by Rebecca Lyon
THIRD PLACE in September 2025 Competition.
Boris watched from the guttering as I moved into that ridiculous house that ridiculously sweltering June. Two up, two down mid-terrace with two under-fives, a baby, two dogs, a hundred boxes of toys and other plastic nonsense and a massive recurring migraine.
‘Hello darlings,’ our new neighbour said, handing over, inexplicably, a brand-new paddling pool and a huge garden parasol.
Before I had a chance to thank her or answer the urgent requests for iPad/sweets/ice lollies from my boys, she turned to leave. ‘Don’t worry about Boris,’ she said, looking up at this huge black cat observing us from above, ‘he’s twenty-five.’
‘Is he ok with dogs?’
‘Oh no,’ she said. ‘He hates dogs. And people. Except Otis Redding. Just ignore him.’ She swept off trailing the smell of vanilla.
Boris watched from the gatepost every time I made a pen for the baby out of boxes and puffed up the paddling pool. Any arguments and Boris would sigh, regally descend, and sit his expansive bottom in the middle of the water to a stunned silence from the boys. Boris was in charge, and they would play nicely.
Boris watched from the windowsill as I cried into the fridge every time there was no food the kids liked, and I couldn’t face getting everyone into the oven-like car and going round the supermarket with hungry screaming kids and becoming one myself.
He rolled his eyes. ‘Bread, cucumber, cream cheese. I’ll check for mould.’
I gave Boris a spoonful. He nodded.
‘They won’t like it.’ I despaired.
‘Cookie cutters’ said Boris. ‘Stars.’
Boris watched as I took the plates of spongy white stars out. They watched him watching and understood. They ate every single one.
That September the sun shone gentler. My boys started pre-school, and we all made some friends. Boris never spoke to me again, but every Sunday I’d play Sitting on the Dock of the Bay out of the window and he’d nod along, approvingly.
Judge’s comments: I DON’T NORMALLY ENJOY STORES ABOUT ANIMALS, BUT THIS ONE USED THE BORIS THE CAT CHARACTER WELL. I LIKED THE SET UP OF THE PROBLEM, THE SOLVING AND THEN FURTHER RESOLUTION. ECONOMIC DETAILS THAT WERE EFFECTIVE. WELL DONE!
Leave a Reply