Close to the Wind by Jon Walter

rolled over onto his front, took another breath then pulled himself into a sitting position, his knees still folded up beneath him. ‘If I wanted to do yoga I would have had some lessons by now, don’t you think?’ He stretched his arms out in front of him. ‘And I don’t snore. Please don’t insult me before I’m properly awake. It’s not fair.’ Papa yawned, wincing at the pain it caused him. He lay his forehead back upon the floorboards. ‘And even if I did snore, it would be very rude of you to let me know. You should suffer in silence.’
    ‘When can we leave for the ship?’
    Papa checked his watch. ‘We have a little time yet. We should have something to eat.’
    Malik watched the cat sniff at the empty tin of food. ‘I bet the cat won’t like being on a ship.’
    ‘You can’t take it with you, Malik. They won’t allow it.’
    Malik’s eyes widened. ‘But I can’t leave it. It hasn’t got anyone to look after it.’
    Papa got to his feet slowly. He folded his arms and waited for Malik to give in.
    Malik folded his arms the same way. ‘I won’t leave without it.’
    ‘But they won’t let you on the ship with a cat. Think about Mama. She’ll be on the ship. You wouldn’t let her sail away on her own, would you?’ Papa stretched backwards, one hand pressed against the bottom of his spine.
    Malik could feel the panic rising in his chest. ‘But Papa, I can’t leave the cat here. It doesn’t have any food and there won’t be anyone to look after it. It
has
to come on the ship.’
    ‘Oh, good grief.’ Papa walked across to the window and looked down into the street. He held his beard as he thought about it. ‘Of course, there is a well-known way. It’s sailing close to the wind, but it might work.’ Papa turned back to Malik with a glint in his eye. ‘Surely I don’t have to tell you how it’s done? No?’ Papa came and put an arm around Malik’s shoulder. He almost whispered. ‘You have to smuggle a cat on board a ship. That’s the way it’s always been done – it’s a seafaring tradition. No one ever allows a cat on board a ship, but if you can smuggle it on, then once it’s there and the ship has set sail – well, that’s a different story.’ Malik listened to Papa carefully. ‘When the cat is finally discovered, you mustgo and see the purser. He’s the proper man to decide. On a ship the purser’s word is law.’
    ‘Not the captain?’
    ‘The captain decides everything to do with the sailing of the ship, but it’s the purser who makes it run smoothly. He will know that everyone loves a cat. It catches mice and keeps the men happy. So although it’s officially forbidden, the purser will allow it. And anyway, what choice does he really have? I’ve never met a man who is so heartless that he would throw a cat overboard.’
    Malik knew that Papa would find a way – Papa knew how things were done and Malik was happy with that.
    Papa nodded toward the hall. ‘Have they gone, do you think?’
    ‘I don’t know. I haven’t heard them but I haven’t been downstairs.’
    ‘No, of course not. Just as I told you. That’s right.’ Papa had the rucksack on his knee. ‘What do you want for breakfast?’
    ‘Chocolate.’
    ‘I might have known.’ Papa took out the food that he had been given last night and spread it on the floor. He unwrapped the cheese, took the silver foilfrom the chocolate and broke away two segments. He handed them to Malik. ‘Do you want cheese with that?’
    Malik made a face. No one ate cheese and chocolate together.
    Papa took his knife, cut a square of the hard yellow cheese, the same size as the chocolate, placed one on top of the other and popped it in his mouth. He chewed once, then held his hand up and spat it out. ‘Oh, that hurt. I shouldn’t have done that.’ He put a hand to his jaw and held it gently.
    ‘Didn’t it taste good?’ asked Malik.
    ‘Hmmm? I’m not sure.’ Papa licked his lips. ‘It’s not bad. If I could chew it