by Helen Peters
Jasmine stared at her mother in alarm. “What was her name?”
“Tina,” said Mum, walking to the door. “I think her daughter’s in your class.”
Jasmine jumped up from her chair. “Mum, you can’t! She’s—”
But Mum was already in the hall. “Jasmine!” she called. “Go and fetch Holly.”
Jasmine stomped upstairs. “Don’t worry,” she whispered to Holly, as she scooped her out of the playpen. “There’s no way I’m letting you go to her.”
When Jasmine brought Holly into the living room, Bella Bradley and her mum were sitting on the sofa opposite Nadia. Bella, who had never spoken nicely to Jasmine in her life, now greeted her as if they were best friends. Then, as her eyes fell on Holly, she opened them very wide and said, “Oh, she’s so cute!”
She turned to Nadia with a simpering smile. “Could I possibly hold her, Mrs Green?”
Seething inside, Jasmine handed Holly over.
“Oh, thank you, Jasmine,” Bella said sweetly. “Look, Mummy, isn’t she the cutest little kitty you ever saw?”
She started talking to Holly in a sickly voice, the kind some people use when talking to babies. Her mother smiled at her fondly.
“Bella adores animals,” she said proudly to Jasmine’s mum. “She’s been so wanting one of her own. And she’s an only child, so it’s nice for her to have pets, isn’t it?”
“Do you have other animals?” asked Mum.
“Just a dog,” said Tina, “and he’s as good as gold. He won’t be any problem with a kitten.”
“Is that the dog who killed a nesting duck in my dad’s sheep field?” asked Jasmine, trying to keep her voice calm. “Didn’t the police come round to your house afterwards?”
Tina went red. Bella looked up at Nadia with big sad eyes.
“That was so, so terrible,” she said. “I cried for days about that poor duck, didn’t I, Mummy?”
Jasmine opened her mouth to remind Bella that her exact words when she had seen the dead mallard were, “So? It’s just a duck.” But before she could speak, Bella hurried on.
“I think I was in shock at the time, because it was so awful, but I cried for days afterwards, didn’t I, Mummy? And it really taught me a lesson. I’ve never taken Rupert out without a lead since then. And if I see anyone else in a sheep field with a loose dog, I always tell them to put it on a lead. So I might have actually saved the life of other innocent animals. It would be nice to think I’ve done something to make up for that terrible day. I’m so, so sorry, Mrs Green. I still feel really bad about it. And Jasmine was so amazing to save the little duckling, wasn’t she?”
Jasmine glanced at Mum. Surely she wasn’t going to fall for this?
“Well, that’s very nice of you to say,” said Mum. “Anyone can make a mistake, and it’s great that you’ve learned from it.”
“Thank you, Mrs Green. That’s so kind of you. Oh, listen, Mummy, she’s purring! I think she likes me.”
“Of course she does, darling,” said Tina. “She’s such a cute little thing, isn’t she?”
Jasmine looked sadly at Holly. Even she had fallen for Bella’s act.
“Would you like her, do you think, sweetie?” asked Tina.
“Oh, yes, please, Mummy. I’d like her more than anything. She’s the cutest kitten ever.”
Jasmine couldn’t bear this. She had to have one last try at saving Holly.
“There is one thing we need to tell you,” she said.
“Yes?” said Tina.
“The thing is,” Jasmine said, “Holly was rejected by her mother. And that might mean there’s something wrong with her. Cats usually reject their kittens for a reason, so even though she seems all right at the moment, there may be a problem with one of her internal organs that hasn’t shown up yet.”
Tina looked alarmed. Nadia laughed.
“Oh, honestly, Jasmine,” she said. “That’s nonsense and you know it.”
“You said it yourself! You said there might be something wrong with her that we don’t know about yet. And it wouldn’t be fair to sell Bella a kitten that isn’t healthy.”
“I said that when she was two weeks old,” said Mum. “She’s over eight weeks old now and I’ve never seen a healthier kitten.”
“We’ll definitely take her, then,” said Tina. “We’ll collect her next week.”
