A LITTLE WORRY ABOUT PICKWICK

A LITTLE WORRY ABOUT PICKWICK

THE PEACE PARK CATS part 3

Late in the autumn the old professor was way for four whole days! There was a special holiday then a weekend.  All that time cold rain fell in the valley and snow on the Alps nearby.  The old professor was a little worried especially about Pickwick and Misty who use to live inside with people.  So the old professor cooked a big dish of chicken wings with jelly.

Pickwick saw the basket coming first, and then Buttercup and Sunni, they ran to meet the old professor.  Carefully she divided the chicken into the four dishes and put Pickwick’s dish down first.  Pickwick sniffed his chicken lunch then just sat looking at his dish while the other cats ate their lunch.  The old professor waited and waited but Pickwick only looked at his dinner and now she was late and must return to work.  Sadly she put Pickwick’s lunch over the high fence into the thick shrubs where the Peace Park cats could go but the dog visitors could not.

On Tuesday the old professor brought cooked chicken livers and mince to tempt Pickwick.  But where was Pickwick?  He was curled up asleep in a nest of dry, brown leaves from the Sycamore tree.  The old professor called him, but still he slept.  After setting the lunch dishes the old professor patted Pickwick gently and he opened his eyes.  “Lunch time dear Pickwick”, the old professor said, but he only snuggled tighter into the brown leaves.  The old professor chose two big pieces of meat and put them beside Pickwick.  After a long time Pickwick ate a little piece of the meat then came to see what everyone else had for lunch.  It was exactly the same and Pickwick wandered away to drink from a puddle in the car park.  The old professor watched him very carefully and noticed that he picked up each paw slowly as if it hurt.

Wednesday came and the old professor brought cooked chicken breast with some chicken bones that made a lot of jelly.  In the Peace Park Pickwick was in his nest but Buttercup sat next to him keeping him warm and she didn’t come for lunch either.  Now the old professor was very worried indeed.  She went to the Dog Grooming Parlour a little up the cobbled street and hired a carry cage.  Today she had a lift home to the little village with Marilyne, a French colleague who sometimes stayed over when she has long lab nights.  Marilyne is allergic to cats but she is also very kind.

Pickwick did not want to be picked up and put into the carry cage.  He ran and hit under a car.  The old professor called and talked gently but Pickwick would not come out.  Sadly the old professor took the carry cage back to the Dog Grooming Parlour and thanked the lady.

Then it was Thursday, and no Pickwick.  Buttercup seemed cross but all the other Peace Park cats were happy.  On her way back to work the old professor called into her friendly butcher shp.  Mr. Butcher was older than the old professor and his wife, Mrs. Butcher was a little younger, their son is called Peppe.  They are always very polite and kind to the old professor and tell her how to cook the meat she buys in an Italian way for the best flavour.  This Thursday the old professor purchased half a kilo of gravy beef.

Friday, and again no Pickwick but Buttercup was back to normal.  Sometimes when the Gorizia people walk through the Peace Park on Friday the old professor felt a little awkward as most Italian only eat fish on Friday but the Peace Park cats are very fussy about fish – they liked lightly fried fresh sardines best (not sardines in tins that the old professor likes most) and it was a very, very long walk to the fish shop.

Then, during the weekend the boura started.  On Monday the basket contained everything that the Peace Park cats liked most and Misty was first because the other cats are afraid of the fierce wind blowing, but later, slowly they came for lunch.  All except Pickwick .

For a long time the old professor sat quietly on the park bench thinking of Pickwick, how he taught the Peace Park cats to run to meet the basket and eat from a dish, how he swished his tail and sometimes was a little bit greedy.  She knew animals go quietly away by themselves when it is time for them to die and she thought this is what had happened.

That night the old professor had a beautiful dream.  All the Peace Park cats lived in a nice house with her and there was a garden.  All the cats were young and healthy and played games together.  The old professor’s heart was happy.  “I must always remember this beautiful dream” thought the old professor.

And on Friday of the next week guess who was back! Pickwick – thinner and dirty on his white fur parts but as hungry as ever.  A very happy ending to a worry about Pickwick.