The memory of that winter still haunts me, as if I were telling it from the hearth of an old country cottage.
Emily, are you home? I shouted as I burst through the front door, only to freeze when I saw my wife huddled in the hallway, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sat halfcrouched, sobbing uncontrollably. I cant make sense of whats happened to you, I said, my voice raw. You were wailing so loudly I could hear every word. And then, as if fate were mocking me, my phone died at the worst moment. Whats the matter, Emily? You look like youve seen a ghost.
The cat is gone she whispered, barely audible. He isnt in the house.
How could he have vanished? I asked, bewildered. Could he be hiding somewhere in the flat?
No, she replied, her eyes flashing with anger. Your sister Gwen She claimed that the cat, Misty, bolted into the stairwell when she stepped out with Michael for a stroll. But you know, James, Misty would never sprint out on her own. Why would she risk the street in that bitter cold? It felt as if she let him out on purpose.
What? I clenched my fists. Where is she now? Wheres Gwen?
She says she went to the shop I dont know, Emily sputtered. Ive searched everywhere for Misty, but hes nowhere to be seen. No one near us has spotted him. How could a person be so cruel, to fling a helpless creature out into the winter night? Is that even human?
A person, no. But Gwen she could. Shes done similar things before. Dont worry, her feet wont be gracing our flat any longer. Honestly, why did we ever let her in?
A month had passed since that argument.
I was making my way toward the bus stop when a dull, gray shape caught my eye beneath a thin veil of snow. At first I thought it was just a stone, but the stone trembled as if it were an old, rattling refrigerator. It was the only thing that ever made a stone shiver in the cold, so curiosity pulled me off the pavement.
When I stepped closer, I realized it wasnt a stone at all but a tiny, grey kitten, quivering on the frosthardened ground.
Now thats something, I muttered, scratching my neck. What are you doing here, little one?
It was a rhetorical question; any sane person could guess why stray animals end up in the streets. They simply try to survive, however they can. This kitten made no sound, no desperate meows, just lay there trembling, as if it had resigned itself to being ignored. It seemed to be trying, in its own way, to keep warm.
I scooped the frail creature up, brushed the snow from its fur, slipped it under my coat, and bolted for the bus that was pulling up at the stop. As the doubledecker rumbled away, I recalled how Emily had longed for a kitten exactly like thisgrey and stripedbut we never found the time to visit the shelter together. Fate, it seemed, had dropped one at my feet. When destiny gives you something, you take it.
Emily, Ive got a surprise for you, I announced, stepping into the flat.
Oh, youve been spoiling me lately, she smiled, appearing in the hallway. Gold earrings, a new phone, tickets to the cinema what now? A holiday at a ski resort?
Better than that! I beamed, unzipping my coat and producing the shivering kitten. Found him out on the street. Isnt this exactly what you wanted? Grey and striped?
My word, Emily gasped, cradling the trembling animal. Hes frozen solid! Lets get him inside, warm him up. You go and wash your hands, make yourself presentable. Dinners ready.
She looked at the kitten again, eyes softening. What a beautiful little thing.
Thus Misty entered our lives. We debated names for a long while before finally agreeing on the plainspoken Misty. It felt rightmore fitting than a fancy Tom or Lucas.
The joyous event occurred at the end of November, just as the first snowflakes fell, so Misty never really learned the perils of winter streets. Thank heavens, for many, such trials become their last.
In the two weeks that followed, Emily and I grew attached to him from the very first day, and our affection only deepened with each passing moment. Misty adored us just as muchhe never scolded us when he knocked a remote off a dresser; he simply whispered a promise to be more careful next time.
Absolutely, Ill be more careful! he seemed to purr, leaping onto the nightstand countless times a day and occasionally sending the TV remote tumbling to the floor.
All was well, until a knock sounded at the door one Sunday morning.
Who could be coming at dawn? I rubbed my eyes, glancing at the clockit read half past six. It was still dark outside.
Perhaps the neighbours? Emily suggested, worry creasing her brow. Maybe somethings happened to them?
Ill go check.
When I opened the front door, there stood Gwen, not alone but with her little boy, Charlie, who was about five years old.
Hello, brother, she smiled. Were dropping by. No problem, right?
I hesitated. Well
Dont worry, she said, dropping a bag onto the floor. I was forced out by my husbandhes found another woman, can you imagine? Ive nowhere to go. If youll let us stay a while, could you help with the luggage? Ive been dragging it up to the fourth floor and my legs are killing me.
I let them in, though the sight of the suitcase puzzled me; visitors rarely arrived with luggage in hand.
What happened to you? I asked.
Its obvious, Gwen replied, eyes flashing. My husband threw me out. Hes moved on, and I have nowhere else. Ill stay here until I figure out my next move. We could even ring in the New Year together. Its been four years since we really talked, you know?
You know why we fell out, I said. Its hard to build a proper relationship on lies.
She waved it off. Old grudges are like old woundsbest to forget them. Everyone makes mistakes.
I wanted to say more, but held my tongue. I didnt fancy starting the morning with a fight, and Emily would never approve of me attacking my sisters plight. Still, I recalled that five years earlier our father had passed away, leaving a threebedroom flat that was to be inherited jointly by Gwen and me. No other relatives existed.
At that time Gwen, pregnant with a child of unknown father, had pressed me to surrender my share, claiming she needed the house more than I did. My mother, ever the peacemaker, urged me to give it up for the sake of the unborn baby. I was a student then, living in a dormitory, so I obliged, trusting I could earn my own place later.
Years later, after Charlie was born, Gwen sold the flat to a businessman named Victor, who needed funds for his venture. She claimed the money was hers, and I protested, but the cash never materialisedshe said it went into business development. Our mother stayed out of it, saying adults would sort themselves out.
