She dashed along the fence to the gate, with Millie racing after her, and shouted to one of the men walking by. “Hey! Excuse me! Over here, please listen!”
But the man just walked past, trundling a wheelbarrow. He didn’t even look at Rosie and Millie. Rosie rattled the gate, but no one seemed to hear her, the site was too noisy.
Gran came up, looking anxious. “Rosie, calm down!”
“I can’t make anyone listen!” Rosie looked at her wildly. “They have to let us in so we can go and get him!”
Gran pulled them gently away from the gate. “Girls, come back, it’s a building site, I don’t think they’ll let us go in. Sshh, look, that man’s coming out. We’ll ask him.” Gran smiled politely at the builder, who was giving them a curious look.
“Excuse me, but have you seen a ginger kitten around at all? He used to live on the farm, and he’s disappeared. We think we might have just seen him in that tree.”
The builder shook his head. He didn’t look very interested. “No cats, sorry,” he said, starting to shut the gate.
“He is there!” Rosie cried. “We’ve just seen him, we know he’s there. You’ve knocked down his home, you might’ve hurt him! You have to let us find him!”
The builder looked confused, and Gran hugged Rosie tight. “Calm down, Rosie. Look, I’m sorry, the girls are very worried about the kitten. We really do think we saw him a minute ago. Could you please just keep an eye out for him?” She pulled an old till receipt out of her bag and scribbled on it. “This is my phone number. If you could call us if you see him, we’d be so grateful.”
The man took the note and stuffed it into the pocket of his reflective vest. Then he locked the gate, and walked off. Rosie watched him go, tears running down her nose. She was pretty sure he’d never look at the note again.
Gran shepherded Rosie and Millie away from the gate. She was worried the builders might get annoyed and tell them to stop hanging around.
From high up in the tree, Ginger had heard the voices. It was the girl! The one with the food, who did the stroking. She’d come back for him. He was sure that was why she was there. He tried desperately to scrabble down the tree trunk.
But now she was going! She couldn’t have seen him. He mewed frantically, please wait! But no one heard him. He took a flying leap from halfway down the tree trunk, and raced over to the fence.
Come back! Come back! I’m here!
But it was too late.
Chapter Seven
When they got back to Gran’s house, she made Millie and Rosie sit down and have a glass of juice.
“You mustn’t get so het up, Rosie!” Gran said. “You can’t help that kitten if you’re shouting at people and getting into trouble, can you?”
Rosie sighed and shook her head. Gran was right. “I just don’t think he was even listening, Gran,” she said sadly. “That’s why I was so cross. That man just said no cats, without even thinking about it!”
“But you saw him, Rosie!” Millie put in. “He’s still there, that’s really good news! That was your ginger kitten, wasn’t it?”
Rosie smiled at last. “I’m sure, really sure. It was his lovely stripy fur, I could see it through the leaves. He was up in that tree, I know he was. I wish he’d heard me, but it was just so noisy. I bet he would have come down, to see if I had sandwiches again.” She frowned. “I hope he wasn’t stuck, that tree’s enormous.”
“Well, all we can do is go again tomorrow. As long as we’re back in time for your mum to pick you up, I don’t mind how long we stay. If we’re there when the builders have gone and it’s quiet, then it’ll be easier.” Gran smiled. “If he’s there, we’ll find him.”
“Couldn’t we go back now?” Rosie pleaded. “I’m not sure I can wait until tomorrow…”
Gran shook her head. “It’s getting late now and you both still need to have your tea. We can go straight after school tomorrow.”
“OK,” Rosie sighed.
Ginger sat by the fence and howled. She’d been here, and he’d missed her! He scratched desperately at the fence, hoping to chase after the girl, but it didn’t budge at all. He was still trapped.
He trailed sadly back to the woodpile, avoiding the builders. At least she had come back. Maybe she’d come again tomorrow?
Rosie raced along the lane, hardly hearing Gran calling to her to slow down. She was desperate to get to the farm, and see if Ginger was still there. At last she reached the fence by the tree, where Ginger had been yesterday. She wound her fingers through the wire, gazing hopefully up at the tree. There was no glint of ginger fur. Rosie sighed. Still, she couldn’t expect him to be in exactly the same place he was yesterday, that would be silly.
He’s there, she told herself firmly. You just need to look.
Rosie tiptoed along the fence, trying to peer through. The awful thing was, Ginger might be asleep somewhere, just out of sight! She could miss him so easily.
Suddenly Rosie gasped. It was as though all her breath had disappeared. He was there! Keeping so still that she hadn’t spotted him. He was crouched under the massive wheel of the old tractor, where she used to sit to tempt him with sandwiches. His ears were laid back, and he was watching the builders. Rosie’s heart thudded miserably as she saw how thin he was getting.
Rosie crouched down by the fence. “Ginger!” she whispered, not wanting to scare him, but of course he didn’t hear her. She tried again, a little louder, and his ears twitched.
“Ginger!” Rosie waved to him as well this time, and she saw his eyes widen. He’d seen her! He stood up slowly, cautiously, and crept across the yard towards her, moving one paw at a time and glancing around fearfully.
Rosie’s eyes filled with tears as she saw how scared he was. “Hey, Ginger!” she whispered gently, as he stopped a metre or so from the fence.
He stood hesitantly, staring at her, and gave a very small mew. Had the girl come back for him?
“Oh, Ginger, I’m so glad to see you!” Rosie murmured. “Are you all right? You look OK, just really thin.” She giggled. “I don’t know why I’m asking you all these questions, it isn’t as if you can answer…” Very slowly, Rosie reached into her school bag. “Look, I’ve got your favourite…” She opened up her lunch box, pulling out the sandwiches she’d saved. “Yummy ham, Ginger, come and see!”
Ginger ran towards her. She had come back! And she’d brought food. He was still nervous, but she’d always been so gentle, and the food just smelled too good to resist. Although he was half wild, he’d been used to Rosie feeding him from when he was quite tiny, and he’d missed her. He sat on the other side of the fence and meowed hopefully.
“Here you go, it’s OK,” Rosie said, laughing and posting pieces of sandwich through the fence. Ginger gobbled them down eagerly. “You look like you haven’t eaten for a week,” Rosie told him. Her eyes widened. “Actually, it is a week, isn’t it? You must be starved. Here, have some more.”
“Rosie, I can’t believe you’ve already found him! I won’t come closer in case I frighten him off, all right? I’ll just stay back here.” Gran leaned against the fence on the other side of the lane, watching Rosie and the kitten.
Ginger finished the sandwich, and sniffed the ground, looking for crumbs. The sandwich had helped, but he still felt hungry. He wondered if the girl had any more. He looked at her uncertainly, and edged forward, closer and closer still. At last he was right up against the fence, sniffing at Rosie’s fingers. He even licked them, in case she tasted of ham, but she didn’t.