Noodle on the Loose!

Had the family hamster escaped, or had he been pet-napped?

Laura tipped over the little blue house at the back of the cage. Inside the shredded paper, she expected to find a petite ginger hamster, his nose twitching.

What are you doing?' the look he wore would ask, his little brown eyes accusing.

`Sorry, Noodle,' she'd normally reply. It' s cleaningout time. You pong.'

Only today, she didn' t see Noodle looking disgruntled. Feeling stupid, she glanced behind his red wheel. Nope. Should she look under all his sawdust? That was too silly to contemplate. Instead, she went out on to the landing and called down the stairs.

Maddy, where' s Noodle gone?'

Who?'

That summed up her daughter' s attitude lately to the little pet in her room.

Two years ago things had been very different. Maddy, aged 12, had dragged Laura down between the cages in the pet shop, the rabbits on one side, the fish tanks on the other. She' d stopped in front of a hamster cage, pointing excitedly.

That' s him! I come in and see him every day when I walk home from school. Can

I have him for my birthday, Mum?'

I' ll have to talk to your dad. We' ve never had a pet before.'

He' s only a hamster. I' ll look after him. You won' t even know he' s around. We could get him now. He might be gone tomorrow. I' ll die if they sell him to somebody else.'

All right, all right,' Laura caved in. Just remember you have to clean him out and feed him. He' s not a toy.'

Now on the landing, Laura scowled.

Maddy, get up here!'

She didn' t wait for a reply, she returned to the bedroom, got down on her hands and knees and started ferreting about under the bed, tugging out discarded T-shirts, leggings, trainers and old mascara bottles.

Maddy finally appeared in the doorway.

What' s she done, Mum?' Her brother Sam, aged 10, had tagged along, likely for entertainment purposes. He smirked as Laura glanced up from her chase.

Where' s Noodle, Maddy? Did you leave his door open? Or did one of your friends let him out when they came over? How long has he been missing, do you even know?'

Maddy blinked as if all the allegations did not compute. She hurried over to the cage, peering in as if the hamster would magically materialise.

I' m sure he was in here yesterday.'

She didn' t lie very well. Well, he didn' t squeeze between the bars, did he?' said Laura. He didn' t plan a prison break. Both of you start looking. He could be anywhere by now.'

Laura hunted under beds that evening, behind wardrobes, behind the loo, in the airing cupboard. She pulled things aside in drawers in all the bedrooms. She ended up staring at the gaps down the sides of the fridge-freezer downstairs.

Doing so, she remembered the day Maddy, beaming, carried Noodle to the car in a little cardboard carrier. Laura lagged behind, lugging his cage and all his accessories

his wheel, his feeding bowls, little tubes for him to run through.

This young hamster would live the high life.

Back at home, they' d set everything up. Maddy even made a little plaque out of cardboard for the top of his cage. Noodle' s Penthouse, it announced.

She' d doted on him for a whole year, only then she met Hannah, Sophie and Megan. Suddenly, K-pop bands were far more interesting, the girls endlessly watching videos online.

That' s when Laura started nagging about her daughter' s lack of hamster duties. In exasperation, she' d taken over the task herself.

It' s all right, I won' t let anything happen to you,' she' d told the creature every time she changed his bedding. So much for promises.

I' ve looked behind all the sofa cushions in the lounge. I' ve looked under the telly,' Maddy reported

Well, he didnt squeeze between the bars, did he? Both of you start looking. He could be anywhere

when she appeared in the kitchen, her cheeks flushed.

What if he got outside?' Sam trailed after her yet again, lingering like a storm cloud. What if he got into the road or down the drains. What if somebody' s flushed him?'

Maddy whirled around to give him a poke.

Shut up! That' s not helping.'

Laura intervened before war broke out.

Sam, check the cupboard under the stairs. Maddy, check the dining room fireplace. I' m going to pull the fridge-freezer out and see if he' s hiding.'

While pulling and tugging at the big machine, Laura' s husband Andy came in the back door, his coat dripping from the rain outside, after his walk from the station.

You' re not cleaning behind there, are you? That' s a once in a lifetime job.'

Laura explained as he shrugged out of his mac. He came over then and peered at the dust and detritus hiding behind the fridgefreezer, one hamster not included.

Do you have any idea how long he' s been gone?' he asked.

I cleaned him out last week. He was definitely inside his cage when I finished.'

OK. Right, I' ll try the attic. He might have got inside the walls.'

Wouldn' t we have heard him?'

Not if he only moved about at night. They are nocturnal.' He kissed her cheek. No more pets for us. This is a pet-free zone.'

Well, it definitely is now,' Laura muttered.

They searched all evening. Their planned dinner of shepherd' s pie hastily replaced by sandwiches. On and on they hunted. Finally, they had no choice but to go to bed.

Laura lay in the darkness of her bedroom, listening to Andy' s deep breathing as he slept. Surely if Noodle had gone missing days ago they' d have spotted him hurtling across the lounge as the TV flickered? He might even have scuttled across the kitchen tiles as they' d eaten breakfast. How could he be so completely absent? It made no sense to her.

She rolled over, then again. Many restless movements later, she got out of bed. She took one last tour of the dark house, this time with a torch. She poked it into corners, she flashed it behind books.

