Alfie in the Snow

by Rachel Wells

  ‘He’s telling you to get lost, and his face is all red,’ I said carefully, glad that there was a window between us.

  ‘Oh no, he thinks “Get Lost” is my name,’ George said. ‘He loves playing our game with me, we’re very good friends.’

  For a moment I was lost for words. I remembered back to how, when George got his first crush on the horrible Chanel, she would hiss at him and he took that as affection. Nothing I could say would persuade him otherwise. George did have a history of misinterpretation, and it looked as if this was a similar situation. I was still unsure how I would convince him that this man didn’t like him, when the man suddenly came to the window and opened it wide, nearly knocking us both flying. I sprang back off the sill but George somehow managed to jump inside the house. I didn’t realise it until too late.

  ‘Get lost,’ the man shouted.

  I jumped back up on the windowsill. ‘Oh my,’ I exclaimed.

  What would happen to George now? I felt fear welling up inside me. This man could really hurt my boy, and I had to stop him.

  ‘Oh, this is a new part of the game,’ I heard George say as he dodged the old man. I was about to go in – no matter what, I needed to protect my boy – but then I stopped as the old man went a funny colour and then fell over. He was going to fall on George.

  ‘Yowl,’ I shouted and George managed to jump out of the way before the man reached the ground. ‘Um, George, I don’t think it’s a game any more, he’s lying on the floor.’ I couldn’t see much as it was so dark inside, but the man didn’t appear to be moving and George sprang to his side.

  ‘Do you think he’s alright?’ George looked at me, stricken. This was all we needed, having just lost Tiger, he couldn’t lose his new friend. Even if the man didn’t like him. I had to think and act quickly.

  ‘I’ll go and get one of the humans,’ I said. ‘They’ll know what to do. Do you want to come with me?’

  ‘No, I better stay here, I don’t want him to be alone,’ George replied.

  I was in luck. Just as I was a few paw strides from the house, wondering who would be home, I saw Jonathan and Matt walking along the street. I ran in front of them.

  ‘Hey Alfie, we’re just going home from the pub, football,’ Matt explained.

  ‘YOWL,’ I cried at the top of my lungs.

  ‘Oh no, don’t tell me this is another cat emergency,’ Jonathan moaned. It wasn’t my fault that there seemed to be quite a few lately. I jumped on his foot, which caused him to say a bad word.

  ‘YOWL,’ I screeched again. I then did my signal of running round in circles, before they both seemed to get it.

  ‘Alfie, you do pick your moments, I’m really hungry,’ Jonathan complained, but I was already hightailing it back to the man’s house.

  ‘Where the hell are we going?’ They were finally following. I ran as fast as my legs would take me back to the open window. George hadn’t moved, he was right by the man’s side.

  ‘Meow,’ he greeted us with relief.

  ‘What on earth,’ Matt peered in the window, ‘is that?’

  ‘There’s an old man on the ground, I think. With George,’ Jonathan said. ‘It’s dark though.’

  ‘I’m calling an ambulance. Thank goodness for these cats,’ Matt said, pulling his phone out and dialling.

  ‘I’ll try to break in,’ Jonathan said, shoving the front door with his shoulder, which didn’t move. ‘Ow,’ he said, rubbing it. I climbed in through the window, trying to show him how it was done. ‘Oh, I guess I can go in that way,’ Jonathan said. It was a bit of a tight squeeze but he made it.

  ‘Great, why didn’t we think of that?’ Matt rolled his eyes as Jonathan came round and opened the front door for him. ‘Ambulance is on its way.’

  Jonathan’s hands were shaking as he opened the door and they both ran in, with me on their heels. The house was freezing. Matt bent down.

  ‘He’s still alive,’ he said, face flushed with relief. ‘But he’s so cold. Can you go and see if you can find a blanket?’

  ‘Sure thing,’ Jonathan said, rushing off. George nuzzled into him as close as he could.

  ‘I’m going to try to keep him warm,’ he whispered to me. I nodded. ‘I can’t let him die too.’ My heart would have broken all over again but I wasn’t sure there was enough left to break just at the moment.

  ‘Get lost,’ the man said, but so quietly that only we could hear him.