Bella threw her arms around her mother’s neck. “Oh, thank you, thank you so much, Mummy! You’re the loveliest, kindest mummy in the whole wide world.”
Jasmine made a noise as though she was about to be sick. Mum shot her a furious look.
As they were leaving, Bella glanced at Jasmine and said, “I don’t really like the name Holly. I think I’m going to give her another name. Would that be all right, Mrs Green?”
“Of course,” said Mum. “You can call her anything you like, once she’s your kitten.”
“No,” said Jasmine, once Mum had shut the front door. “Just no. I’m not letting Holly go to Bella Bradley.”
Mum held up her palms. “I’m not listening, Jasmine. Holly is going and that is that.”
“But her dog’s a duck murderer! What if he kills Holly? He easily could. She’s way smaller than a duck. You can’t let her go there, Mum, you just can’t.”
“Honestly, Jasmine,” said Mum, “I’ve absolutely had enough of your pestering. Those people seemed perfectly nice, and dogs and cats live together quite happily in millions of households.”
“But she doesn’t even want a kitten! She just wants all the cute accessories. We heard her talking about it at school. She’ll get bored with Holly after a few weeks. She won’t love her properly. Not like I do.”
Mum looked as though she was about to explode.
“OK, OK,” said Jasmine. “I know I’m not allowed to keep her. But can’t we wait until the other people have been to look at her and then see who’d be the best owner?”
Mum took a deep breath.
“The truth is, Jasmine,” she said, in the quiet, deadly voice that Jasmine hated, “you don’t want Holly to go to anyone. You’ve been determined to keep her ever since you first brought her in. The most perfect family in the world could walk through that door right now and you’d find some reason why they weren’t right. Bella might be a bit sickly sweet, but she clearly liked Holly and I’m sure she’ll look after her.”
Jasmine opened her mouth again.
“That’s enough, Jasmine,” said her mother. “I mean it. Holly has found a new home and I don’t want to hear another word from you.”
Tom came to the farm on the following Sunday to play with Holly for the last time. Bella was going to collect her the next day.
“I brought her some new toys,” he said, pulling from his rucksack a knitted Father Christmas and two silver baubles. “The baubles aren’t glass, so they won’t smash. She can take them to her new home, to remind her of us.”
Holly loved her new toys, and spent a happy hour chasing the baubles and wrestling with Father Christmas.
“I bet Bella won’t play with her for long,” said Tom.
“No, she’ll get bored after a few days, like she does with everything,” said Jasmine.
“And then Holly will be really lonely,” said Tom.
Jasmine glanced at him. He looked sadder than she had ever seen him.
“Maybe she’ll be OK,” she said, not because she believed it, but to try to make Tom feel better. “Some cats like to be left alone.”
Tom shook his head. “Not Holly. She likes company.”
After lunch, they played with Holly until she curled up and fell asleep on Jasmine’s jumper. Jasmine put her in her playpen while she and Tom took Sky for a walk and went to see Truffle. When they returned, Tom went upstairs to check on Holly, while Jasmine groomed Sky in the scullery.
The phone rang while Jasmine was washing Sky’s food bowl. A couple of minutes later, Mum came out to the scullery, the phone in her hand. She looked furious.
“That is
unbelievable,” she said. “What a cheek. Complete waste of time.”
“What?” said Jasmine.
“Those Bradleys.”
“Oh, them,” said Jasmine scornfully. “What have they done now?”
“I hate to admit it,” said Mum, “but you were right about Bella Bradley all along.”
“Of course I was,” said Jasmine. “Why, what’s happened?”
“That was Tina on the phone. They’re not going to take Holly any more.”
Jasmine stared at her. “No way. Really?”
“Really. They’ve changed their minds.”
Jasmine whooped in delight. “Oh, that’s amazing! Why did they change their minds?”
“Apparently Bella decided she didn’t want a kitten after all. She wants a new phone instead.”
Jasmine snorted. “See? I told you what she’s like.”
Mum sighed. “I know. I should have listened to you. It made me very thankful that you really care about your animals.”
