Willow the lonely kitten (5 page)

Chapter Seven

As Eva set off for Willow’s new home, a light snow began to fall. She looked up at the dark-grey sky, tied her scarf tightly under her chin, then strode on along Main Street.

“Hi, Eva.” It was Karl’s friend George Stevens who slowed her down. “Tell Karl to come to my house this afternoon. There’s going to be loads more snow. We’re making a massive snowman at the top of Earlswood Avenue.”

More snow?
Eva groaned as she turned into Swallow Court. Normally she’d have been enjoying the snow with George and his mates, but today she was more worried about the sub-zero temperature and the effect it would have on Willow. She walked quickly past Miss Eliot’s house, crossed the street and headed for number 22.

No car parked outside the house
, she thought as she approached the driveway.
So at least one of the Shannons must be out. No lights on, so they’re probably both out
.

“Yoo-hoo, Eva!” Miss Eliot had come to her front door and was calling across the road. “Have you come about the kitten?”

Eva backtracked. “Hi, Miss Eliot. Yes, I was worried about Willow. I told Mum, but she thinks we should wait a while before we do anything.”

“Really?” The old lady sounded surprised. She bent down to pick up her elderly cat, Tigger, to stop him venturing out of the house. “Why did Heidi think that?”

Eva frowned and felt embarrassed. “Oh, it’s not because she didn’t believe you, Miss Eliot. But she wants to give the Shannons a second chance.”

“She does?” Miss Eliot raised her eyebrows.

“Yes. Mum says it’s possible they left Willow out by mistake.”

“By mistake! Oh, I don’t think so, dear.” Gentle Miss Eliot suddenly sounded very firm. “If it had been a mistake, they wouldn’t have done it again.”

“Again?” It was Eva’s turn to sound surprised as she looked anxiously across at number 22.

“And so soon. Listen, my dear, I’ve been keeping a close eye on that house ever since I called you. And guess what – that young couple didn’t open the door to let the kitten in until after breakfast. I was relieved, of course. But then, no sooner did they let her into the warmth than they turned her out again.”

“What do you mean?” Eva asked.

Miss Eliot looked straight at her. “They went out in the car at about ten o’clock. But before they drove off, they made sure to shoo the kitten out into the front garden and lock the door on her.”

“Here, Willow!” Eva searched amongst the frozen flower beds in the Shannons’ front garden. Now she didn’t care what anyone said – after what Miss Eliot had just told her, she knew she had to rescue the kitten.

She called again, then spotted tiny, faint paw prints in the snow. They led from the front doorstep around the side of the house.

Quickly, Eva followed them. “Willow!” she called again, scared that the
fast-falling
snow would cover up the only clue the kitten had left. She reached the back garden and took in the stack of cardboard
packaging leaning against the fence. “Willow, where are you?” she called softly.

By now the paw prints had almost disappeared under fresh snow. Eva could just make out that they were heading for the stack of cardboard, so she made her way there, gently lifting the flattened boxes to peer behind them.

Miaow!
With a terrified cry, Willow shot out from behind the sheets of cardboard.

“Willow, it’s me – Eva!”

Miaow! Miaow!
The frightened kitten cowered on the back doorstep.

Eva was down on her knees, trying to coax Willow to come to her when the Shannons’ car returned. She heard the engine stop and doors open and then slam.
How am I going to explain this?
she thought, picturing the Shannons’ faces when they discovered her in their snowy back garden.

She froze, listening to the key turning in the front door, feeling the soft snowflakes land on her cold forehead and cheeks. After a short while, the back door opened.

“Willow, here’s your breakfast!” Jake Shannon called. He rattled a dish of dry cat food to tempt the kitten back into the house. Then he saw Eva. “Blimey!” he muttered. “Hey Julie, there’s an intruder in our back garden!”

In spite of the cold, Eva felt her face flush bright red as she stood in Jake and Julie Shannon’s kitchen watching Willow eat.

The moment the kitten had heard Jake rattle the dish, she’d shot between his legs into the house. Julie had joined her husband at the kitchen door and asked Eva to come in and explain.

“I was worried about Willow,” Eva stammered. “She’s too little to be out in the snow, so I was trying to catch her before she froze.”

Julie frowned. “How did you know she was outside?”

Don’t mention Miss Eliot!
Eva knew she mustn’t involve the old lady. “I was just passing and I thought I heard miaowing.”

“We’d only driven to the chemist’s.” Julie was cross. “We weren’t out long. Willow would have been quite all right,” she sniffled, blowing her nose.

Eva nodded unhappily. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s OK. Don’t be too hard on Eva,” Jake told Julie. “She wasn’t to know how soon we’d be back. And she was obviously worried about Willow.”

“Well, she doesn’t need to be.
We’re
her owners now.”

“Sorry.” Eva knew that if Julie was cross enough to call Heidi, she’d be in big trouble back home.

“Time for you to take that medicine and put your feet up,” Jake suggested to his wife after an awkward silence. “And time for you to go, Eva.” He led her down the hall towards the front door.

“I realize we’re not doing very well with Willow,” he confided quietly as she stepped out on to the drive. “It’s much more difficult than we expected. Moving house is a stressful time, plus Julie is a perfectionist. She hates mess. And to cap it all, she hasn’t been very well.”

Eva nodded slowly.
So why get a pet?
she wondered.
Pets equal stray hairs and muddy feet. Pets are messy, full stop.

“We’ll try harder from now on, I promise,” Jake said.

She wanted to believe him. “And you won’t leave her out again?”

“No,” he said, before firmly closing the door.

So Eva went home and worried all day. She worried about Willow all that evening, and after she went to bed she lay awake, worrying.

“Where are you now, Willow?” she whispered, staring out of her bedroom window at the starlit sky.