  By the time the ambulance arrived, the man, whose name we didn’t know, was wrapped in blankets, and his breathing was steadier. Looking a bit shaken up, Jonathan and Matt stood back to let the paramedics do their job. George and I did the same. Then the paramedics said if the man had been left in the cold for too much longer he might have got hypothermia. It seemed we had saved him and it was all really thanks to George.

  Jonathan established what hospital they would be taking the man to and he told them that he and Matt would go there to try to sort things out as they didn’t know anything about him or his family. There were a few photos on the wall of a woman and a boy, and then of the same boy as a young man. Matt searched and found a wallet in the man’s coat pocket, which was hanging by the front door. It had a bus pass in it, for a Harold Jenkins. But there was no other information to hand.

  ‘Hopefully when he comes round we’ll be able to find out who his family is,’ Jonathan said. ‘God, I wish Claire was here, she’d know what to do.’

  ‘Meow,’ I said. They could figure this out, surely.

  ‘Shall we see if we can find some pyjamas to take for him? Maybe a book or something, that’s what Polly would suggest.’ Thank goodness, I thought, at least they were being a bit practical.

  ‘Good thinking.’ Matt and Jonathan went upstairs and we followed them. The house was a bit of a mess, and none of the lights seemed to work, although they found one that did in the man’s bedroom.

  ‘Bulbs need changing,’ Matt said. ‘God, being old and alone is depressing.’

  They found some clean pyjamas in a drawer and a pair of reading glasses by the bed. They took them and a few bits from the bathroom, which looked as if it was in need of a clean.

  ‘He obviously can’t really cope on his own,’ Jonathan said. ‘I hope he’s got family. I think I need to start training Summer and Toby up to take care of me when I’m old.’

  ‘I hear you,’ Matt said. ‘And good work, Alfie and George, he’ll probably be alright thanks to you,’ he finished, as he ushered us all out of the house, locking the door behind him.

  I looked at George as Matt and Jonathan set off to get to the hospital.

  ‘You did so well,’ I said.

  ‘I hope he’s going to be OK?’ George looked at me, his eyes full of fear.

  ‘It sounds as if he will be and it’s all thanks to you.’ I nuzzled him and then I took my son home.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  ‘These guys really earned their pilchards today,’ Jonathan said, jubilantly, as my families all sat round the dinner table. Although we’d had little to celebrate lately, I was slightly buoyed by the fact that today had turned out so well, as was George.

  ‘Tell us exactly what happened,’ Franceska pushed. I licked my lips. So, yes I had been off my food since losing Tiger, but the fresh, plump pilchards were mouthwatering, particularly after the busy day we’d had. I’m only a cat, after all.

  ‘So, we were on our way back from watching football …’ As Jonathan launched into the story, George and I launched into our dinner. George was happier now that Harold was safely in hospital, and was going to be alright. Jonathan and Matt had gone to see him, taking him his things, and had found he was stable. He had something called a blood sugar problem which caused him to faint, but I didn’t understand much about that, not being a doctor. The point was that it wasn’t serious. But what was serious was the fact he wasn’t taking care of himself, or according to the hospital, not capable of taking care of himself.

  It turned out that Harold had a virus and had
been struggling to go out. So although he’d had some food delivered, he hadn’t seen anyone, not even a doctor, because he ‘didn’t believe in them’. Which was a bit rich when he ended up in hospital surrounded by them. He hadn’t been able to pay for his heating, because for that he needed to go to the post office, so that was why the house was cold. He was too proud to ask anyone for help, so he’d been suffering alone and it could have ended very badly for him.

  ‘But surely he has family?’ Claire asked.

  ‘Thankfully, he has a son, Marcus, who he’d fallen out with. Not sure exactly what happened but something to do with him getting divorced – Marcus not Harold – and Harold doesn’t believe in divorce,’ Matt explained.

  I wondered what Harold did believe in – not doctors, not divorce, nor cats, it seemed.

  Matt continued. ‘He lost his wife, Marcus’ mum, to cancer a few years ago, and he’s a proud and stubborn man. So Marcus and he haven’t spoken for over a year. We persuaded him to give us his number though,’ he said. ‘I said if the hospital didn’t think he had anyone to help him they’d never let him out. That did the trick.’

