Id heard the whisper of a voice again, and the cat perched on the kitchen bench stared across at a stranger, a woman Id never met. She looked down at him and murmured in a soft tone:
What am I to do with you? I told my granny we shouldnt have taken you in
The cat was three years old and could read a humans inflection perfectly. He sensed that this woman disliked him and that she had no use for him. He knew his former mistress had passed away. That night he lay at the feet of the old lady and watched her spirit rise gently to the ceiling, slipping out through the window.
He roamed the rooms of the flat, where strange new things had appeared. Their smell turned him away. He tried to stay out of sight of the newcomers, and the once warm, cosy home suddenly felt cold.
One morning the cat simply vanished. The woman who now lived there stepped into the kitchen to feed him, only to find the food left untouched from the day before.
Maybe thats for the best, she said with a sigh of relief.
The cat slipped away on his own, not waiting to be shooed out or treated like a useless thing. He slipped through the open front door as people moved things in and out of the flat.
He trekked down unfamiliar lanes, clambered over garden fences and crossed busy roads, steering clear of places that had turned chilly and loveless. Boys hurled stones at him, he fell twice from a roof, yet he pressed on, determined to distance himself from his former life.
He finally stopped when exhaustion finally caught up with him. His stomach growled fiercely, reminding him he hadnt eaten in three days. He looked around. Behind an old wooden fence stood a modest timber cottage that seemed uninhabited.
The air carried no scent of food, but the cottage exuded warmth and peace. He squeezed through a gap in the fence and crept toward the house. From a distance he saw an open attic window and slipped inside.
The attic was piled with hay and reeked of mice. In one corner lay an old blanket. The cat curled onto it and, for the first time, felt truly at home, his paws tingling with relief. His belly rumbled again, but he shut his eyes and fell asleep.
He awoke to a human voice. He slipped to the open attic window and peered down through the slit. In the garden a little girl was chatting with someone while plating something onto a metal tray. The aroma of food floated up, unmistakable to the cats keen nose.
He focused on the tray, stomach growling betrayingly. He slipped down from the attic and crept toward the food. With a swift leap he snatched the biggest piece he could reach and darted away, just in time.
From behind the cottage emerged the girl, followed by a russet dog and two chubby puppies that trailed behind him.
Come on, love, the girl cooed, Ive brought a bite for the little one, lets go.
Then the cat heard a familiar tonewarm and kindjust as he had once heard in his old home.
Oh my! the girl exclaimed, spotting the cat, we have guests! Youre hungry, arent you, little fellow?
It turned out the cat had lingered close to the tray, too weak to run far. He stared cautiously at the girl, who, oblivious to his presence, fed the puppies and the dog. He finished the stolen morsel and returned to the tray.
Seeing he wasnt fleeing, the girl placed a few more pieces beside the original offering.
Eat, she said gently, you look famished. She then fetched a bowl and poured a splash of milk.
Have a drink; you need it, otherwise the hunger will get you down.
The cat settled, ate everything laid out for him, drank the milk, and then climbed back up to the attic, where he dozed once more on his blanket. He realised he had finally found a home.
All summer long the girl, whose name was Evelyn, visited daily, feeding him and a sprightly terrier she called Biscuit, along with the two pups. The cat grew stronger and healthier. They all ate from the same dish, and the cat never felt out of place again; this was his family.
He learned to catch mice in the attic and, whenever Evelyn arrived, he would proudly present her with a fresh catch as a thankyou. She would laugh and say, Thank you, letting him stroke her hand, feeling that longlost warmth return.
When autumn arrived the nights grew colder. The cat had never known frost, had never seen snow, and was startled by the white flakes that fell one morning in late October.
That day Evelyn didnt come; instead a grandfather arrived in a horsedrawn cart with his grandson. The cat watched warily from the attic window as a stranger stepped onto the garden.
Evelyn entered the yard, began laying out food, and the scent drew Biscuit out from the cottage, followed by the two puppies.
Oh, there you are! A whole family, chuckled the grandfather.
Yes! Evelyn laughed, soon the cat will be here too, and she glanced up toward the attic.
The cat heard no threat in the grandfathers voice and slipped down.
Come on, dont be afraid, Evelyn said, patting his back. He calmed and began to eat.
Well then, my dears, lets get home, the old man declared, youve had enough adventure for today. He scooped up the puppies and placed them in the cart. Biscuit ran after them, and the cat watched cautiously.
Come along, little one, dont be scared, well take you to Granddads cottage in the woods, where youll be safe, Evelyn whispered to the cat.
He stared at her, the tone and the tenderness reminding him of the woman who had once rescued him as a stray kitten and brought him home.
Evelyn gently lifted the cat into her arms and carried him to the cart, placing him in a large basket lined with a warm cloth. He offered no resistance, closed his eyes, and once more believed in a human.
Animals, after all, seem to be the only beings who can forgive us completely and love us despite everything.
