Margaret Edwards woke at three in the morning to the persistent buzzing of her old flip phone vibrating on the bedside table.
She rubbed her eyes in confusion, wondering who could be calling at such an hour, picked up the phone, glanced at the screen, and felt her heart quicken. It was her son.
“Hello… Jamie, what’s happened?” Margaret asked, her voice fraught with worry. “Why are you ringing me at this time?”
“Mum, sorry to wake you. Thing is, I was on my way home from work…” Jamie began, his voice shaky. “And… well… I don’t know what to do…”
“What do you mean? Out with it, son! Don’t just leave me hangingor do you want your mum to have a heart attack?”
“Well, theres this… she’s lying here in the road. Any chance you could give me some advice? I havent a clue what to do, honestly. Bit out of my depth here.”
A few seconds passed in silence.
“I dont understand Are you saying you hit someone with your car? Killed them?” Margaret gasped, nearly dropping the phone as her hands began shaking.
“No, no, not dead,” Jamie replied quickly. “And it wasnt me that hit her. Someone else did. And its not a person.”
“Not a person? Who, then?”
“A dog… Looks like a German Shepherd. Shes still breathing, but just about. What am I supposed to do, Mum? There arent any 24-hour vets in our town. Youre the animal expert in the family, not me.”
Jamie looked over at the dog still lying by the roadside, her sides slowly heaving in the harsh glow of the headlights. She was clearly in pain, her sad eyes full of resignation, as if she knew her time might be up.
“At least shes breathing,” Jamie thought, pressing the phone harder to his ear. “Could be worse.”
*****
Three days earlier.
“Mum, not all this again! Dont you have anything better to do? Why are you so obsessed with these cats?” Jamie had popped round to check on his mum for a minute and found her by the steps, doling out food to the neighbourhood strays. Shed never been so soft-hearted before.
It all started when she retiredsuddenly she had this passion for cats. Not just any passion, but the sort of madness people whisper about. Youd never see a normal person behaving like thatespecially in front of everyone.
“Hello, love,” smiled Margaret, straightening up and waving over. “You could have rung to say you were popping in. Id have put the kettle on and made you something nice.”
“Well, you seem to have given all the good stuff to your cats,” Jamie smirked.
He genuinely couldnt understand why she spent her pension, precious hours, and so much energy on every stray animal she found. Why was she helping every dog and cat wandering the street? You should know, she already had four cats at home, each rescued in the last eleven months.
Youd think that would be enough, but Margaret wasnt inclined to stop. She carried on feeding and caring for the strays, undeterred by judgement.
Margaret put the cats first, doting on them with endless love. But she never walked past a dog in trouble either. Even the pigeons by the bins werent forgotten.
The neighbours, whispering behind her back, had taken to calling her Mother Teresa.
Jamie, meanwhile, hated the way people stared at his mum and chuckled at her expense. Some even made circles around their ears, hinting shed lost her marbles.
“Let them think what they want, son,” Margaret would say, noticing how Jamie glared at chortling neighbours. “Theres so little kindness in the world, so I want to make it a tiny bit better.”
She stared thoughtfully at her cats who ate greedily from the bowls.
“Tell me, what good have they ever seen from life? Nothing. Thats why I try to give them a little love, so they know theyre not forgotten. Remember what your gran used to say?”
“But you already took in four cats. Isnt that enough?” Jamie sounded bewildered.
“It doesnt matter how many, love. If I had my way, Id take them all in. But you know my flat is tiny, and my pensions hardly grand. So Ive helped as many as I can, and I carry on feeding the rest. Even if they all think Im barmy. Someone has to set a good example.”
“A good example?”
“Yes, Jamie. Maybe someone will see what Im doing, have a think, and start doing the same. Were responsible for what we tame. And besides, were human. Its our job to look after those weaker than ourselvesif we dont, who will?”
Jamie tried his best to understand her. Honestly, he did. But he just couldnt get his head round it.
He kept thinking it was all a bit muchto be so hopelessly soft. Sure, he could understand helping people in need, but strays?
He had nothing against cats and dogs roaming the streetshe just thought there was no need to take it to such extremes.
Yet, three days after that chat, something happened to change his view about animals entirely.
That night, he was coming home from work long after midnight. Normally, hed be back much sooner, but thered been an unexpected crisis in the officeso he had to stay late.
Maybe it wasnt such a bad thing, though; he hadnt seen the city at night in ages.
Jamie was a careful driver, not one to push the speed limit, but that night well, it felt good to put his foot down a little and let the car go. How often would he get the chance? Trouble was, it didnt last long.
He only just managed to brake in time, spotting the dog lying in the road.
For several minutes, he sat staring through the windscreen, white-knuckled on the wheel. Once hed got his breath back, he jumped out and ran to the dog.
One look and he knewa car had struck her. Maybe an impatient driver like himself, or some drunk speeding home.
But none of that mattered nowthe important thing was to help. But how?
Jamie was lost. He genuinely had no idea what to dohed never owned a dog in his life.