  Jonathan smiled. ‘Yeah, and I called Marcus and he seemed pretty nice. He was upset that he had let things go this far with his dad though, and he rushed to the hospital. I gave him our number because he said he was going to sort the house out, and so I said we’d help. I mean, the state of the place.’

  ‘Where’s the son from then?’ Tomasz asked.

  ‘He lives nearby, which is the worst thing, about ten minutes away from here, but he has been through a divorce and various job issues, so he’s been a bit preoccupied. But he seems decent,’ Matt said.

  ‘Yeah, it sounds as if he’s had a hard time, as well as his dad, but Harold is quite a difficult character by all accounts. So although it’s sad they fell out, it’s not irrevocable. It’s like George and Alfie brought them back together.’ Jonathan grinned. ‘With our help of course, eh Matt?’

  ‘I’m so proud of you, you are such a softy underneath it all,’ Claire said, giving her husband’s hair a tousle.

  ‘Get off,’ Jonathan said, but he was pink and smiling, under his not-so-tough exterior.

  ‘The thing is that Harold told us that George had been visiting him for a while and he kept telling him to get lost but he wouldn’t, which of course sounds just like both our cats,’ Matt explained.

  ‘And now, because George and Alfie saved him, he said he would welcome him anytime. Poor old chap, miserable because he can’t cope with not coping, if you know what I mean,’ Jonathan added.

  ‘Pol, I said you’d help Marcus get the house sorted, if you don’t mind? It’s just a dump at the moment, dirty, threadbare carpet, furniture falling apart, and Marcus said he would pay for anything, he feels so guilty. And I also said we’d help do the garden,’ Matt explained.

  ‘Which is so annoying because it’s December and freezing,’ Jonathan pointed out. Not to mention that he didn’t even do any work in his own garden. Claire normally did it.

  ‘We’ll all rally, that’s what this community is all about,’ Claire said. ‘I can give his son the number of a cleaner, so the house can be spotless, and we have some old furniture you might be able to use, Polly.’

  ‘When he comes home from hospital we should throw him a welcome-home dinner,’ Franceska suggested. ‘I will bring food from the restaurant and then he knows he has friends around here.’

  ‘That is such a lovely idea,’ Polly said. ‘And of course I’ll get the house sorted. God, getting old isn’t much fun, is it?’

  ‘Polly, we’re no way near there yet,’ Tomasz pointed out, and they all laughed.

  As I licked my lips after polishing off the pilchards I smiled at my humans. I had taught them all well. And my kitten, well, I couldn’t be prouder of him either and I knew Tiger would have been too.

  George and I left the adults planning how they were going to help with Harold and Marcus, and went to check on the children. It wasn’t a happy sight. Summer and Martha were both unnaturally quiet, Toby and Henry weren’t talking and Tommy and Aleksy were trying to bring about some kind of truce. In my experience, once one thing got sorted, another problem reared its ugly head. And suddenly there was no shortage of them round here.

  ‘Right, so have I got this straight?’ Aleksy asked. ‘Toby is not talking to Henry because Henry is a donkey and Toby is Joseph?’

  Both boys nodded and Tommy and Aleksy exchanged a smile. I couldn’t believe the change in Aleksy since the last time I saw him. He was happier, he was engaging with the younger children and the adults, and more importantly with me. He was like a different person and I hoped that it was because things with Connie were settling down, or he was being grown-up about it. Whichever, it was great, and one less thing for me to worry about.

  ‘Toby, Joseph is the main part. I was Joseph once and I loved it,’ Aleksy said. Toby glared at him, suspiciously.

  ‘But you did drop the baby Jesus,’ Tommy pointed out.

  ‘Yes, but I picked him up quickly,’ Aleksy replied. Both boys laughed.

  ‘Hey, I’ve got an idea,’ Tommy said suddenly. ‘I will make sure that you are remembered for being Joseph and you, Henry, as the donkey, will be able to help too. But before I share this idea, you two have to be friends again.’

  Henry and Toby glanced at each other uncertainly.

  ‘What’s the plan?’ Henry asked.

  ‘No, no friendship, then no plan.’ Tommy whispered into Aleksy’s ear, and he laughed.

  ‘We will get into so much trouble, but what a brilliant idea,’ Aleksy said.

