Melancholy cat

Dad was in a cheerful mood. Mum had gone away for a ‘girls weekend’ doing something that involved fish nibbling at her feet and he had been put in charge of the kids. Annabelle had her friend Faye to sleepover and Robbie was planning a particularly exciting adventure with his favourite Thunderbirds models. A shade retro, but Robbie loved these models.

That left Dad to happily put his feet up and watch the big game on the TV.

Just as the game was about to start, Robbie charged into the lounge.

“I can’t find Virgil anywhere!” he wailed.

The thing that amazed Dad about kids, was that you could never predict what their next problem would be.

“I’m sure he’s around somewhere” Said Dad, “Where did you last see him?”

”He was on my bedroom floor next to Thunderbird two” Robbie continued to wail, “Where could he be?”

This confused Dad as nobody had been in to Robbie’s room during the day.

They scoured the house for almost an hour but there was no sign of Virgil.

Dad returned to catch the second half of the game, as a disconsolate Robbie collapsed into a bean bag. As the players emerged from the tunnel, a particularly, melancholy Bubbles the cat, pitifully limped into the lounge and pathetically flopped into a corner of the room. An exasperated Dad, rose from his seat deciding that Bubbles was hungry and filled the cat bowl with some kind of fish related food. A pathetic Bubbles wouldn't touch it and almost seemed to sob into the bowl.

Dad gave Bubbles a quick examination but couldn't see anything wrong.

Needless to say, the rest of the game was ruined for Dad as Annabelle and Faye burst into the lounge and insisted on showing Dad a few Glee inspired songs and dances that they had perfected.

Dad gave up on the game and went to make the kids their tea.

As he walked into the lounge with a spaghetti bolognaise that he was quite proud of, Faye sparked up with

“Has Bubbles been drinking milk? He’s got froth around his mouth”

Dad put the kids food on the table and rested his on the floor as he looked at the cat.

“Quick everyone” Said Dad, “We’re off to the vet. Bubbles isn’t well.”

A worried Dad piled the kids into the car, slipping Bubbles into the other front seat. Dad had barely noticed that he'd trodden right into his spaghetti Bologniase in his rush to leave the house.

The vet kindly agreed to look at Bubbles urgently and after a nervous 30 minute wait, emerged from the surgery room with a tired but much more cheerful cat.

“It was an infection” Said the vet. “Bubbles had trodden on this, which had caused a cut that had become infected”

The vet held up a tiny figure of Virgil whose head now seemed to be at a slightly strange angle.

A relieved Dad drove the kids & Bubbles home, picking up fish and chips on the way home. Bubbles even ate a little of the fish as a treat and Robbie dipped his chips in cold Bolognaise sauce which repulsed both of the girls.

Dad stayed up late to watch a repeat of the game and whenever Thunderbirds came on the TV for the next month or two, Bubbles fled from the room.

©  Chris White