Now the show was saved, I had a little more time on my paws. I was still busy with rehearsals and keeping my humans in check, but with the dress rehearsal looming we were all very pumped. The Christmas tree now even had a few presents around it, advent calendars– including one full of cat treats for George and I – were being opened now, and everyone was fully embracing Christmas. It even smelt like Christmas. That might have been because Claire decided to try to make a Christmas cake, and let’s just say … it didn’t go well. She was not the best baker and even Pickles turned his nose up at the scraps, which was saying something.
Snowball and I were going back to Harold’s when George found us.
‘I am so fed up,’ George huffed.
‘Why?’ I asked.
‘Hana isn’t right but she won’t admit it. She’s tired, and eating all the time, and though I’m not one to comment on her weight, she has definitely put on some pounds.’
‘George, it’s because of Theo, I know these things,’ I said, remembering how tired we all were when Summer was a baby, and how when I’m tired I eat more. And exercise less. It wasn’t rocket science.
‘We always eat more when we’re tired, George,’ Snowball said, echoing my thoughts. ‘Look, get the show over and if she still doesn’t seem to be getting better we’ll think of something, but as soon as Theo starts sleeping she’ll be back to her perky self, I’m sure.’
‘I am trying to be patient but I got cross today because she was too tired to go for a walk. I can’t remember the last time we went out together, apart from rehearsals, and I snapped and she snapped back, which she never does.’
‘Hey son, give her a bit of space and then check her later. We’re going to Harold’s so why don’t you come with us, he’ll be pleased to see you.’
‘At least someone will be,’ George grumbled. I understood. Young love was hard and true love was hard. I’m pretty much an expert on both.
We were braver now when we approached Barbara’s flat and though we usually just walked past, today, we stopped. Because sitting on the doorstep was Barbara, head in her hands.
‘Should we see if she’s OK?’ I asked.
‘What, and get chased or worse?’ George asked, still in a bad mood.
‘Alfie, you go and see. Just stand a bit of a safe distance away from her,’ Snowball said, pushing me with her paw. I thought about it for a minute but then I moved, tentatively, towards her. I stopped a few paces away, and she looked up. I felt a little nervous, but I stood my ground. I could see her face was wet with tears, and she really did look distraught.
‘Meow?’ I said carefully.
‘Oh goodness, it’s no good, it’s really no good.’ She started crying again. Her body was wracked with sobs and I felt bad for her. This wasn’t an act, I was pretty sure. I returned to the others.
‘I think she’s really upset,’ I said.
‘What do we do?’ Snowball asked.
‘I think we should get one of the humans,’ I suggested. We never, ever turned our backs on someone in need, no matter what they’d done.
‘Let’s get Harold,’ George suggested. He was the closest, and if he couldn’t handle it he could call someone who could.
We trotted quickly to Harold’s and let ourselves in. He was in his chair.
‘Oh there you are, I was wondering,’ he said when he spotted Snowball. She started mewing at him and pawing at his legs, as per my instruction.
‘Mew, mew, mew,’ she said.
‘What is it?’ he asked. The three of us went to the front door. ‘What on earth?’
But he put on his coat and picked up his walking stick. He opened the door and we burst out in the direction of Barbara’s flat.
We slowed down, realising that Harold was a bit slower than us and he was muttering about having to come out in the cold– he didn’t like to go out unless he had to. We finally reached Barbara, who was still on the doorstep. Harold looked at the three of us, his face slightly red from the cold.
‘Um, hello,’ he said. She looked up; her eyes were very red and she had clearly been crying quite hard all this time.
‘H-hello,’ she stuttered.
‘Hey, you’ll catch your death out here, why don’t you come to my house, where I can make a cuppa and you can tell me what’s wrong?’
‘But I’m the woman who ruined the show, or at least tried to,’ she said.
‘To me, you look like someone who is very sad, and that means you come to mine, I’m not going to take no for an answer.’
Barbara resisted for a bit longer but then she stood up and followed him, trying to stop her tears. The three of us followed. I wasn’t sure if we were all going to try and find out what was going on, or to protect Harold in case she was still a little unhinged. Probably a combination of both.
When we reached Harold’s living room, he gestured to his chair.
‘Go and sit by the fire and warm yourself up,’ he said. Goodness, Harold had softened in the last few years since we first met him.
‘Thank you,’ Barbara mumbled.
‘I’ll go put the kettle on. Tea OK for you?’ he asked. She nodded and started crying again.
It took a while, because Barbara kept breaking down, but they had a long and in-depth conversation in the end. It was all about loss. Harold understood what it was like to lose a partner (as did I, of course), and he told her that as much as she felt she wouldn’t be able to carry on, she would. He really did a good job, I have to say, I was immensely proud of him. He was kind and caring and sweet, nothing like our old Harold – who used to wave his walking stick at George – that was for sure.
‘I’m just so lonely,’ Barbara said. ‘I never lived alone before and I’m here with no friends, and any friends I hoped to have are gone because of my stupid behaviour.’
‘Hey, you weren’t yourself. And you’ve done the right thing, getting counselling, not that I ever held with it, but now I can see it’s the best thing. It’s not going to be OK overnight. And as for friends, well, yes, you did burn some bridges, but bridges can be re-built. And I’m your friend now.’ Oh Harold, I thought, I couldn’t have done a better job myself.
‘The cats are always together aren’t they?’ she asked suddenly. George raised his (still slightly pink) tail, he clearly wasn’t ready to trust her yet.
‘Yes, and you know, I didn’t think I liked cats before. George used to visit me and I’d tell him to go away but one day I collapsed and he somehow managed to get me help. They are amazing, the cats of Edgar Road – especially these three – and I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t love cats.’
Again, I couldn’t have put it better myself.
‘My husband didn’t like cats, so I suppose I didn’t either. He said they were pointless, not like dogs, but then they were the ones who caught me, weren’t they? So, not so pointless, I guess.’
I wasn’t sure if that meant she liked us now or not and I tried not to take umbrage that anyone could think cats were pointless.
‘They may take a bit of getting used to, but if you want to be friends with us, then you better start liking our cats. They’re part of the family,’ he chuckled.
‘Oh I miss having a family so much.’ She started crying again.
I glanced at George, I really needed to get home. Not only was I hungry– Harold was too busy comforting Barbara to give us snacks – but also, this room was so warm I was about to fall asleep. We all went into the kitchen.
‘We better go,’ I said. ‘But Snowball, tell us how this ends, if you can get away later. Or if not, see you at rehearsal.’
‘Will do.’ She nuzzled me goodbye. ‘And George, be patient with Hana, she’s worth it,’ she said.
He raised his whiskers.‘Seeing how sad Barbara is made me realise when we love someone we do whatever we can to keep hold of them,’ he said sadly. It was very true. And some of us weren’t lucky enough to hold on to them forever, so when you could, you should.