  ‘OK, let’s be friends again,’ Toby said, unable to resist, and he and Henry shook hands. Tommy gathered us all close in and he whispered the plan. He even let Summer and Martha in on it, but everyone, including me and George, were sworn to secrecy. I didn’t know what to think, as I listened. The kids thought it was great, I wasn’t so sure. I knew some of my plans were a bit crazy, but this really took the biscuit. Or the baby Jesus. Aleksy was right, we would get into trouble. Big trouble.

  ‘Are you sure?’ Toby asked. He wasn’t very good at not doing what he was told, he was such a good boy.

  ‘I am, I think it’s brilliant,’ Tommy said, immodestly.

  ‘I think it’s amazing too,’ Martha said.

  ‘Meow,’ George agreed. Well, he would.

  ‘And, you know, it will remind us that we’re not just friends, but family, and therefore we do it for each other,’ Aleksy said, which made me want to weep. OK, that did it, so I was in too.

  ‘Meow,’ I agreed.

  As they discussed the finer details, I hoped that it wouldn’t go wrong as many of my plans had in the past, but then I decided that we all needed cheering up and this might just do it. It might do the opposite, but I wasn’t going to think about that. It had reunited and bonded all the children. George was hopping with excitement and I knew this would take his mind off Tiger a bit, which could only be a good thing. So, I high-fived Tommy with my paw, to reiterate that I was all in.

  ‘You did such a great job today,’ I said to George as we took our last bit of air in the garden before bed. We were both exhausted, it had been such a long day.

  ‘I didn’t know he was that bad, but I’m glad I could help him,’ George said. ‘And doubly glad he might call me George now instead of “Get Lost”.’ There was no convincing George that the man didn’t like him.

  ‘Well, I am incredibly proud of you,’ I said. I thought that if I reminded George every day how great he was, it might make things a bit easier for him, navigating his grief.

  ‘Thanks Dad. I’m just happy he has his son now, and it made me realise how bad it was when I tried to pull away from you. I’m sorry.’

  I was so choked up. ‘Don’t be sorry, but let’s not do that again, I missed you, I missed our relationship, doing things together. How’s Hana, have you seen her?’

  ‘Not much, but it’s funny, she said that her owner, Sylvie,
is still upset about the mouse and the bird. Apparently she keeps going on about it.’

  ‘Right, we better put this right – I mean, I better put this right. I know, women like getting flowers.’ I had tried to woo Snowball with flowers once. It hadn’t gone to plan but she had appreciated the gesture.

  ‘They do. Claire loves it when Jonathan gives her flowers.’

  ‘So, let’s go and get some flowers and leave them on her doorstep. Then she will know that they’re gifts and nothing bad.’

  ‘Great idea, Dad, I’ll help you dig some up. Polly’s are nicest. But, there is something I’d like you to do.’

  ‘What’s that, son?’

  ‘Figure out a way for me to get to see Hana, properly, I mean. I’ve been wrapped up in my sad feelings but she is sad too. She loved being an indoor cat in Japan, she had lots of people around her, but now she’s alone a lot and her house is very unhappy, so she needs a friend like me.’

  ‘I’ll do whatever I can,’ I said, meaning it. ‘Everyone needs a friend like you, George.’

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Claire came into the house, having dropped all the children off at school and immediately called Franceska on the phone.

  ‘Hi,’ Claire said. ‘I just bumped into Sylvie. I’m seriously worried, she said that someone is out to get her.’

  There was a pause.

  ‘Because she’s had a dead mouse, bird and now dead flowers left on her doorstep. I tried to reassure her that no one would do such a thing but she’s not convinced.’

  Another pause.

  ‘Yes, I’m sorry, Frankie, but she thinks it might be Aleksy.’

  Pause.

  ‘I told her he wouldn’t do anything like that, but it is a bit weird, isn’t it?’

  Pause.

  ‘Yes, but of course it’s not Aleksy, and I told her, don’t worry, but I thought you might need a heads-up. Oh, and Polly was telling me today that someone had taken some of her flowers from the garden. How weird is that?’

  It was beginning to sink in that my plan may have been a bit foolish. I hadn’t taken into account that Sylvie was a mere human and not as highly sophisticated as us cats. Yet again I had expected too much and I wondered if Tiger would be laughing at me in heaven or wherever she was – of course she would. No more ill-thought-out gifts, I would need a new plan.