Tabitha’s Lucky Day

Published in Storm Cloud Publishing’s Christmas Anthology 2020

‘Look at me. I’m on a trampoline!’ Luke yelled.

            He was jumping on the sofa next to where the cat was curled up in a cosy ball of fur. Tabitha’s insides turned a somersault as the soft cushion underneath her shook and bounced. Her back arched.

            ‘Watch out for the cat,’ Ivy called back. ‘You know that’s her night-time spot.’
            Tabitha wobbled as Luke leaped off the sofa. She decided it was too late to go back to sleep. Stretching her front legs out and letting her claws dig into the velvet sofa cover, she yawned and prepared for the day.

            ‘Tabitha, no claws!” Mum said sternly. She had been trying to train the family cat not to scratch the furniture for a whole year.

            ‘Why do you bother, Mum?’ Ivy said. ‘She’s never going to learn.’

            ‘No, you’re right,’ Mum agreed through gritted teeth. ‘That’s cats for you. I might as well give up.’

            Tabitha’s eyes widened as she listened to the household sounds – kettle whistling, teapot lid clinking, fridge door opening. Signs that breakfast was coming soon. She sprang off the sofa and curled herself around Mum’s legs.

            ‘Oh, you’re a naughty puss,’ Mum said, bending down to give her a stroke. ‘Here, let me pour you some milk.’

            That’s how the day began. A day like any other to a cat. But not to Luke and Ivy who might have school, gym, football, ballet, piano or whatever else they tried to cram into their weekly schedule.

            Drops of sweet milk stuck to Tabitha’s whiskers as she strolled to the window to check the weather.

            ‘Will I go outside yet?’ she pondered. ‘Perhaps I’ll stay here for a while and clean myself up.’

            She licked her paw and washed her face. Then she tucked her head under her legs to continue the morning routine. ‘Mmm, just another day like any other. And that suits me fine.’

            But it wasn’t a day like any other, as she would discover.

****

Tabitha strolled to the end of the garden. She wondered if there was any point in going beyond into the national park that backed onto the property. There might be some juicy insects to hunt beneath the trees. But it was already hot so she stretched out under a droopy bush and yawned herself to sleep.

            By mid-day the sun had risen high in the sky, turning all the plants into limp rags. Sparrows splashed in the birdbath to keep cool. Tabitha stirred and prepared to pounce but they immediately flew away. She didn’t bother chasing them.

            Luke and Ivy had been playing ball on the grass but Mum had ordered them inside, out of the heat. Tabitha considered going in but she was too lazy to move.

            The hours passed and the cat slept soundly while bees buzzed around her. Occasionally they flew too close, causing her to twitch her ears and interrupt a dream of mice or milk. Life was good for a tabby cat living in a country town.

            As the sun disappeared behind the trees in the national park, Tabitha trotted back to the house. She was looking forward to a bowl of delicious fish or meat – whatever Mum decided was on the menu.

            Padding gently into the lounge, it was obvious to her that the family routine was different. The kids were helping Dad stand a big fir tree in a window alcove. Mum brought out a box of shiny objects that they all wanted to hang on the branches.

            ‘Get out of my way.’ ‘It’s my turn to go up the ladder’ ‘Who wants to put the star on the top?’ ‘Ow, you’re on my foot.’ ‘Take it easy, kids.’ ‘Let’s get this over and done with.’

            Tabitha’s eyes narrowed as she watched. Nobody noticed her. She walked over to her bowl. It was empty. She leaped up on the sofa arm and miaowed to get their attention.

            ‘Hang on, puss, dinner’s late tonight,’ Mum said.’

            ’Yeah, Tabby, we have to get ready for Christmas now,’ Luke explained.

            At least he took the trouble to come and stroke her.

            By the end of this unusual day, Tabitha had gobbled up some dry pellets, washed them down with water, and skulked off to a corner to sleep because the kids were allowed to stay up late and watch TV from her sofa. As she tried to get comfortable on the hard floor, all she could hope was that the next day they would all be back to normal.

*****

Christmas Day began like any other day. In fact, it was better than any other day. Mum poured thick cream into Tabitha’s bowl and Luke tied a ribbon around her neck, saying, ‘Here’s a present for you Tabitha because you’re a very special pet to all of us.’ An annoying bell on the ribbon made it difficult for her to lick up the cream.

            Dad murmured, ‘All that cat ever does is eat and sleep.’ Ivy shushed him and stroked their pet, right up to the tip of her tail. Tabitha loved that and purred into Ivy’s leg.

            The kids started chasing each other around the sofa so Tabitha decided to escape to the garden. She bumped into a bicycle that was parked outside the sliding glass doors. It smelled of new paint. Luke jumped on it to race around the garden. Ivy chased after him on a shiny scooter, yelling at the top of her voice.

            Tabitha decided that Christmas Day was not her favourite type of day. She sat under her bush, scratched at the annoying bell but couldn’t get it off, and settled down to sleep. By mid-day the sun had risen high in the sky. Tabitha was fast asleep and didn’t notice that the birds and bees weren’t around. She dozed on into late afternoon when a strange smell woke her. As she uncurled, stood up on all four legs and arched her back to stretch, a strong wind roared all around her.

            This was definitely no ordinary day.

            Then the sky went black. Beyond the roar, Tabitha heard her name being called. She started to pad toward the house but the ground beneath her had changed. It reminded her of when she accidentally put her paw in the kids’ campfire when she was a kitten.

            The birdbath crashed to the ground and she dodged the broken pieces. Tabitha turned in circles wondering which way to go. She realised she was trapped between the house with smoke pouring from it and the trees being lashed by huge orange flames. Choking on the foul air, she ran toward the house, found a hole and dived underneath the floorboards.

****

When Tabitha opened her eyes everything was white. She was lying in a padded box and her legs were bandaged tightly. She tried to stand but her paws stung and she flopped back down.

            ‘Ah, you’re awake are you, puss?’ A woman peered into the white box. Tabitha gave her a weak miaow.

            ‘You keep resting and you’ll be fine,’ the woman soothed.

            Tabitha slept soundly for hours. Perhaps it was days. And the next voice she heard was Luke’s. Then Ivy’s.

            ‘Tabitha, we’re here.’

            ‘She’s a lucky cat,’ the woman said. ‘If she hadn’t had that bell around her neck nobody would have found her.’ She explained to the kids how the firefighters rescued their cat and brought her to this animal shelter.

            ‘Lucky we had a microchip in Tabby so they could work out that we’re her owners,’ Mum added.

            Tabitha rubbed her head against Ivy’s hand and let Luke pat her singed fur very gently. Mum lifted the box and Tabitha swung through the air as she was carried to the car.    After a bumpy ride, they arrived at a caravan on their block of land. The house was a burnt wreck. Tabitha felt pretty much like the house but she was relieved to be back with her family.

            They made such a big fuss of her and Tabitha decided this was most definitely the best day ever.

           

           

*****