again to this –
vet
person . . .?’
I chewed my lip. I couldn’t really promise that, could I? What about the follow-up vaccinations Dad had mentioned? And what if Jaffa ever got sick or needed an operation or something?
‘There’s nothing to worry about, Jaffa,’ I said in as soothing a voice as I could manage.
Jaffa opened her other eye and stretched her mouth into what looked strangely like a smile. She purred long and loud and nuzzled her soft head against my hand. ‘All right,’ she said.
‘But who is the “Jaffa” you keep sayin’?’
I giggled. ‘That’s you! It’s the name I chose for you.’
Jaffa sat back on her haunches, her eyes half closed as if she were thinking hard. ‘No, no, no . . .’ she said, shaking her head slightly. She turned swiftly and gave her shoulder a
lick. ‘Me Perdita. Mum said.’
Panic lurched in my stomach. Did Jaffa even know that she’d been taken from her mum? She was still such a tiny baby. Maybe she didn’t realize? What had Kaboodle told her? Was that
why she’d disappeared for so long – to try and find her mum?
‘Er, yes, that’s what your mum called you, but we humans are muppets when it comes to cat names,’ I improvised, remembering the disparaging way Kaboodle used to talk about my
human failings. ‘We, er, we can never pronounce names like Per-per-wotsit. So we always give our cats a new name when they come to live with us. So you’re Jaffa,’ I explained.
Jaffa stood up quickly and arched her back in alarm. ‘Livin’ with you? Me not stayin’ here
all
of the times!’ she said. ‘Me come and go when me wants. That
is what cats does. Mum said.’
A lump rose in my throat. I put out my hand and tried to stroke her to reassure her, but she hissed and backed away. ‘Jaffa,’ I said gently, ‘you do live here. This is where
your home is – and your food,’ I added, thinking this might persuade her.
‘But me gets food in other place too,’ she said, puzzled. ‘And me not called Jaffa there.’
‘Er – what other place?’ I asked, the lump in my throat growing larger by the second.
‘Other place,’ Jaffa repeated, her head on one side as if shrugging. ‘Prawns in other place,’ she added. And I was positive she smiled as she said this.
‘Jaffa,’ I said slowly, ‘I need to know where this other place is.’
‘Why?’
‘Because – because I need to tell the people there that you’re my cat.’
‘Why?’
‘Because they have to know that they shouldn’t feed you.’
‘Why?’
‘Because, for a start, we’re not even sure you should be eating prawns yet.’
‘Why?’
I gritted my teeth. This was like talking to Jazz’s little brother.
‘Because you’re only small, that’s why. And it’s my duty to look after you and feed you and love you.’
I gathered her into my hands before she could let out another ‘why’ and held her close to my face.
She softly licked my cheek with her pink sandpaper tongue.
‘All right,’ she said. ‘Me stays here if you is the food-person.’
Phew! Thank goodness, I thought, letting her rub her face against my cheek. She seemed to have got the message. Maybe everything was going to be all right now that Jaffa and I could understand
one another.
How wrong could I be?
12
Collared!
D ad came into the kitchen just as I had found the prawns in the fridge and was about to set them in front of Jaffa.
‘Stop!’ he cried, rushing over and snatching the dish away. ‘I spoke to Bex and she said it wasn’t a good idea. She said you have to introduce new food slowly in case
Jaffa gets sick.’ I bristled. ‘Yeah, well, “Bex” would say that, wouldn’t she?’ I was getting really fed up with Dad quoting that woman all the time, like she
was some kind of pet guru. I’d promised Jaffa the prawns. If I went back on my promise, she wouldn’t trust me and might try and run off again.
Dad frowned. ‘Tone of Voice, young lady,’ he admonished. ‘I think
vet
person . . .?’
I chewed my lip. I couldn’t really promise that, could I? What about the follow-up vaccinations Dad had mentioned? And what if Jaffa ever got sick or needed an operation or something?
‘There’s nothing to worry about, Jaffa,’ I said in as soothing a voice as I could manage.
Jaffa opened her other eye and stretched her mouth into what looked strangely like a smile. She purred long and loud and nuzzled her soft head against my hand. ‘All right,’ she said.
‘But who is the “Jaffa” you keep sayin’?’
I giggled. ‘That’s you! It’s the name I chose for you.’
Jaffa sat back on her haunches, her eyes half closed as if she were thinking hard. ‘No, no, no . . .’ she said, shaking her head slightly. She turned swiftly and gave her shoulder a
lick. ‘Me Perdita. Mum said.’
Panic lurched in my stomach. Did Jaffa even know that she’d been taken from her mum? She was still such a tiny baby. Maybe she didn’t realize? What had Kaboodle told her? Was that
why she’d disappeared for so long – to try and find her mum?
‘Er, yes, that’s what your mum called you, but we humans are muppets when it comes to cat names,’ I improvised, remembering the disparaging way Kaboodle used to talk about my
human failings. ‘We, er, we can never pronounce names like Per-per-wotsit. So we always give our cats a new name when they come to live with us. So you’re Jaffa,’ I explained.
Jaffa stood up quickly and arched her back in alarm. ‘Livin’ with you? Me not stayin’ here
all
of the times!’ she said. ‘Me come and go when me wants. That
is what cats does. Mum said.’
A lump rose in my throat. I put out my hand and tried to stroke her to reassure her, but she hissed and backed away. ‘Jaffa,’ I said gently, ‘you do live here. This is where
your home is – and your food,’ I added, thinking this might persuade her.
‘But me gets food in other place too,’ she said, puzzled. ‘And me not called Jaffa there.’
‘Er – what other place?’ I asked, the lump in my throat growing larger by the second.
‘Other place,’ Jaffa repeated, her head on one side as if shrugging. ‘Prawns in other place,’ she added. And I was positive she smiled as she said this.
‘Jaffa,’ I said slowly, ‘I need to know where this other place is.’
‘Why?’
‘Because – because I need to tell the people there that you’re my cat.’
‘Why?’
‘Because they have to know that they shouldn’t feed you.’
‘Why?’
‘Because, for a start, we’re not even sure you should be eating prawns yet.’
‘Why?’
I gritted my teeth. This was like talking to Jazz’s little brother.
‘Because you’re only small, that’s why. And it’s my duty to look after you and feed you and love you.’
I gathered her into my hands before she could let out another ‘why’ and held her close to my face.
She softly licked my cheek with her pink sandpaper tongue.
‘All right,’ she said. ‘Me stays here if you is the food-person.’
Phew! Thank goodness, I thought, letting her rub her face against my cheek. She seemed to have got the message. Maybe everything was going to be all right now that Jaffa and I could understand
one another.
How wrong could I be?
12
Collared!
D ad came into the kitchen just as I had found the prawns in the fridge and was about to set them in front of Jaffa.
‘Stop!’ he cried, rushing over and snatching the dish away. ‘I spoke to Bex and she said it wasn’t a good idea. She said you have to introduce new food slowly in case
Jaffa gets sick.’ I bristled. ‘Yeah, well, “Bex” would say that, wouldn’t she?’ I was getting really fed up with Dad quoting that woman all the time, like she
was some kind of pet guru. I’d promised Jaffa the prawns. If I went back on my promise, she wouldn’t trust me and might try and run off again.
Dad frowned. ‘Tone of Voice, young lady,’ he admonished. ‘I think
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