Jasmine looked disgusted. “As if I’d ever be like Bella Bradley.”
“It’s such a nuisance, though,” said Mum. “I rang the other people who’d enquired about Holly, but they’ve all found other kittens now, and it’s too close to Christmas to re-advertise. We’ll have to wait until after New Year.”
“Unless…” said Jasmine, giving her mother what she hoped was an irresistibly appealing look.
“Unless what?”
“Well, you did say how good I am at looking after animals. And Holly’s so cute and beautiful. You wouldn’t really want her to go to another home, would you? You’d miss her too, I know you would.”
Mum hesitated. “Well…”
“Please, Mum? Please? For my Christmas present? I’d never get bored with her, you know I wouldn’t.”
“Well,” said Mum, “you have looked after her very well, and she is lovely.”
Jasmine held her breath.
Mum smiled. “All right then, Jasmine. Holly can be your Christmas present.”
Jasmine gasped in delight and threw her arms around her mother. “Oh, thank you, Mum! Thank you so, so much! I’m going to tell Tom. And I’m going to tell Holly she can stay with me forever. Thank you so much, Mum.”
She ran into the hall. “Tom!” she called. “Come down here! I’ve got the best news!”
The doorbell rang. Jasmine opened the door. Tom’s mum was standing on the step.
“Hello, Mel,” said Mum, coming into the hall. “Come in.”
“I won’t, thank you,” said Mel. “I’m afraid I need to take Tom home.”
Tom appeared on the stairs, with Holly in his arms. “You said I was staying for tea,” he said to Mel. “Why are you so early?”
“Are you all right?” Mum asked her. “You don’t look well.”
Mel’s face contorted, as though she was trying not to cry. “It’s just … we’ve had a bit of a shock.” She swallowed. “It’s Richard’s mother. Tom’s granny.”
“What?” said Tom, hurrying to the door. “What’s happened?”
“Oh, Tom,” said Mel, bending down and putting her hands on his shoulders. “Tom, I’m so sorry. Granny has died.”
Tom came to school as normal during the last week of term, but he was not at all like his usual self. He looked really sad all the time and he barely spoke a word. During lessons he seemed very far away, and Jasmine could tell he didn’t hear anything the teacher said. When they were meant to be working, Tom just sat with a pencil in his hand, staring into space.
The worst thing, Jasmine thought, was that the rest of the class was in a state of feverish excitement. Every afternoon was spent making decorations for the classroom, or Christmas cards for their parents, or practising for the Christmas show. Tom joined in all these activities, but Jasmine could tell how sad he was inside, and her heart ached for her friend. It was going to be such a lonely Christmas for him.
On the last day of term, Tom came to the farm for tea. He was going to Cornwall the next day for the funeral, and he wouldn’t be back until Christmas Eve. He and Jasmine took Sky for a walk, fed Truffle and then played with Holly in Jasmine’s room.
“I’m so glad you got to keep her,” Tom said. “I couldn’t have stood it if Bella had taken her. I would have worried about her all the time.”
“Jasmine,” called Mum up the stairs, “there’s juice and biscuits if you want some.”
“I’ll come and get it,” Jasmine called back.
In the kitchen, Tom’s mum was talking to Nadia. She looked tired and stressed. Jasmine put the juice and biscuits on a tray and was heading out of the room when Mel said, “Jasmine, before you go… How does Tom seem to you?”
“Er…” said Jasmine, a little thrown by the question. “Well, he seems sad.”
“I wondered if he’d said anything in particular to you. I’m worried about him. He’s so unhappy all the time.”
“It is very recent,” said Mum. “It will take time.”
“I know,” said Mel, “and I know he’s going to be sad for a long time. He loved his granny very much. It’s just… It feels like it’s more than that, somehow. I’ve always worried about him being lonely, as an only child, but he’s never seemed particularly lonely before. But now… Well, this week, he seems incredibly lonely. And Christmas is going to be so hard for him. He was so looking forward to going to Cornwall, and now it will just be the three of us at home together.”
“Why don’t you come to us for Christmas?” asked Mum. “We’d love to have you.”