She ended up on the landing shining it into the attic. Andy had left it open as if expecting Noodle to sail down using a parachute. Laura stared upwards hoping the little creature would at least peer over the edge. He might even grin, showing off his long yellow teeth.

Nobody cared before,' he' d laugh. Now I' m the centre of the universe again.'

Laura turned as Maddy' s door opened. The girl appeared bleary-eyed.

I can' t sleep, Mum. I' m sorry I didn' t look after Noodle. I promised I would as well.'

Laura held out her arms and gathered her up.

I know, sweetheart. We all make mistakes. He' ll turn up, then you can look after him properly, can' t you?'

As Maddy nodded, Sam' s door opened. When he peered out, he scowled.

I heard that. Don' t let her off, Mum. You let her get away with everything.'

His door slammed and

Laura winced.

What was that?' Andy called from the bedroom.

Nothing,' she called back. Go to sleep.'

The next morning, Sam barged about the kitchen, purposely knocking his sister out of the way at the fridge as he collected his school lunch.

Oi!' Maddy protested, rubbing at her arm.

Noodle' s probably dead by now,' he retorted. You' re useless with pets and you' re a useless sister as well.'

That' s enough, Sam, thank you,' Laura interjected. I' ll see you in the car.'

She' d drive Sam to school. Since she was on rota with two of her friends, she' d pick up their sons as well.

Do you want a lift?' she offered Maddy.

I' ll walk,' she replied tersely, dipping down to readjust the bowls of hamster food and the water dishes on the tiles. Noodle would surely need a good feed by now. I' ll come home at lunchtime and check round for him again.'

All right,' Laura said.

She wasn' t going to argue with that. She searched for her car keys instead, hoping they hadn' t hidden themselves away as skilfully as a rodent.

Hi, Noah.' Boy number three piled into her car a little later.

Noah had to sit up front with her. He constantly glanced back to Sam and his other friend, Jack, in the rear seats. They hunched over Sam' s phone, giggling at the screen.

Then they lowered their voices to such a degree, Laura frowned

What are you up to?' she asked when she halted at a junction. What are you

Noodle s probably dead by now. You re useless with pets and you re a useless sister

looking at?' Well aware of all the online sites the boys shouldn' t venture on to, she turned in her seat. Show me. Come on.'

Sam held out the phone. On it was a picture of a floppy-eared spaniel.

It' s Jack' s new puppy.'

Oh, I see. That' s why you' re always at his place, is it?'

She saw the way her son' s lips turned down, the way then he shared a sidewards look with his friend. As soon as she glanced away, the pair shared more conspiratorial whispers. They made the hairs on her nape prickle. Kids, they always think they' re smarter than their parents.

When she reached the school, the boys climbed out, a maelstrom of gangly limbs and school bags. She watched them walk away, their heads together again, leaning over Sam' s phone. Laura then picked up her own and dialled.

Hi, Marie?' she said when the person she called replied. It' s me. You know how you develop a sixth sense when it comes to your offspring? Well, call me Sherlock Holmes¼

That afternoon, Laura returned to the school to pick up Sam and his friends. She dropped off each at their houses without a word. She barely said a word to her son either until back at their place he raced inside. She caught up just as he pushed the kitchen door open.

On the counter, sat

Noodle' s cage. Inside, sat Noodle, fluffed up and looking as if butter wouldn' t melt.

Sam gasped. You found him!'

Yes. Aren' t I clever?' Laura replied. I rang Noah' s mum, then Jack' s. They both had a quick look round.

Jack' s mum found him in their shed in a makeshift cage, chewing on a bowl of sunflower seeds. She said she expected him to look shifty as if he' d been part of the whole plot.'

Sam' s eyes widened. I don' t know what you mean.'

Oh yes, you do. I can see why you were so angry with Maddy now. Me and your dad have been saying for ages No more pets for usº because of her neglect. You want a puppy, don' t you, like Jack' s? You didn' t even ask because you knew we' d say no. That' s why you decided to teach Maddy a lesson.'

His face caved. Well, it' s not fair, is it?' He almost stamped his foot like a toddler. She' s the eldest. She does everything first, and if she messes up, I suffer. I' ll never have a pet now, never, even though I' m the responsible one. I' m nothing like her.'

No,' Laura agreed. You' re a lot craftier for a start.'

He pouted. She deserved it. She' s ruined everything for me.'

Laura picked up Noodle' s cage. She presented it like a crown to a royal successor. Sam stood with it in his arms, his face a total blank. `Congratulations,' she said. Now you do have a pet a hamster. Prove you can do better than your sister and we' ll think about an upgrade. Not a Great Dane, mind you.' Sam stared at her in awe. Mum, that' s a brilliant idea.' Laura smiled after his praise, but she knew she couldn' t let him off completely.

Don' t get too excited. The truth will have to come out. You will still need to be punished. Maddy, too, for letting things slip. Maybe I deserve a dressing down as well for letting her get away with things for so long. Your dad' s no better. There' s only one innocent party here Noodle. He' s the only one still smelling of roses.'

They do say pets teach us things, Mum,' Sam pointed out, with wisdom beyond his years.

Laura couldn' t argue. Yes, she thought. It' s amazing what a tiny hamster can teach your family.

You' re right, he' s a genius,' she said. Maybe we ought to call him Professor Noodle from now on.'

Now you do have a pet. Prove you can do better than your sister and we ll think about an upgrade