FIFI - by Vijay Medtia
SHE had been melancholic for months, there was no explanation and I took comfort in drink. Yes good whisky to drive away the sorrows of this winter that showed no signs of ending. In the morning, fresh snow covered the hills as far as the eye could see. It was upon the large oak tree in front and rested on the wooden fencing, shining bright in the sunlight. Her latest downturn had started when she heard that her best friend Amanda Higginbottom- who had the habit of holding her stomach and shaking all over when laughing, had slipped and fallen. She had literally rolled down the road and collided with a dustbin. She was now suing the council for negligence for not gritting the pavements properly. It was an unfortunate accident and I couldn’t see why that should upset her so much.
She stepped out and ran, making deep footprints in the garden; she made a snowball and threw it at me. She missed and laughed for the first time in months. The snow had lifted her mood and she was happy, dare I say it.
‘You look nice when you smile,’ I said.
‘I’m not that miserable.’
‘Of course not darling.’
‘It’s you who forget things that annoys me.’
‘Let us not argue, it’s such a nice day.’
‘I’m sorry honey, she said. You are right I have been down. The smallest things depress me. I don’t know why. Today is a fresh start for us, yes I feel it. Don’t you agree?’
‘Yes let us start fresh. I don’t think I have helped matters.’
‘You have to stop drinking so much honey.’
‘I know, I will try. But you mustn’t get so attached to people and things.’
‘I can’t help it honey. I’m such a loving person.’
‘That’s good, but don’t get so attached, their slightest misfortune depresses you.’
‘I shouldn’t be like that but you are right I’ll try to be a little aloof.’
‘No darling, I said. I don’t want you to be a cold fish.’
‘Don’t call me a cold fish.’
‘You are not a cold fish, I’m just saying.’
‘I don’t know what you are saying sometimes, she said. Anyway what did you do last night. I fell straight to sleep after taking the sleeping pills. She rose and brushed the snow of her coat.
‘Well, I put a log in the fire. The warm glow and fine whisky made me feel very good and then I fell to sleep.
‘I wish I could have joined you for a drink but I wasn’t feeling good last night.’
‘You’ll be fine. Today is a new start for us darling.
‘Yes it is, she said. Where’s Fifi? I didn’t hear her come in last night.
‘No.’
‘You know how I love to see her.’
‘Actually I didn’t see her this morning either.’
She marched to the back of the house and I followed. A strange sight greeted us. Fifi was half in the frozen pond and half out, with paws outstretched; the right paw was higher than the left and covered in white.
‘Honey, tell me that’s not Fifi.’
I didn’t reply.
‘Oh god, don’t tell me that’s Fifi, you forgot to let her in didn’t you!
‘Maybe I had one drink too many.’
‘Fifi my dear dear cat.’