FREDERICK

When Katherine has to move from her cottage, her cat Frederick has other ideas! A heart-warming tale

A heart-warming short story about the cat who wouldn’t leave home.

If Frederick hadn’t been such a strong-minded and persistent cat, Katherine’s life might’ve remained uneventful.

Frederick would tolerate small inconveniences, such as occasionally being given a different brand of cat food. He even tolerated sleeping on the sofa when it was raining outside. But when Katherine decided to move from her cottage, Frederick was having none of it.

For eight long and happy years he’d surveyed his little world from the top of the garden shed. His spot on the roof was protected from the worst of the weather by an old, sprawling yew tree. Frederick loved the higgledy-piggledy garden and intended to spend the rest of his days there.

But after years of struggling on her own, Katherine finally realised she could no longer afford to stay in the little cottage, with its constant need for repairs. It was with a heavy heart that she’d decided she had to be realistic.The cottage was for sale. Katherine had moved.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Frederick was not a realist. He decided at the outset that Katherine’s new apartment was unsuitable for him, despite the sunny balcony. Frederick had his own ideas and as soon as Katherine set off for work each morning, he sauntered back home, curled up in the sun on the shed roof and dozed off.

David Stephenson bought the cottage. He got more than he bargained for. When

Frederick, ready for his early evening snack, came up to rub against David’s legs, purring expectantly, Frederick moved his head to make sure David scratched the right spots. He reminded David of the Himalayan Persian he’d once had. He checked the collar.“You need to go home Frederick, somebody must be worried about you.”

It was only a short drive to the block of apartments where Katherine now lived. Holding Frederick in his arms and trying to knock on the door was awkward, but after a few scuffles and scratches, David managed it.

When Katherine opened her door, she felt quite

tentative. She wasn’t expecting anyone and it was dark. She was thrilled to see Frederick safe and sound, and before she knew it, she’d invited David in for a cup of tea.This was very unlike her usual caution, but somehow, she instinctively trusted his serious blue eyes and open face. Ridiculously, she felt she’d known him for years. And it was lonely in the evenings on her own, she had to admit.

David enjoyed being fussed over by this quiet, attractive woman. Frederick mewed crossly to let Katherine know he was displeased, before retiring to the comfort of his basket.

This was the first of a steady succession of visits David paid to Katherine’s apartment and he soon found himself enjoying this new friendship. That first night when he accepted her invitation to stay for a cuppa, he was only being polite, if the truth be told. But by the end of that week, he’d feel disappointed if Frederick wasn’t at Whitethorn Cottage. He could’ve simply asked her out but David was shy and was worried that she’d say no.

Katherine was always grateful that he’d taken the trouble to bring Frederick home and the two would share a pot of tea together while Frederick sulked in the laundry.

PUSHING YOUR LUCK

The laundry would be a good option until he settled in, Katherine thought.

However, settling in did not belong in Frederick’s vocabulary. Frederick prowled around the perimeter of this prison. When he jumped up on to the ironing board, freedom was in sight.

It was a tight squeeze for such a chubby cat but Frederick somehow managed to squash himself through the tiny window above the washing machine and was happily sunning himself on the garden shed back home when Katherine unsuspectingly headed off for work that Tuesday morning.

Storm clouds gathered during the day and by five o’clock when David left the office, the rain was pelting down. Poor visibility and slippery roads made the drive home treacherous. It was a relief to reach the safety of his own driveway.The rain was cold on his bare neck as he opened the car door.

Frederick hadn’t been so lucky. David’s eyes misted over when he saw him lying on the grass. He immediately knew he was injured. David carefully wrapped up Frederick in a soft blanket and drove to the vet’s.

David made his way to Katherine’s apartment. He hated being the bearer of bad news, especially when he knocked at her door and her welcoming smile made him forget the dreary weather.

She was delighted to see him.“I’ve just put the kettle on,” she said.“And there’s a fresh batch of scones.”

But David also noticed the creases around her tired eyes and realised how worried she must’ve been when she’d arrived home and found the empty laundry. He did his best to explain, trying not to upset her too much. But there wasn’t an easy way to tell her that poor Frederick had tried his luck crossing the main road once too often.

Waiting to hear news of Frederick the next day, Katherine found herself missing David. Six o’clock came and, as she made her pot of tea, she admitted to herself that she’d somehow got used to his company, his warm smile, his open manner. More than that, if she was to be honest with herself, she couldn’t bear the thought that if Frederick were to die, she might not see David anymore.

Somehow, he’d slipped into her life and become an important part of her happiness.They’d become close friends. And sometimes she lay awake wondering whether they might one day become more than friends. But she wasn’t sure what his feelings were.

When the veterinary receptionist called an hour later, she was delighted to be reunited with her bedraggled-looking pet who sat in a box sulking and sporting a heavily bandaged rear end.

David was surprised to hear her happy voice on the phone, inviting him over for a special celebration. She was secretive too, which puzzled him. How could she be happy when her cat was injured? He’d never understand women. He suddenly stopped, realising what he’d just said to himself.This was one woman he really wanted to learn to understand. But what was Katherine celebrating? She looked radiant when she opened the door.

“David, the vet said that Frederick’s going to be fine.”

“Is that what we’re celebrating?”

Her grey eyes sparkled.

“Maybe.”

Handing him a glass of champagne, Katherine raised her own glass.“To Frederick.”

“And that,” David concluded, “is how your Auntie Katherine and I first got to know each other.”

A little face stirred above the bedclothes.

“And what happened next? Chester wants to know.” David picked up the little teddy bear.

“Well Chester, David and Katherine lived happily ever after.”

“What about Frederick? Did he live happily ever after?” asked the little one.

“Frederick was always a grumpy, stubborn cat. But he was happy in his own way.” “How did Frederick die?”

“In the end, he just died of old age.”

“Couldn’t the vet fix him?” “There’s no cure for old age, I’m afraid.”

“What about David and Katherine?”

“They missed Frederick very much.Then one day their niece Sarah…”

“You mean Mum?”

“Yes. Sarah found some abandoned kittens under her house. One of them looked so much like Frederick that she brought him over and David decided to keep him.”

“Mum told a white lie, Uncle David,” she said in a serious tone.

“What do you mean, Ava?” “We found him at the rescue. Mum took a photo of Frederick with her to show the man. Wasn’t that a good idea?”

David leaned over to pat the cat curled up on the quilt.

“Yes, Ava, it was a great idea. David and Katherine would’ve approved, if they’d known.”

David smiled to himself.

He’d had to tell a white lie himself that day, when he’d recognised the kitten from the animal rescue website — he’d been planning to adopt him.

However, settling in did not belong in Frederick’s vocabulary.