Running late! In three minutes, she dashed into the bathroom, applied her makeup, threw on her coat and boots, and stepped into the lift.
Eleanor awoke with a start, already behind schedule. With startling haste, she readied herselfswiping on cosmetics as she hurried to the door, casting a glance in the mirror, and tugging on a trench coat and ankle boots. Mere moments after rousing, she was in the elevator.
Stepping onto the street, she noticed the soft drizzle of an autumn morning, but there was no time to fetch an umbrella. Her alarm had betrayed her. Eleanor sprinted for the bus, dread pooling in her stomach at the thought of missing work. Her boss was unyielding; a single tardiness counted as a full days absence, with dismissal looming over her.
As she envisioned the disastrous day ahead, Eleanor had already bid silent farewells to her favourite clients, her bonus, and her last remaining day off. The other commuters, just as harried, moved past without a glance, wrapped in their own thoughts. The world seemed grey and dreary, the rain doing little to lift the gloom.
A few hundred yards from the bus stop, Eleanor halted abruptly, spotting a shivering kitten by a worn bench. It tried to mewl, but only a faint, soundless gasp escaped.
She hesitated. Rush ahead or aid the helpless creature? Her heart decided for her, knowing full well shed face her bosss wrath regardless.
Drawing closer, she saw the kittens paw was twisted awkwardly.
“Good heavens! What happened to you?”
Any doubt vanishedshe couldnt leave it. The tiny thing trembled, drenched to the bone. Wrapping it gently in her white scarf, she ran faster toward the bus stop, resolving to take it to the office and figure things out later. Her kind heart wouldnt let her abandon the poor orphan.
Her attempt to slip in unnoticed failed. Just as she neared her desk, her boss rounded the corner.
“Ellis! An hour late! Where on earth have you been? Whos to manage your duties? Whats gotten into you?”
The barrage of questions made her shrink. Trembling and mute, she felt tears welling, bitterness rising.
“Look!” she finally blurted, loosening her coat. The kitten peeked out weakly, now slightly warmer, and let out a pitiful mewl.
“Its paws hurtI couldnt leave it in the rain It was all alone”
Her words tumbled out between tears, hands shaking. Bracing for dismissal, she barely noticed when her bosss stern expression shifted. He scribbled an address on a scrap of paper and thrust it at her.
“Go nowsave that little paw.”
Stunned, Eleanor pocketed the note, her chilled fingers fumbling, and hurried out.
“And dont come back today,” he called after her.
Her heart sankuntil he added,
“Take the day off. Tomorrow as well. And expect a bonus for your kindnessthe world needs more of it.”
That boss, known to all as Reginald Whitmore, was famed for his severity. Yet at the vets, the matter was swiftly resolvedthe kittens paw wasnt broken, only badly sprained. As the vet bandaged it, Eleanor shared the tale of her morning, including Reginalds unexpected mercy.
Laughing, the vet revealed hed known Reginald since boyhood. Hed always been a champion of animalsrescuing pups from rivers, shielding kittens from cruel hands. As a man, he quietly funded shelters with his earnings, a habit begun with his first scholarship.
But with people, Reginald had grown distant after losing his family tragically. The revelation struck Eleanor deeply, and she spent the rest of the day thinking of him, wishing to offer comfort.
That evening, as the kittennow christened Whiskersnestled contentedly on her bed, Eleanor busied herself arranging a cosy nook for her new companion. Her peace was interrupted by the phone. Reginalds voice, lighter now, asked,
“Hows our little patient?”
Blushing, Eleanor replied eagerly, thanking him again. He invited her to supper, and they talked long into the night.
What bonded them was mutual understandingand a shared love for creatures in need. Together, they nursed Whiskers, and soon, a passion for animal rescue flourished. Gone was Eleanors loneliness, replaced by joy in her new four-legged friendand the quiet kindness of an unexpected ally.