Then, a decade ago, when we were still children, I had once found a stray kitten on the street and brought it home. It vanished shortly after. I never suspected my mother, who had allowed the animal to stay because we lived in a village with plenty of room. The only person who could have taken it was Gwen.
Tell me where you put it! I shouted at her then, but she never confessed. The cat had haunted me ever since, disappearing again after I brought another home.
So it was no surprise that my relationship with Gwen was strained.
When she arrived that crisp morning, Emily sighed, James, what are we to do? Let her stay a bit, at least until she finds a flat. She cant be tossed out onto the street with a child, especially with the New Year coming.
Fine, I waved my hand. If you dont mind, she can stay.
Still, a gut feeling told me trouble was brewing.
True enough, the next day Gwen began complaining about Misty. He keeps disturbing my sons sleep, climbing everywhere, lying on my sofa, staring at me oddly.
Then her son caught a cold.
Thats definitely an allergy to your cat, Gwen announced, recalling her own cat, Muffin, who was as sleek as a cucumber.
It might just be a cold, I countered. You take him out for walks anyway. Even if its an allergy, Misty is part of our family.
Gwen laughed, Family, right? Youve always dragged stray animals into the house. How does Emily put up with you?
Emily loves animals as much as I do, I replied. You, on the other hand, seem to hate them. What have they ever done to you?
Theyre a nuisance, she snapped. My son cant sleep because of your cat. Its stress! When you have your own children youll understand.
Suddenly the subject of children hit a raw nerve. We had tried for years with no success; doctors offered no clear answers, and Gwen knew that all too wellour mother had told her.
I think we should rehome the cat, she said calmly. Misty is just a animal, and my son and I are your real family. Surely Mum would agree.
Youre ridiculous, I snapped. Misty belongs here, not in some shelter. If you dont like him, youre free to leave. I wont beg you to stay.
For a moment I imagined handing my own child over to a shelter. I kept the thought to myself; it would only inflame the argument.
Gwen calmed down outwardly but kept her resentment. When Emily and I were out, she would shoo Misty from the sofa, banishing him to the far corner. The cat endured, then began his own quiet revengeknocking Gwens phone off the nightstand, tearing at her favourite sweater.
Your cat is destroying my things! she yelled. Why would you keep a pet you cant control?
She even hid Mistys soft toy in her suitcase, a petty theft.
Listen here! I warned, voice low. Youre staying under my roof. Touch my cat and youll answer for it.
She muttered an apology and backed off.
On the eve of New Year, Emily called me, sobbing, trying to explain something I couldnt quite grasp. I left work early and hurried home.
Emily, are you home? I called as I flung open the flats door, freezing at the sight of my wife curled in the hallway, still weeping. I couldnt make sense of anything. You were screaming, I couldnt hear a word. Then my phone died at the worst moment. What happened, love? You look like youve seen a phantom.
Misty is gone she whispered, voice broken. Hes not here.
How could he vanish? I asked, heart pounding. Could he be hidden somewhere inside?
No, she said, eyes flashing with hurt. Your sister Gwen said he ran out into the stairwell when she left for a walk. But you know, James, Misty would never do that. Why would she let him out in the freezing cold? I think she did it on purpose.
What?! I snapped, fists clenched. Where is she now? Wheres Gwen?
She supposedly went to the shop. Ive been searching everywhere for Misty, but no one has seen him. How can a person be so vile, to cast a helpless creature into the street on a winter night? Is that even human?
People, no. Gwen, yes. Shes done this before. Dont worry, her feet wont be roaming our flat any longer. Ill find Misty.
That night, the darkness deepened, and Misty remained elusive.
When Gwen finally arrived with Charlie, I interrogated her with all the fury of a brother betrayed.
Why did you do it? Why did you let the cat out? You know he nearly froze!
It wasnt me, she shrugged. I just opened the door and he bolted. I didnt chase after him. My child comes first.
I saw the lie reflected in her eyes; she was smirking. Gwen had deliberately set Misty loose, perhaps even taken him farther away.
Tomorrow is New Years Eve. Ive bought some champagne. Lets not argue over a cat, shall we? she said, trying to sweeten the moment.
Fine, I replied, but pack your things.
What? she demanded.
Gather your luggage, or Ill throw it out the window.
I escorted Gwen and Charlie to the station, handed them a few pounds for tickets, and told her bluntly, You can go back to your husband or your mothers house. I dont want to see you again. And Im sorry your son has a mother like this.
Later that night my mother called, accusing me of cruelty.
Gwen came to you as a sister, and you drove her away with a child. How could you? she scolded.
I replied, Shell figure something out. Im done with her.
On 31December, seated at a table where the festive spread lay untouched, Emily and I felt no joy for the approaching year. The clocks chimes were ten minutes away, and the champagne still sat sealed. How could we celebrate when our beloved Misty was still missing?
Emilys voice trembled as she asked, Did you hear that? Someones at the door.
I muttered, Probably Gwen again, and rose from my seat.
When I opened the door, there stood Misty, shivering, his tiny body trembling from the cold, yet somehow he had survived the night and found his way back.
Emily! Hes back! I shouted, cradling the cat.
We warmed him quickly, fed him, and Emily clung to him, refusing to let go for a single second. He purred contentedly, as if saying, I made it home, where Im loved.
James, a minute before midnight, Emily whispered, shall we pop the champagne?
Of course, I replied, uncorking the bottle, pouring the sparkling liquid into our glasses just as fireworks erupted outside and jubilant cheers filled the air.
They say the way you welcome the New Year is the way it will treat you. From that night on, Misty stayed with us, a silent guardian of our home and, in a way, of the child Emily would soon bear. Though we never learned the exact moment, the cat sensed the new life stirring in her heart the moment she held him close.
