and visit her,” she added.