The Tale of a Friend: A Marriage of Love
One fine day, my dear friend Thomas decided to wed. He married for love, naturally. His bride, Eleanor, was lovely, clever, and self-reliant. She worked as an accountant for a prominent firm in London and earned a handsome wage.
Thomas, not one to be outdone, took on extra work and toiled late into the night to pay off the mortgage on their flat sooner. They had purchased it swiftlypooling their savings, securing a loan, and receiving a little help from their families. They refurbished it in a tasteful, continental style and furnished it splendidly. By all appearances, theirs was a life of comfort and joy.
Yet happiness eluded them. Eleanor couldnt manage the household chores. Either she didnt know how to sweep the floors, dust the shelves, or have supper ready on timeor perhaps she simply didnt wish to. She claimed exhaustion from work and late hours. Fair enough, but Thomas was no idler himself. He, too, laboured well into the evenings.
Thus began the quarrels over who did more at home. The first six months passed in daily skirmishes, their flat cluttered with strewn clothes and stacks of unwashed dishes. Still, neither breathed a word of their strife to their families. Shame kept their troubles hidden.
One afternoon, Thomas went fishing with his father-in-law, Edward. Both were keen anglers, which had always made them close. That night, by the fire with a glass of whisky in hand, Thomas unburdened himself, swearing Edward to secrecyespecially from his mother-in-law.
Edward vowed to keep quiet but remarked that their home would never know peace without a “guardian of the hearth.”
“Ive just the one in mind,” Edward said. “When time allows, Ill persuade him to settle in your house.”
Thomas thought the man had gone mad but held his tongue.
The following week, Edward arrived with a kitten in tow. Thomas was furious. What good would it do? Just more mess to clean! But Edward drew him aside for a smoke on the balcony, reminding him of the “guardian of the hearth.” He insisted the creature came with the cat, and now all would be well. His only request was that they treat the little thing kindly.
To his surprise, Thomas grew fond of the kitten at once. Small and affectionate, she took to him straightaway, trailing after him and begging for strokes. Only once did he have to clean up a tiny mishap on the floorbut that was just the first night.
The next evening, when Thomas returned from work, the flat was spotless. No clothes lay strewn about, and Eleanor was preparing a splendid supper! Heartened, he finally hung the shelf in the loo, as hed long promised.
The day after, he found Eleanor vacuuming the rugs. Moved, he pitched in, took out the rubbish, and fetched bread from the bakers. He even brought back a bottle of claret. Dinner felt like a celebrationthey scarcely recalled the last time theyd done such a thing.
And so the week passed. Joy seemed to have returned to their home. On Sunday evening, Eleanor turned to Thomas and said,
“You neednt slip home at midday anymore. Ive bought cat litter and set up a spot in the loo.”
“For whom?”
“For your kitten. I know youve been coming back during work to tidy up. But theres no need nowIve got it all in hand.”
Thomas was stunned. He hadnt set foot in the flat during the day. Hed assumed Eleanor was the one cleaning. But it seemed shame had kept her from idling in an orderly home.
Determined to unravel the mystery, he feigned departure the next noon but doubled back quietly, hiding with his mobile at the ready.
Near lunchtime, the key turned in the lock. The kitten darted to the door, mewing a welcome. Then came a gentle voice
“Oh, Whiskers, how Ive missed you! Ive brought milk and a fresh treat. Youve learned to use the tray all on your own, havent you?”
The bedroom door creaked open. There stood Edward, startled to find Thomas waiting.
“So this is your ‘guardian of the hearth,’ Father!”
Edward flushed.
“Well, I gave you the cat. I thought it only right to help care for herat least at first.”
“And howd you get a key?”
“Pinched it from your ring when we went fishing, had a copy made, and slipped it back the next day…”
Three years have passed since Thomas and Eleanor found happiness. Theyve a child now. And to this day, none can say for certain who was the true “guardian of the hearth” that once dwelled in their home.