Thats why, at a loss, he decided to call his mum. There was no one else whod know what to do.
*****
“Hello Jamie, whats happened?” Margarets worried voice crackled down the line at three in the morning. “Why are you calling at this hour?”
“Mum, Im sorry for waking you. Thing is, I was driving home from work and then I dont know what to do”
“And then what, son? Dont just leave me wondering! Youre giving me the fright of my life!”
“Well, shes just lying here, by the road. Have you got any advice?”
Silence, but for a moment.
“Are you telling me you ran someone over? Killed them?” Margarets hand was shaking so badly she nearly dropped the phone.
“No, not killed. And it wasnt me who hit her. Somebody else did. And its not a person.”
“Not a person? Then who?”
“A dog Looks like a German Shepherd, but you can tell shes a stray. Shes still breathing, but not easily. What am I supposed to do? There arent any 24-hour vets around here. Any ideas where I could take her? Youre the one who knows about animals, not me.”
Jamie peered at the poor creature lying by the roadside, chest rising and falling with each laboured breath. She gazed back at him, eyes full of sadness, as though she were already halfway to giving up.
“At least shes alive thats something,” Jamie told himself, pressing the phone to his ear.
“Mum, what should I do?” Jamie repeated. “Do you know any vets who could help?”
“No, love, I dont know any vets myself. And youre right, theres no all-night clinic in this town. If you tried driving her to the next town, you might not make it in time. Listen, bring her to my place.”
“To your place? Are you sure?”
“Of course Im sure! Why do you sound so surprised? Still worrying about what the neighbours will say?”
“No its just youve already got four cats in that flat. How will they react to a dog coming in? Wont it be chaos?”
“Exactly, son, theyre cats, not crocodiles! Itll be fine. Dont waste another second on this phonejust get her in your car and bring her to me. Ill get things ready and well do what we can.”
*****
Half an hour later, Jamie was trudging up to his mums fourth-floor flat, carrying the dog in his arms.
Hed ruined the inside of his car, covered himself in muck, but none of it seemed to matter. He cared, really cared, that the dog shouldnt die. He was every bit as worried as if shed been a person.
“Put her here. Mind her leg,” Margaret said, pointing towards the settee shed covered with old bedsheets just in time.
Margaret had never been a vet, nor even a vets assistant, but shed made enough trips to the surgery to watch and learn. Shed picked up a thing or two, just in caseand now it had come in handy.
Jamie wasnt sitting idly byhe was looking up first aid for dogs on his smartphone (unlike his mums old brick of a phone, his had internet).
Together, not without a struggle, they managed to stop the bleeding. Afterwards, the dog seemed more at ease.
And heres the oddest parteven the cats got involved in helping. At first, they kept their distance, cautious of this great big canine intruder.
But then, as if understanding, they calmed down, hopped onto the sofa, and curled next to her, purring comfortingly. The dog fell asleep to their steady rumblenot losing consciousness, but actually sleeping.
That was good; at least, for a while, she didnt feel the pain. The cats, you see, did their partadding a bit of feline healing, as if by magic.
“Mum, do you really think shell be alright?” Jamie asked, laying his hand on the dog.
“Im sure shell pull through,” Margaret replied, tired but hopeful. “The injuries arent too bad. And you know, Jamie” she gazed at her son, “if this marvellous dog could stir compassion in your heart, then she ended up in your path for a reason.”
“Mum, I couldnt just leave her there, not in that state,” Jamie muttered, a little embarrassed. “It just wouldnt be right.”
“Thats what I mean, love. Three days ago, you couldnt understand why I feed the street cats, and now here you are, up all night, caring for a stray dog. And Ive a feeling you wont be tossing her back on the street when this is overam I wrong?”
“I suppose not…” Jamie admitted, a little sheepish. It was all new to him, but oddly gratifying.
Gratifying, he thought, to feel truly human.
*****
At dawn, Jamie drove the dog to the vet. He arrived at opening time, and when people saw a young man holding an injured dog in his arms, they stepped aside without a word. He didnt even have to askeveryone understood at once.
It was then Jamie realised there was nothing strange about loving animals and looking after them. People who did that really did become better, kinder, more humane.
They patched up the dogJamie called her Mollyat the surgery, and from that day on, he made a habit of coming round to see his mum at weekends. Theyd take Molly for a walk together. Well, not just together.
Not just the three of them, but sometimes the five, or even six…
You see, Margarets cats decided to join in too. The ones she used to feed by the house simply started accompanying them, and nobody minded at all.
The neighbours stared, eyes wide, and exchanged glances, some even making the old shes crazy gesture behind their backs. But Jamie didnt care anymore.
Thanks to Molly, who appeared so unexpectedly in his life. And thanks to his mum, whod set him the right example.
And thanks as well to the people at the vets, for showing such kindness. In that moment, Jamie truly believed the world had become just a bit kinder.
From that day forth, Jamie, like his mum, would try to help wherever he couldcat, dog, or person, it didnt matter.
And that is my story.