“That’s so kind,” said Mel, “but I think Richard wants to be at home. I’m just worried about Tom.”
“Well, you know he can come here whenever he likes,” said Mum. “He’s always welcome.”
A peal of laughter sounded from upstairs. Mel looked startled.
“Was that Tom?” she said. “Who’s he with? I haven’t heard him laugh all week.”
Suddenly, a strange sensation ran through Jasmine. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before: a curious mixture of excitement, pain and hope. But despite the confusion of feelings, in that moment Jasmine knew, with absolute clarity, what it was she had to do.
She put the tray back on the table. “Come up and see him,” she said to Mel. “But be really quiet.”
Looking a bit bemused, Mel followed her up the stairs. Jasmine stopped outside the open door of her bedroom and stepped aside so that Mel had a clear view.
Tom was sprawled on the carpet with his back to them. He had attached a long piece of string to each of the baubles, and he was pulling them across the carpet in little jerky movements, first one and then the other. Holly was darting between them, pouncing on each in turn as it moved.
Tom let go of the strings and threw the Father Christmas toy high in the air. Holly leapt up to grab it, but missed and turned a complete back somersault before landing on her feet. Tom laughed and scooped her into his arms. “You’re the best kitten ever,” he said.
As he cuddled her, his face became sad again. Mel put her hand on Jasmine’s arm and gestured for her to come downstairs.
She didn’t speak until they were in the kitchen. Then she said, “It’s funny. I’ve never been an animal person myself, but Tom really does love animals, doesn’t he?”
Mum handed her a mug of tea, which she accepted gratefully. “I almost wish now,” Mel said, “that I’d let him have that kitten. But I really don’t like cats, what with the scratching and the fleas and the hair they leave everywhere and the dead things they bring in. I just don’t know if I could have one in the house.”
“Holly only had fleas when we first found her,” said Jasmine. “She’s really clean now. And we’ve trained her to use her scratching post instead of furniture. If you groom her regularly she won’t shed much hair, and you can get her a collar with a bell, so she won’t be able to catch mice and birds.”
Mel smiled at her. “You have an answer for everything, don’t you? But aren’t you keeping Holly yourself?”
“I was going to,” said Jasmine. “But Tom loves her just as much as I do, and he needs her more. It would make him really happy, I know it would.”
“What do you think, Nadia?” asked Mel.
“Well,” said Nadia, “I think Jasmine might be right, actually. Tom really loves Holly, and she seems to love him, too. She might be just what he needs.”
Mel sat silently with her elbows on the table, cradling her mug. Eventually she said, “Let me have a think. I’ll talk to Richard tonight. And please, don’t say a word to Tom.”
It was Christmas Eve. Jasmine placed Holly’s cat basket on the back seat of Mum’s car and climbed in next to it. She was holding a big shoebox, empty except for Holly’s blanket and her woolly Father Christmas. Jasmine had covered the box and lid with Christmas wrapping paper, and made some small holes in the sides.
Jasmine hadn’t seen Tom since Sunday, although she had spoken to him on the phone from Cornwall. She had also had one very important phone conversation with his mum. Mel knew that Jasmine was coming to their house this morning, but Tom had no idea.
As they drove up the farm track, an icy white flake landed on the windscreen.
“Look!” said Jasmine. “It’s snowing!”
More snowflakes splatted against the glass. “It’s properly snowing!” said Jasmine, in delight. “It’s going to be a white Christmas!”
“We’ll see,” said Mum. “It might not settle.”
But by the time they arrived at Tom’s house, the fields and gardens already looked as though they had been sprinkled with icing sugar.
“It is settling,” said Jasmine. “You’re going to see snow for the first time, Holly. You’re going to have a white Christmas.”
She opened the cat basket, lifted out the little kitten and kissed the top of her head. “You’re not mine any more,” she whispered, “but I’ll still see you all the time. And you’re going to have a lovely home.”
She placed Holly in the shoebox and put the lid on. “It’s only for a minute,” she reassured her. “You’ll be coming out of there very soon.”